Raymond James Analysts’ Best Picks Could Explode Again in 2026: 4 Red-Hot Dividend Stocks

By Lee Jackson Published Jan 13, 8:42AM EST

24/7 Wall St. Key Points

The Raymond James Best Picks List has outperformed the Russell 2000 in 20 of its 30 years of existence.
All the Best Picks selections have Strong Buy ratings at the firm and are considered the best of the best.
Stock selection may be more difficult in 2026 after three years of double-digit gains for the S&P 500.

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Raymond James Analysts’ Best Picks Could Explode Again in 2026: 4 Red-Hot Dividend Stocks — © Deemerwha studio / Shutterstock.com

As the calendar has already turned to 2026, many leading Wall Street firms have released their top stock picks for the new year. Typically, these are companies that analysts have incredible conviction in. In addition, they often have a substantial upside to the assigned price target and are assigned either a Buy or Overweight rating, depending on the company providing the coverage. While we are a little tardy to the party with the top selections from Raymond James, it is always better late than never. The Raymond James Best Picks list for 2026 is strong, and we identified four quality stocks for growth and income investors that offer solid dividends and strong upside potential.

With all the major indices making strong moves higher in 2025, we were interested to see what the top prognosticators across Wall Street think will happen in 2026. Not surprisingly, many of the firms we cover are optimistic about the future despite some trepidation after last year’s substantial upside. Every year, the top Wall Street firms release a list of their top stock picks for the next 12 months. Typically, these are companies that analysts have a firm conviction in. In addition, they often have good upside to the assigned price target.

Raymond James said this when discussing its Analysts’ Best Picks List methodology:

The Best Picks selection process first screens eligible analysts based on experience and stock rating success. Analysts meeting the criteria are then invited to propose their best Strong Buy-rated recommendation for the subsequent 12-month period, subject to liquidity criteria. In some cases, analysts recommend more than one stock, but the final list only allows for one stock per analyst. In all cases, a three-person committee vets each recommendation for potential inclusion.

We decided to focus on the four companies paying the highest dividends in the group, as total return may be the most successful strategy for growth and income investors in 2026.

CDW

This IT giant is poised for a big 2026 and pays a dependable 1.89% dividend. CDW Corp. (NYSE: CDW | CDW Price Prediction) is a multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to business, government, education, and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

The company’s offerings range from discrete hardware and software products to integrated IT solutions and services that include on-premises and cloud capabilities across hybrid infrastructure, digital experience, and security.

CDW operates through three segments:

The Corporate segment primarily serves United States private sector business customers.
The Small Business segment primarily serves U.S. private sector business customers.
The Public segment comprises government agencies and education and healthcare institutions in the United States.

The company’s solutions are delivered in physical, virtual, and cloud-based environments. The Company provides integrated IT solutions in more than 150 countries.

Raymond James has a $185 price target for the shares.

Crown Castle International

This top cell tower company is the nation’s largest provider of shared communications infrastructure, and it offers incredible growth and income possibilities with a fat 5.94% dividend. Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE: CCI) owns, operates, and leases more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 90,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every U.S. market.

The company’s core business is providing access, including space or capacity, to its shared communications infrastructure via long-term tenant contracts in various forms, including lease, license, sublease, and service agreements in the United States. Its segments include Towers and Fiber, which consists of both small cells and fiber solutions.

The Towers segment provides access to the company’s more than 40,000 towers throughout the United States, including space or capacity. This segment also offers ancillary services for the company’s towers, including site development and installation.

The Fiber segment consists of communications infrastructure offerings of small cells and fiber solutions.

Crown Castle is one of the best stocks in the sector for more conservative investors. Its high-yield distribution and low volatility make it a good holding for accounts seeking growth, income, and less risk.

Raymond James has a huge $120 target price.

Expand Energy

While off the radar for many investors, this company is the former Chesapeake Energy, and it may be one of the best stealth ideas for natural gas plays, as it pays a 3.06% dividend. Expand Energy Corp. (NYSE: EXE) is an independent natural gas producer in the United States. The company is focused on developing a supply of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids (LNG) to expand energy access for all.

Its operations are located in:

Louisiana in the Haynesville and Bossier Shales (Haynesville)
Pennsylvania in the Marcellus Shale (Northeast Appalachia)
West Virginia and Ohio in the Marcellus and Utica Shales (Southwest Appalachia)
Interests in approximately 8,000 gross natural gas and oil wells

The company’s operations include drilling, completion, and production. Expand Energy also operates drilling rigs and provides certain oilfield products and services, principally serving the company’s E&P operations through vertical integration. Haynesville is rich in natural gas and is proximate to LNG export infrastructure.

The company’s operations in Ohio and West Virginia target the Marcellus and Utica shales and provide oil and NGLs.

Raymond James has a price target of $145.

Public Storage

With everybody needing more space to stow their stuff, this is a perfect stock for passive-income investors, as it pays a 4.60% dividend. Public Storage Inc. (NYSE: PSA) is a real estate investment trust.

The company’s principal business activities include the ownership and operation of self-storage facilities that offer storage spaces for lease, generally on a month-to-month basis, for personal and business use, and other related operations, such as tenant reinsurance, merchandise sales, third-party management, and bridge lending to third-party self-storage owners, as well as the acquisition and development of additional self-storage space.

Its Self-Storage Operations segment includes aggregated rental operations from its owned self-storage facilities, same-store facilities, acquired facilities, newly developed and expanded facilities, and other non-same-store facilities.

The Ancillary Operations segment includes the combined operations of its tenant reinsurance, merchandise sales, and third-party property management. It owned interests in over 3,085 self-storage facilities located in 40 states in the United States.

Raymond James has a $330 target price for the shares.

Our Top 2026 Passive Income Ultra-High-Yield Picks With Up to 10% Dividends.

About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.