Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts Give Their Take On 3 Defensive Stocks Delivering High-Dividend Yields

During times of turbulence and uncertainty in the markets, many investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. These are often companies that have high free cash flows and reward shareholders with a high dividend payout.

Benzinga readers can review the latest analyst takes on their favorite stocks by visiting Analyst Stock Ratings page. Traders can sort through Benzinga’s extensive database of analyst ratings, including by analyst accuracy.

Below are the ratings of the most accurate analysts for three high-yielding stocks in the consumer staples sector.

Altria Group, Inc. MO

• Dividend Yield: 7.03%
• Barclays analyst Gaurav Jain maintained an Underweight rating and raised the price target from $46 to $49 on May 2, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 65%.
• B of A Securities analyst Lisa Lewandowski upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy and raised the price target from $55 to $65 on Dec. 6, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 64%.
• Recent News: On April 29, Altria Group posted upbeat quarterly earnings.
• Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest MO news.

• Dividend Yield: 6.15%
• JP Morgan analyst Ken Goldman maintained a Neutral rating and cut the price target from $26 to $25 on May 6, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 76%.
• Morgan Stanley analyst Megan Alexander initiated coverage on the stock with an Equal-Weight rating and a price target of $27 on March 24, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 67%.
• Recent News: On May 1, Hometown Food Company announced plans to acquire Chef Boyardee Brand from Conagra Brands for $600 million.
• Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest CAG news

• Dividend Yield: 4.41%
• Morgan Stanley analyst Megan Alexander initiated coverage on the stock with an Underweight rating and a price target of $53 on March 24, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 67%.
• Mizuho analyst John Baumgartner maintained a Neutral rating and cut the price target from $62 to $60 on March 20, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 67%.
• Recent News: On March 19, General Mills reported mixed third-quarter results and said it expects macroeconomic uncertainty to continue impacting consumers in the fourth quarter.
• Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest GIS news