Dividend Picks Spotlight: Phillips 66, Crescent Energy, Viper Energy

Amid heightened market swings linked to Middle-East tensions and questions about the AI boom’s durability, analysts suggest three dividend-paying stocks as steady-income options. The picks—Phillips 66 (PSX), Crescent Energy (CRGY) and Viper Energy (VNOM)—were highlighted by top-rated Wall Street analysts tracked on TipRanks.

CNBC

Phillips 66 announced a quarterly dividend of $1.27 per share, translating to an annualized $5.08 and a 2.25% yield. Following a solid Q2 earnings report, TD Cowen analyst Jason Gabelman reaffirmed a buy rating, raising his price target to $255 from $240 and projecting net-debt reduction to $14.6 billion by year-end, ahead of the company’s $15.5 billion target. He noted the balance-sheet improvement could restore PSX as a defensive refiner. “The [balance sheet] improvement could re-establish PSX as a go-to defensive refiner,” — Gabelman. Management

CNBC

Crescent Energy reported better-than-expected Q2 results and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share, yielding roughly 4%. Evercore analyst Stephen Richardson kept a buy rating, setting a price target of $18. He highlighted that cash flow beat expectations by 10% and that the firm’s full-year oil-production guidance was raised after the Vital Energy acquisition, which generated up to $300 million in synergies. Capital spending remains near the low end of management’s guidance, indicating disciplined financial controls. “CRGY's cash flow exceeded expectations by 10%, reinforcing its trajectory of capital efficiency,” — Richardson. The, analyst

CNBC

Viper Energy, effectively controlled by Diamondback Energy, announced a 32% increase to its base dividend, delivering a 4.5% annualized yield. The company also removed its prior commitment to return at least 75% of cash available for distribution, aiming for greater flexibility in share repurchases and acquisitions. TD Cowen analyst Aaron Bilkoski reiterated a buy rating, nudging his price target to $59 and forecasting one of the highest production-per-share growth profiles in the royalty sector through 2027.

CNBC

Crescent Energy’s dividend is scheduled for payment on August 31. Viper’s revised shareholder-return framework signals a shift toward larger share-repurchase allocations, while Phillips 66’s debt-reduction trajectory remains a focal point for investors seeking defensive exposure.

CNBC