CNBC·2026-03-01 12:38Core Viewpoint - The U.S. stock market is experiencing volatility due to AI-led disruptions and geopolitical tensions, but investors can enhance returns by adding attractive dividend stocks [1] Group 1: Williams Companies (WMB) - Williams recently increased its quarterly dividend by 5% to 52.5 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $2.10 per share and a yield of 2.84% [3] - Jefferies analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith reiterated a buy rating on WMB and raised the price target to $81 from $78, while TipRanks' AI Analyst also has an outperform rating with a price target of $75 [4] - Smith projects a 12% to 13% EBITDA CAGR through 2030, with over 10% growth potential in the early 2030s, supported by long-term contracts and a $15.5 billion Transmission "shadow" backlog [5][6] Group 2: MPLX - MPLX offers a quarterly cash distribution of $1.0765 per common unit, translating to an annualized yield of about 7.4% [9] - RBC Capital analyst Elvira Scotto reaffirmed a buy rating with a price target of $60, while TipRanks' AI Analyst has a higher price target of $63 [10] - MPLX plans to grow distributions by 12.5% annually for the next two years, backed by growth projects and a strong balance sheet for potential acquisitions [12][13] Group 3: Energy Transfer (ET) - Energy Transfer announced a quarterly cash distribution of 33.5 cents per common unit for Q4 2025, resulting in an annualized yield of 7.21% [15] - Stifel analyst Selman Akyol reiterated a buy rating with a price target of $23, while TipRanks' AI Analyst has a neutral rating with a price target of $20.50 [16] - Akyol highlighted robust demand for natural gas, driven by data centers and utilities, and noted ongoing contracts with Oracle and Entergy Louisiana [17][18]