Top Wall Street analysts are pounding the table on these 3 dividend stocks

Dividend-paying stocks can enhance investors' portfolio returns and provide certainty in shaky markets.

Investors can track Wall Street analysts' ratings to select stocks of dividend-paying companies that have attractive growth prospects, which could boost earnings and cash flows to support higher dividends.

Here are three attractive dividend stocks, according to Wall Street's top experts on TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.

This week's first dividend stock is Northern Oil and Gas (NOG). The company engages in the acquisition, exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties, mainly in the Williston, Permian and Appalachian basins.

NOG paid a dividend of 40 cents per share for the first quarter, reflecting an 18% year-over-year increase. The stock offers a dividend yield of 4.1%. The company also enhanced shareholder returns through stock buybacks worth $20 million in Q1 2024.

NOG recently announced an agreement to acquire a 20% undivided stake in the Uinta Basin assets of XCL Resources for $510 million. The deal will be made in partnership with SM Energy.

Reacting to the news, RBC Capital analyst Scott Hanold reiterated a buy rating on NOG stock with a price target of $46. Following discussions with management, the analyst noted that similar to NOG's strategy in the Permian and Williston Basins, there is a possibility of further expansion in the Uinta Basin through additional deals.

Hanold said the deal was in line with NOG's strategy of collaborating with high-quality operators like SM Energy to capture lucrative opportunities. "This is NOG's fourth large JV [joint venture] and meaningfully adds to its diversity, returns, and inventory runway," he said.

The analyst boosted