Looking at the market for high-yield stocks, I find that two companies stand out from the crowd, and I mean that in a very positive way. Company no. 1 is mortgage investment firm New Residential Investment Corp. (NYSE: NRZ ), my 2016 high-yield top pick for income investors. New Residential Investment Corp. combines what dividend investors like in income vehicles: Strong core earnings growth, a low valuation, a covered dividend, and an astonishingly high dividend yield north of 15 percent. Add to the mix a $200 million stock buyback that management announced in January and it is easy to see why I like the company. My price target for New Residential is $20. That being said, though, company no. 2, Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: STWD ) follows closely behind New Residential Investment Corp., for obvious reasons. Starwood Property Trust is a household name for high-yield dividend investors that like to invest in commercial real estate via a publicly traded mortgage REIT.