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Just For You Top 5 Highest-Rated Dividend Stocks, According to MarketBeatWritten by Thomas Hughes. Published 12/9/2025. 
Key Points - MarketBeat’s Top-Rated Dividend Stocks tool identifies analyst-backed names, but screening alone isn’t enough.
- This article filters for small- and mid-cap dividend stocks with yields over 3% and analyst scores above 3.0.
- Featured names like Cenovus, Heritage Commerce, ACNB, Evergy, and Copa Holdings combine reliable dividends with solid analyst support.
MarketBeat’s value-building tools include the MarketBeat Top-Rated Dividend Stocks screener, which identifies highly rated dividend stocks. The tool analyzes analyst data on dividend names and ranks them by rating, but investors should be cautious when using it. A dividend stock with a score of 4.0 reflects 100% bullish analyst ratings, indicating strong market support, but there may be only one analyst covering it. This article goes a step further by filtering out names with a score below 3.0 and a yield below 3.0%, focusing on small- and mid-cap companies worth considering. The results offer a quick look at some of the highest-yielding and most-favored small and mid-cap stocks on Wall Street. Cenovus Energy Is Well-Positioned to Pay Dividends in 2026 Cenovus Energy (NYSE: CVE) is an integrated energy operator with assets in the U.S. and Canada. JC Parets — widely followed for his technical research and known for calling major turning points in 2008, 2020, and 2022 — is now warning that a powerful market signal, one historically seen before every major downturn for the past 50 years, is set to appear on a specific upcoming date. Before that happens, he believes we're entering a brief but meaningful window for potential gains, making this an important moment for investors to understand the setup. See JC's latest market forecast here Analysts favor it for its low-cost assets, substantial free cash flow margin, and capital-return program, including an approximately 3.2% yield at the end of 2025. There are some considerations, such as the erratic nature of quarterly payments, but the trend is upward. While payment sizes may fluctuate quarter to quarter, the payment itself is reliable and has been rising on an annualized basis. Cenovus ranks 4th overall on MarketBeat’s screen and is the first to offer a return exceeding 3.0%. Its quality score is 3.15, based on a sufficient number of analysts to provide conviction. MarketBeat tracks 13 analysts with current coverage; they rate the stock a Buy and project it advancing by about 40% in 2026. Coverage has increased significantly since early 2025, and sentiment is strengthening. 
Heritage Commerce Corp: Yield Offsets Limited Upside Heritage Commerce Corp (NASDAQ: HTBK) is 9th on MarketBeat’s screener and second on this list, with a score of 3.0 and a yield of 4.5%. It is the holding company for Heritage Bank, a California operator, and has six analysts covering it. Analyst data show that coverage has strengthened—doubled over the last year—but the price-target trend remains tepid. The consensus estimate of $11.50 implies the stock is fairly valued at the end of 2025, with upside potential at the high end below 10%. The dividend currently represents about 60% of the earnings forecast, a sustainable level, but there are no plans for an increase in the near term.
 ACNB Corporation: Dividend Growth Is on the Table ACNB (NASDAQ: ACNB) ranks 12th overall with a score of 3.0 and a similar yield. The payment is reliable and safe—less than 40% of the earnings outlook—and is expected to grow over time. The distribution has been increasing for eight consecutive years as of late 2025 and is growing at a modestly high single-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that analysts applaud. Only four analysts cover this stock, but they rate it a Buy, and their price targets have risen over the past year. The high-end target of $52 would be enough to break out of a long-term range and set a new all-time high. 
Evergy Outlook Supported by AI Energy Needs Evergy (NASDAQ: EVRG) is an electric utility operating in Missouri. It is well-regarded by analysts for its cash flow, dividend payments, and positioning to support AI-related energy demand. Growing demand and projects awaiting approval suggest meaningful growth potential over the next few years. It is ranked 16th on the screener, has a score of 3.0, and yields approximately 3.8%. The dividend payment is close to 80% of earnings, but that isn’t necessarily a red flag: utilities typically have visible revenue and earnings streams and can sustain higher payout ratios. This company has increased its dividend for more than 20 consecutive years and is projected to continue doing so. Eleven analysts rate the stock a Buy, the price-target trend is upward, and there is potential for roughly 25% upside at the high end. 
Copa Holdings: Long-Time Favorite Is Still a Good Buy Copa Holdings (NYSE: CPA) has long been ranked on MarketBeat’s list of highly rated dividend stocks. This Latin American carrier and growth story is rated a consensus Buy by 10 analysts, who see it rising about 35% over the next year. There is conviction in the forecast: price targets are rising, and a move to the high end of the range appears likely, which would add roughly 12.5% more upside when reached. The dividend is also attractive—yielding more than 5.4% annualized—and is expected to grow. The company pays about 40% of its earnings, and earnings are forecast to increase, suggesting the dividend could sustain a higher-than-market-average distribution CAGR. 
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