Jefferies Global Best Ideas List Has 5 US Dividend Stocks With Huge Total Return Potential

Jefferies Global Best Ideas List Has 5 US Dividend Stocks With Huge Total Return Potential Lee Jackson Tue, July 28, 2026 at 2:50 PM GMT+2 8 min read BAC TMO MLM AHR CAT Quick Read Jefferies' Global Best Ideas list targets 5 U. S. dividend stocks as defensive plays against an overbought S&P 500 with inflation running at 3.

5%. AHR targets $65 on surging senior housing demand as the 80+ population grows 5% annually, while BAC targets $75 on durable earnings and capital markets strength. CAT's $1,045 target reflects its leverage to AI-driven data center infrastructure and a decade of global underinvestment in commodity mining capacity.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Bank of America didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today . All the firms we have covered on Wall Street for the past 15 years have lists of top stock ideas from their analyst pools.

Some are just domestic stocks, some are European and Asian. Jefferies has a combined list that is called the Global Best Ideas list, described like this: Jefferies' Global Best Ideas list represents our highest-conviction, Buy-rated stocks across our Global Research Platform. These 24 top ideas are supported by differentiated analysis, bolstered by catalysts, and sit at valuation levels that suggest upside.

Themes include: Secular Innovation & Capex, Structural Change, and Product Cycles & Pricing Power. tadamichi / Shutterstock. com Five top Jefferies global picks are U.

S. stocks that check a lot of boxes for what we believe is important now. The stock market is very overbought and expensive.

Both the trailing and forward price-to-earnings readings for the S&P 500 are well above historical averages, and we are lined up for what could be a meaningful correction or even a bear market. All five make sense for growth and income investors looking for dependable passive income, and for some positive total return potential to keep pace with the current annual inflation rate of 3. 5% for the 12 months ending in June, which was down from 4.

2% in May. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, stands at 2. 6% over the same period.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Bank of America didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today . American Healthcare REIT With an aging U.

S. population, this may be one of the best sectors to look at now, and the stock pays a 1. 75% dividend.

American Healthcare REIT ( NYSE: AHR ) is a self-managed real estate investment trust that acquires, owns, and operates a diversified portfolio of healthcare real estate properties, primarily senior housing, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient medical buildings, and other healthcare-related facilities. Story Continues The analysts at Jefferies said this: American Healthcare REIT primarily owns private-pay senior housing, which it leases through a RIDEA structure that exposes it to the communities' P&L. The current supply backdrop remains very positive for landlords, with active construction at multi-year lows and no signs of inflection.

The demand backdrop is also very compelling for the senior housing sector. Based on OECD projections, the 80+ population is expected to grow at an average of +5. 0% annually through 2030, well above the +1.

8% CAGR from 2010 through 2025. Its properties are in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Isle of Man. Its segments include: Integrated senior health campuses OM, SHOP, and triple-net leased properties The OM buildings are leased to multiple tenants under separate leases.

Its integrated senior health campuses each provide a range of independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing services, and ancillary businesses. Its triple-net leased properties segment includes: Senior housing Skilled nursing facilities Hospital investments The SHOP segment includes senior housing, which may provide: Assisted living care Independent living Memory care Skilled nursing services Jefferies has a $65 price target for the shares. Bank of America While Warren Buffett has trimmed his position over the past two years and sold a whopping 50 million shares in the fourth quarter of 2025, this quality financial giant remains an exceptional long-term holding, with a solid 1.

83% dividend yield. Bank of America ( NYSE: BAC ) is a bank holding company that reported impressive Q2 results. Berkshire Hathaway owns 513,624,165 shares, which is 7.

9% of the portfolio and 7. 2% of the float. Berkshire did lower its Bank of America position in Q1 2026, but only modestly.

According to the Q1 2026 13F filing, it was reduced by just 0. 71%, a tiny cut compared to other positions. Jefferies said this about the bank: We view Bank of America as one of the most attractive opportunities among the large-cap banks, given its combination of durable earnings growth, improving capital markets activity, positive operating leverage, and significant capital return capacity.

While investors often view BAC primarily through the lens of interest rates, we believe the company's earnings outlook is supported by multiple drivers, including balance sheet growth, improving fee income, funding optimization, and fixed asset repricing. NT, we expect BAC to outperform its capital markets guidance, with investment banking and trading revenues tracking well above year-ago levels, while NII is trending toward the high end of management's 6%-8% FY26 outlook. Its segments include: Consumer Banking offers a range of credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses.

Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) comprises two businesses: Merrill Wealth Management, which offers tailored solutions to meet clients' needs through a comprehensive suite of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. Bank of America Private Bank provides comprehensive wealth management solutions. Global Banking offers a range of lending-related products and services, including integrated working capital management and treasury solutions, as well as underwriting and advisory services.

Global Markets offers sales and trading services, as well as research services, to institutional clients across fixed income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity markets. The Jefferies  target price for the shares is $75. BAC Analyst Ratings — 24/7 Wall St.

BAC Price Target — 24/7 Wall St. Caterpillar This is one of the best infrastructure ideas and will be a big winner in the massive construction and deployment of data centers, and it pays a reliable but modest 0. 68% dividend.

Caterpillar ( NYSE: CAT ) is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Jefferies said this about the company: Caterpillar is highly levered to infrastructure build and commodity capacity expansion. Both are areas of the global economy that have been severely underinvested in over the last decade+.

While most investors have been solely focused on CAT's powergen business, which is benefiting from AI-driven data center infrastructure, reshoring, and megaprojects. We continue to believe that a large capital investment is needed globally to mine commodities to fuel the energy transition. Its segments include: Construction Industries Resource Industries Power & Energy Financial Products The Construction Industries segment is responsible for supporting customers using machinery in infrastructure and building construction applications.

The Resource Industries segment develops and manufactures high-productivity equipment for both surface and underground mining operations worldwide. It also provides select work tools, machinery components, wear-and-maintenance components, and related parts. The Power & Energy segment supports customers in oil and gas, power generation, marine, rail, and industrial applications, including Caterpillar machines.

It also develops mining software solutions for the industry. The company also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. Jefferies has a $1,045 price target for the blue chip giant.

CAT Analyst Ratings — 24/7 Wall St. CAT Price Target — 24/7 Wall St. Martin Marietta Materials With a positive backdrop for infrastructure growth across multiple levels, this stock is an outstanding idea with a small 0.

60% dividend yield. Martin Marietta Materials ( NYSE: MLM ) is a supplier of aggregates and other building materials. The company operates through two segments: the East Group comprises the East and Southwest divisions.

The West Group comprises the Central and West divisions. Jefferies noted this: The company has been dislocated from the broader heavy materials and building products peer group due to negative mix, which has impacted pricing. MLM announced a large deal to acquire Lhoist's North American lime assets as a complement to its existing specialties portfolio, a market investors aren't familiar with.

Although 2026 will be noisy, we think this sets MLM up for a strong '27+ on pricing as it will have carry-over from its mid-year increases, opportunity to raise prices at its recently acquired assets more than its heritage assets, and an easy comp due to unfavorable product mix. The company provides magnesia and dolomitic lime products used globally in environmental, industrial, agricultural, and other specialty applications. It supplies aggregates (crushed stone, sand, and gravel) through its network of approximately 400 quarries, mines, and distribution yards in 28 states, Canada, and the Bahamas.

Martin Marietta Materials provides other building materials, namely, cement, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt, and paving services.  The heavy-side building materials are used in infrastructure, nonresidential, and residential construction projects.  Its aggregates are also used in agricultural, utility, and environmental applications, as well as railroad ballast.

Jefferies has a target price of $725 for the stock. MLM Analyst Ratings — 24/7 Wall St. MLM Price Target — 24/7 Wall St.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Perhaps off the radar for some, this stock only pays a small 0. 15% dividend, but the upside potential is hard to ignore. Thermo Fisher Scientific ( NYSE: TMO ) is engaged in accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing laboratory productivity, and improving patient health through diagnostics and the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies.

Jefferies said this about the stock: Our conviction in Thermo Fisher Scientific stems from a clear earnings inflection story, with organic growth stepping higher into 2H26 on the back of biopharma (60% of mix), where fundamentals remain strong across CRO, CDMO, and bioproduction. Notably, earnings continue to move higher despite muted near-term growth optics, reinforcing that the recent ~10% drawdown post 1Q results is multiple-driven rather than a deterioration in underlying earnings power. Through its Life Sciences Solutions segment, it provides a portfolio of reagents, instruments, and consumables used in biological and medical research, the discovery and development of new drugs and vaccines, and the diagnosis of infections and diseases.

Its Analytical Instruments segment provides instruments and supporting consumables, software, and services for a range of applications. The Specialty Diagnostics segment offers a range of diagnostic test kits, reagents, culture media, instruments, and associated products. The Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services segment offers virtually everything needed for the laboratory.

It also provides purification and filtration technologies. Jefferies has a $585 price objective. TMO Analyst Ratings — 24/7 Wall St.

TMO Price Target — 24/7 Wall St. Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Bank of America didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today .

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