Attractive returns can be found in these dividend stocks, as picked by top Wall Street analysts.

Investors faced market volatility in September, but dividend-paying stocks can help stabilize their investments.

Long-term investors can disregard short-term fluctuations and concentrate on stocks that can increase their portfolio's overall returns by combining dividends and share price growth.

Top Wall Street analysts' recommendations can aid investors in selecting stocks with robust fundamentals and a history of paying consistent dividends.

Three dividend stocks recommended by Wall Street's top pros on TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.

MPLX LP

This week, we begin with MPLX, a midstream energy player that paid out 85 cents per common unit ($3.40 on an annualized basis) in quarterly cash distribution for the second quarter of 2024. The company offers an attractive yield of nearly 8%.

RBC Capital analyst Elvira Scotto maintained a buy rating on MPLX stock with a price target of $47, citing the company's strong second-quarter results. The analyst's model was updated to reflect the company's adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization exceeding the Street's estimate by 3%.

Scotto increased her EBITDA forecasts for 2024 and 2025 due to the robust performance of the Logistics & Storage division in Q2 and the consolidation of joint venture interests. The analyst kept her distribution per unit estimates for 2024 and 2025 at $3.57 and $3.84, respectively.

MPLX remains an attractive income play among large-cap MLPs, according to Scotto, due to its strong yield and increasing free cash flow generation. The analyst believes that MPLX's solid free cash flow will enable the company to expand its business and improve shareholder returns through buybacks.

The analyst pointed out that MPLX is expanding its natural gas and natural gas liquids assets through various means, including organic projects, joint venture interests, and bolt-on acquisitions.

Among more than 9,000 analysts tracked by TipRanks, Scotto ranks No. 18. Her ratings have been profitable 69% of the time, delivering an average return of 20.8%. (See MPLX Options Trading on TipRanks)

Chord Energy

We shift our focus to a different energy stock that pays dividends, specifically (CHRD). This is an autonomous oil and gas company situated in the Williston Basin. Recently, the company distributed a base dividend of $1.25 per share of common stock and a variable dividend of $1.27 per share.

On Sept. 4, RBC Capital analyst Scott Hanold maintained a buy rating on CHRD stock with a price target of $200. The analyst made slight adjustments to his earnings per share and cash flow per share estimates for 2024 and 2025, increasing them by nearly 3%, reflecting slightly higher production and lower cash operating costs.

In 2024 and 2025, Hanold anticipates free cash flow of $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively. The analyst predicts that FCF will increase in the second half of 2024 due to the combination of the assets of Chord Energy and Enerplus, which the company acquired earlier this year.

The analyst expressed optimism that Enerplus will surpass the synergy target due to the successful integration of operations.

The analyst anticipates that the company will distribute between $4.50 and $5.00 per share in the second half of 2024, with dividends accounting for approximately 60% of the distributions and buybacks accounting for 40%.

Among more than 9,000 analysts tracked by TipRanks, Hanold ranks No. 27. His ratings have been successful 63% of the time, delivering an average return of 25.4%. Check out the Chord Energy Stock Buybacks on TipRanks.

McDonald's

This week's third pick is fast-food chain MCD, which has a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald's is a dividend aristocrat that has increased its dividends for 47 consecutive years.

On Sept. 3, Ivan Feinseth, a financial analyst at Tigress, maintained a buy rating on MCD stock and increased his price target from $355 to $360. Despite the challenging market conditions, Feinseth remains optimistic about McDonald's due to its ongoing technology initiatives, innovation, and value focus. These factors support its robust business model and long-term growth prospects.

McDonald's has recently introduced several value deals, such as the $5 meal deal, to enhance its value offerings and regain its competitive edge, according to Feinseth.

MCD's competitive advantage, backed by its strong brand equity, loyalty program, and digital initiatives, was highlighted by Feinseth. The company currently has a loyalty membership base of 166 million members and aims to increase this to 250 million active loyalty members by 2027.

McDonald's is investing between $2 billion and $2.5 billion annually to expand its store footprint and improve its technology, including through enhancing its ordering capabilities through automated voice artificial intelligence. Feinseth is confident about MCD's long-term growth potential and its ability to boost shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases. He expects MCD to announce a dividend hike in October, similar to the 10% rise announced last year.

Feinseth is ranked No. 210 among over 9,000 analysts on TipRanks, with a profitable rating 60% of the time and an average return of 11.9%. (Check out McDonald's Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks)