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: 13.48%
  • Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Bose George maintained an Outperform rating and raised the price target from $23.25 to $25 on Jan. 30, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 66%
  • Wells Fargo analyst Donald Fandetti maintained an Overweight rating and increased the price target from $23 to $25 on Jan. 30, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 66%.
  • Recent News: On Jan. 28, Annaly Capital Management posted upbeat quarterly earnings.
  • Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest NLY news.

Ellington Financial Inc (NYSE:EFC)

  • Dividend Yield: 13.51%
  • UBS analyst Douglas Harter maintained a Neutral rating and raised the price target from $12.5 to $13.5 on Sept. 3, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 52%.
  • 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 51%
  • Recent News: On Feb. 25, Ellington Financial posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings.
  • Benzinga Pro's real-time newsfeed alerted to latest EFC news

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp (NYSE:ACRE)

  • Dividend Yield: 12.61%
  • Wells Fargo analyst Donald Fandetti maintained an Underweight rating and increased the price target from $4 to $5 on Feb. 12, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 66%.
  • Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Jade Rahmani maintained an Outperform rating and raised the price target from $5.5 to $6 on Feb. 11, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 66%.
  • Recent News: On Feb. 10, Ares Commercial Real Estate reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales results.
  • Benzinga Pro’s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest ACRE news

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