Core Insights - November has seen volatility in the market, particularly with high valuations in artificial intelligence stocks and expectations of an interest rate cut in December, leading investors to seek stable income through dividend-paying stocks [1] Dividend Stocks Overview - Selecting attractive dividend stocks can be challenging, but recommendations from top Wall Street analysts can aid in decision-making [2] MPLX - MPLX is a master limited partnership focused on midstream energy infrastructure, announcing a third-quarter distribution of $1.0765 per common unit, marking a 12.5% year-over-year growth, with an annualized distribution of $4.31 per unit, yielding 8.03% [3][4] - RBC Capital analyst Elvira Scotto reiterated a buy rating on MPLX, raising the price target to $60 from $58, while TipRanks' AI Analyst has an "outperform" rating with a price target of $59 [4] - Expectations for higher EBITDA growth from 2025 to 2026 are driven by key projects, with mid-single-digit growth anticipated beyond 2026 [5][6] - Distribution per unit is expected to rise by 12.5% in 2026 and again in 2027, aligning with the company's growth targets [7] ConocoPhillips - ConocoPhillips announced an 8% increase in its fourth-quarter dividend to $0.84 per share, yielding 3.65% [8] - Analyst Ryan Todd reiterated a buy rating with a price target of $115, highlighting ConocoPhillips' strong drilling inventory and growth potential in LNG and U.S. conventional projects [9][11] - The company has reduced adjusted operating costs by 8% since 2024, with further reductions expected, contributing to leading free cash flow growth [12][13] IBM - IBM returned $1.6 billion to shareholders in Q3 through dividends, with a quarterly dividend of $1.68 per share, yielding 2.22% [15] - Analyst Amit Daryanani reiterated a buy rating with a price target of $315, noting management's optimism about tech spending growth outpacing GDP [16] - IBM's transformation over the past five years has led to consistent growth and solid free cash flow, with opportunities in enterprise AI and quantum computing [17]