These dividend stocks are preferred by top Wall Street analysts for higher returns.

Dividend-paying stocks can help investors bolster their portfolios and boost returns.

To discover these names, investors must look for companies with a history of consistent payments, supported by strong financials.

According to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance, here are three attractive dividend stocks recommended by Wall Street's top pros.

Darden Restaurants

Darden, the first dividend stock, operates several popular brands in full-service dining, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Yard House. The company recently announced mixed results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024. While Darden exceeded analysts' earnings expectations, its sales slightly missed the Street's consensus amid increased discounting by rivals.

In fiscal 2024, Darden paid out $628 million in dividends and bought back $454 million in shares. Additionally, the company increased its quarterly dividend by nearly 7% to $1.40 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.5%.

DRI stock has a buy rating from BTIG analyst Peter Saleh, with a price target of $175. The analyst noted that Darden's earnings per share outlook of $9.40 to $9.60 indicates a double-digit total shareholder return, which aligns with the company's long-term targets.

Saleh believes that the company will meet its target return metrics due to a slight increase in pricing, advertising campaigns, and decreasing inflation.

Saleh stated that Darden Restaurants is considered one of the strongest industry operators, with a history of consistently surpassing peers in sales and restaurant margin performance.

Among more than 8,900 analysts tracked by TipRanks, Saleh ranks No. 360. His ratings have been successful 61% of the time, with each delivering an average return of 11.7%. (See Darden's Financial Statements on TipRanks)

International Seaways

INSW is a tanker company that provides energy transportation services for crude oil and petroleum products. On June 26, the company paid a combined dividend of $1.75 per share, which represented 60% of its first-quarter adjusted net income.

INSW's dividend yield of more than 13% over the last twelve months was reflected in its combined dividend payments of $5.74 per share in its first-quarter results.

Benjamin Nolan, a Stifel analyst, maintained a buy rating on INSW's stock after meeting with the company's management. He also raised the price target from $66 to $68. Nolan pointed out that the tanker market remains robust due to rising global oil consumption, limited new ship supply, and longer average voyage lengths resulting from geopolitical tensions.

The analyst anticipates that International Seaways will continue to generate higher cash flows due to a favorable market environment for tankers, and as a result, Nolan has raised his rate assumptions for 2024 and 2025.

The analyst predicts that Nolan will have an estimated $200 million to $300 million of excess cash flow after capital expenditure, which could result in a higher dividend payout. The analyst forecasts $5.51/share in 2024 dividends, but there is potential for an even higher dividend yield.

Nolan is ranked No. 68 among over 8,900 analysts on TipRanks, with a successful rating rate of 67% and an average return of 19.5% for each rating. (Check out International Seaways' Stock Charts on TipRanks)

Citigroup

This week's third dividend stock is banking giant (C), which pays out a quarterly dividend of 53 cents per share and offers a yield of 3.3%.

Despite macro uncertainty and the possibility of lower interest rates, the bank's management expressed confidence about achieving the 2024 guidance, driven by revenue growth across all the core businesses.

After the event, Goldman Sachs analyst Richard Ramsden maintained a buy rating on Citigroup stock and slightly increased his price target to $72 from $71. The higher price target reflects an increase in the analyst's EPS estimates for 2024, 2025, and 2026 due to management's commentary indicating that the bank's strategic transformation plan is gaining momentum.

Citi is making steady progress on risk control and data quality, while the Services business accounts for 25% of the group revenue growth through 2026.

Ramsden stated that the Services business is poised to maintain its market leading positions and gain more shares across businesses due to its extensive global network, long-term client relationships, and expected investments in technology and innovative offerings.

Among more than 8,900 analysts tracked by TipRanks, Ramsden ranks No. 969. His ratings have been successful 65% of the time, with each delivering an average return of 11.9%. (See Citigroup Technical Analysis on TipRanks)