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 financial sector.

Annaly Capital Management Inc (NYSE:NLY)

  • Dividend Yield: 12.60%
  • Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Bose George maintained an Outperform rating and increased the price target from $23.25 to $25 on Jan. 30, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 68%
  • Wells Fargo analyst Donald Fandetti maintained an Overweight rating and raised the price target from $23 to $25 on Jan. 30, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 67%.
  • Recent News: Annaly Capital Management said it will release its financial results for the first quarter after the closing bell on Tuesday, April 21.
  • Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest NLY news.

Ellington Financial Inc (NYSE:EFC)

  • Dividend Yield: 12.32%
  • UBS analyst Douglas Harter maintained a Neutral rating and increased the price target from $12.5 to $13.5 on Sept. 3, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 54%.
  • Jones Trading analyst Jason Weaver upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy with a price target of $14.25 on Aug. 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 53%
  • Recent News: On Feb. 25, Ellington Financial posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings.
  • Benzinga Pro's real-time newsfeed alerted to latest EFC news

Hercules Capital Inc (NYSE:HTGC)

  • Dividend Yield: 12.30%
  • Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Paul Johnson maintained an Outperform rating and cut the price target from $20 to $19 on Feb. 13, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 53%.
  • Wells Fargo analyst Finian O'Shea maintained an Overweight rating and slashed the price target from $18 to $17 on Feb. 13, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 63%.
  • Recent News: On Feb. 12, Hercules Capital reported worse-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results.
  • Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest HTGC news

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