At 24/7 Wall St. we cover all the major firms on Wall Street with a pretty close eye, and not only do we track their individual stocks and sector selections, but we cover the overall macro outlook from all the companies. One firm that has remained consistently vigilant on 2016 is Merrill Lynch. While not outright negative on the economy and the stock market, the firm is keeping a close eye on the data and has very conservative estimates for the rest of the year.

After a horrible start to 2016, with January having the possibility of being the worst month since 2010, the analysts cite increased volatility and lowered bond yields as warnings signs. While they don’t predict a recession, they do lower their gross domestic product forecast to 2.1% from 2.5%. They also have a list of top U.S. stocks picks they feel can generate alpha, which is the return investments generate above the benchmarks like the S&P 500.

We picked four of the top stocks that also pay outstanding dividends from the list. All are rated Buy at Merrill Lynch.

Enterprise Products Partners

This is one of the largest publicly traded partnerships and a leading North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD) once again, despite the energy slump, recently raised the distribution 1%. Enterprise Products maintains a very good long-term position in the market. It provides many of its services on the basis of long-term, fixed-fee contracts, insulating against some of the wilder swings of the commodities that it trades in.

One reason why many analysts may have a liking for the stock might be its distribution coverage ratio. The company’s distribution coverage ratio is well above 1x, making it relatively less risky among the master limited partnerships (MLPs). The company’s distributions have grown for several quarters and are expected to continue in 2016. Plus the Standard & Poor’s current rating is BBB+, which is investment grade, and the outlook is stable.

Enterprise investors receive a very solid 7.04% distribution. The Merrill Lynch price target is $35. The Thomson/First Call consensus target is $32.88. Shares closed Wednesday at $22.22.

Hess

This top mid/large cap pick is down a stunning 50% since last spring. Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) is an exploration and production company that develops, produces, purchases, transports and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas. The company primarily operates in the United States, Denmark, Equatorial Guinea, the Joint Development Area of Malaysia/Thailand, Malaysia and Norway.

Hess has again emerged as the subject of takeover speculation. With a market capitalization falling to just over $10 billion, the company could fall prey to larger integrated as a quick bolt-on acquisition to boost growth. Hess is undergoing somewhat of a transition from an integrated oil and gas company to a predominantly exploration and production entity. The company is shifting its growth approach from high-impact exploration to a smaller, more focused exploration portfolio.

Hess released a much lower capital expenditure budget for 2016, which highlights the company’s efforts for cost containment. The company said it will cut capital spending on exploration and production this year 40% from 2015 to $2.4 billion on low oil prices.

Hess investors are paid a 2.82% dividend. The Merrill Lynch price objective is a massive $85, and the consensus estimate is much lower at $66. The stock closed most recently at $36.85.
Kraft Heinz

This top consumer staple stock makes good sense for nervous investors and is one of the Merrill Lynch top 10 ideas for 2016. Kraft Heinz Co. (NASDAQ: KHC) is the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world, with eight $1 billion brands. A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, Kraft Heinz provides high quality, great taste and nutrition for all eating occasions, whether at home, in restaurants or on the go.

Among the company’s many iconic brands are Kraft, Heinz, ABC, Capri Sun, Classico, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Plasmon, Quero, Weight Watchers Smart Ones and Velveeta.

Shareholders receive a very tasty 3.03% dividend. Merrill Lynch has an $85 price target, and the consensus target is $90.29. The stock closed most recently at $75.97.

NextEra Energy

With a very strong balance sheet, this company is posed for a solid 2016. NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE: NEE) ) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.0 billion and approximately 44,900 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners.

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy’s principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light, which serves approximately 4.8 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun.

NextEra Energy expects a compounded annual growth of 6% to 8% in its adjusted earnings per share through 2018. It’s aggressively raising its renewables portfolio with a focus on wind generation facilities. It is already the largest power generator by both wind and solar energy in the Unites States. By 2019, the company expects to invest about $15 billion, particularly to add both wind and solar generation facilities. Given the strong focus on regulated operations, NextEra’s earnings are expected to rise steadily. Earnings from regulated operations rose from 58% in 2011 to 66% in 2015.

NextEra investors receive a 2.9% dividend. The Merrill Lynch price objective is $123, and the consensus target is$119.44. Shares closed Wednesday at $106.73.

All these companies make good sense for investors, given the rather cautious outlook coming from Merrill Lynch. They all can provide solid alpha potential on total return, both of which could be valued higher this year due to the heightened volatility.

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