August 3, 2016

Sherwin-Williams Co. (SHW) CEO John G. Morikis Sells $9,067,958.75 in Stock


Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE:SHW) CEO John G. Morikis sold 30,353 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction on Monday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.75, for a total transaction of $9,067,958.75. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 119,804 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,791,445. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Sherwin-Williams stock. Janus Capital Management boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE:SHW) by 48.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 778,376 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 255,380 shares during the period. Janus Capital Management owned 0.81% of Sherwin-Williams worth $173,407,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.




3M Co. (MMM) Insider James L. Bauman Sells $1,617,555.72 in Stock


3M Co. (NYSE:MMM) insider James L. Bauman sold 9,066 shares of 3M stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.42, for a total value of $1,617,555.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 10,834 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,933,002.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on MMM shares. Jefferies Group lifted their target price on 3M from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 19th. Credit Suisse Group AG restated a “buy” rating on shares of 3M in a research note on Sunday, July 10th. Citigroup Inc. reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $191.00 price target (up from $168.00) on shares of 3M in a report on Tuesday, April 19th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded 3M from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of 3M in a research note on Monday, June 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $163.32.




Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (SWK) Insider James J. Cannon Sells $701,206.40 in Stock


Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (NYSE:SWK) insider James J. Cannon sold 5,776 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.40, for a total value of $701,206.40. Following the sale, the insider now owns 39,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,826,378.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, September 2nd will be issued a $0.58 dividend. This is a positive change from Stanley Black & Decker’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.91%.




Whirlpool Corp. (WHR) EVP Sells $566,322.15 in Stock


Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE:WHR) EVP James W. Peters sold 2,929 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.35, for a total transaction of $566,322.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,573,101.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE:WHR) traded down 1.43% during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $189.38. 647,165 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged. The company has a market cap of $14.29 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.78. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $176.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $167.24. Whirlpool Corp. has a 12-month low of $123.60 and a 12-month high of $194.10.




ConocoPhillips (COP) Director Buys $258,180.00 in Stock


ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Director Arjun N. Murti acquired 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.72 per share, with a total value of $258,180.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 19,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $754,680. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) traded up 0.45% during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $39.79. The stock had a trading volume of 7,145,515 shares. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $42.51 and a 200 day moving average of $41.09. ConocoPhillips has a one year low of $31.05 and a one year high of $57.24. The stock’s market cap is $49.28 billion.




Aflac Inc. (AFL) Director Barbara K. Rimer Sells $261,851.00 in Stock


Aflac Inc. (NYSE:AFL) Director Barbara K. Rimer sold 3,650 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.74, for a total transaction of $261,851.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 15,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,141,383.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

AFL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Macquarie upgraded shares of Aflac from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 14th. Sandler O’Neill cut shares of Aflac from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 23rd. Citigroup Inc. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Aflac in a report on Sunday, May 22nd. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 5th. Finally, Vetrupgraded shares of Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $70.50 price target for the company in a report on Monday, June 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.25.




August 1, 2016

Celgene Corp. (CELG) insider Robert J. Hugin Sells $11,000,000.00 in Stock


Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG) insider Robert J. Hugin sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $11,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,022,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $112,442,110. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Shares of Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG) traded up 2.23% during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $114.69. 6,628,225 shares of the stock were exchanged. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $102.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.04. The company has a market cap of $89.65 billion and a P/E ratio of 48.47. Celgene Corp. has a 52-week low of $92.98 and a 52-week high of $133.59.




The Travelers Cos. (TRV) COO Brian W. Maclean Sells $4,499,542.95 in Stock


The Travelers Cos. (NYSE:TRV) COO Brian W. Maclean sold 38,507 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.85, for a total value of $4,499,542.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 145,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,943,366.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Shares of The Travelers Cos. (NYSE:TRV) traded up 0.51% during trading on Monday, hitting $116.81. The stock had a trading volume of 1,509,090 shares. The Travelers Cos. has a 1-year low of $95.21 and a 1-year high of $119.30. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $115.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $112.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.67 billion and a P/E ratio of 11.24.




General Dynamics Corp. (GD) VP Gregory S. Gallopoulos Sells $5,716,620.00 in Stock


General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE:GD) VP Gregory S. Gallopoulos sold 39,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.58, for a total value of $5,716,620.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 153,848 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,551,039.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE:GD) traded up 1.50% during midday trading on Monday, hitting $149.09. The stock had a trading volume of 2,237,844 shares. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $140.80 and a 200 day moving average of $137.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.39 billion and a P/E ratio of 15.86. General Dynamics Corp. has a 52-week low of $121.61 and a 52-week high of $153.76.




Kansas City Southern (KSU) CFO Michael W. Upchurch Sells $510,831.06 in Stock


Kansas City Southern (NYSE:KSU) CFO Michael W. Upchurch sold 5,367 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.18, for a total transaction of $510,831.06. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 16,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,599,785.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on KSU shares. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Kansas City Southern from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $109.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 26th. Credit Agricole SA started coverage on shares of Kansas City Southern in a research note on Thursday, May 19th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup Inc. reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Kansas City Southern in a research note on Saturday, June 18th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $94.00 price objective on shares of Kansas City Southern in a research note on Thursday, July 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Kansas City Southern from $109.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $98.32.




3M Co. (MMM) Insider Paul A. Keel Sells $567,280.20 in Stock


3M Co. (NYSE:MMM) insider Paul A. Keel sold 3,180 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.39, for a total transaction of $567,280.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 9,961 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,776,942.79. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Shares of 3M Co. (NYSE:MMM) traded down 0.04% during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $178.29. 1,598,351 shares of the company were exchanged. 3M Co. has a 52 week low of $134.00 and a 52 week high of $182.27. The company has a 50 day moving average of $174.97 and a 200 day moving average of $164.58. The company has a market capitalization of $107.76 billion and a P/E ratio of 22.76.




Pentair plc. (PNR) Chairman Randall J. Hogan Sells $6,546,048.00 in Stock


Pentair plc. Ordinary Share (NYSE:PNR) Chairman Randall J. Hogan sold 102,282 shares of Pentair plc. Ordinary Share stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.00, for a total transaction of $6,546,048.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 104,904 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,713,856. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Shares of Pentair plc. Ordinary Share (NYSE:PNR) traded down 2.40% during trading on Monday, hitting $62.29. 1,716,644 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged. Pentair plc. Ordinary Share has a 1-year low of $41.57 and a 1-year high of $64.31. The stock’s market cap is $11.27 billion. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $61.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $54.93.



Citigroup Downgrades Leggett & Platt Inc. (LEG)


Leggett & Platt Inc. (NYSE:LEG) was downgraded by Citigroup Inc. to a “market perform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

A number of hedge funds and institutional investors recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ING Groep NV bought a new position in shares of Leggett & Platt during the second quarter worth about $244,000. First Midwest Bank Trust Division boosted its position in shares of Leggett & Platt by 50.6% in the second quarter. First Midwest Bank Trust Division now owns 18,498 shares of the company’s stock worth $945,000 after buying an additional 6,215 shares during the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Leggett & Platt by 6.6% in the second quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 524,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,825,000 after buying an additional 32,346 shares during the last quarter. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Leggett & Platt by 1.4% in the second quarter. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. now owns 278,985 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,259,000 after buying an additional 3,748 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. boosted its position in shares of Leggett & Platt by 175.8% in the second quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 45,807 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,341,000 after buying an additional 29,196 shares during the last quarter.




OTR Global Upgraded Coach Inc. (COH)


Coach Inc. (NYSE:COH) was upgraded by analysts at OTR Global to a “positive” rating in a report issued on Monday, The Fly reports.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Jefferies Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Coach in a research note on Sunday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Coach in a research note on Tuesday, April 26th. William Blair upgraded Coach from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 7th. Wolfe Research lifted their target price on Coach from $41.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 22nd. Finally, Vetr upgraded Coach from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $35.15 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, April 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty have issued a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Coach presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $41.16.




BMO Capital Markets Upgraded Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG)


Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE:HOG) was upgraded by stock analysts at BMO Capital Markets from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday. The firm presently has a $66.00 price target on the stock, up from their prior price target of $54.00. BMO Capital Markets’ target price points to a potential upside of 27.24% from the stock’s previous close.

In related news, SVP Michelle Kumbier sold 26,667 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.25, for a total transaction of $1,233,348.75. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 12,011 shares in the company, valued at approximately $555,508.75. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.




Royal Bank Of Canada Downgraded Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS)


Royal Dutch Shell PLC (NYSE:RDS.A) was downgraded by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a report issued on Monday.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on RDS.A. Citigroup Inc. cut shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 5th. Vetr cut shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $54.66 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, April 11th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 15th. Jefferies Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC in a research report on Sunday, July 10th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $63.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $61.52.


Source: WKRB News

ADP: One Of The Best Dividend Aristocrats For Long-Term Investors


With more than four consecutive decades of dividend increases, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is one of my favorite dividend aristocrats. The company’s excellent dividend growth track record is the result of its reliable business model.

ADP benefits from providing mission-critical services, generating a high percentage of recurring revenues, maintaining a strong client retention rate, running asset-light operations, and throwing off loads of free cash flow each year. Although ADP’s stock has nearly doubled the market’s performance over the last decade, the company has plenty of room for continued growth.

Not surprisingly, ADP scores extremely well for Dividend Safety and Dividend Growth and is the type of business I like to own in our Top 20 Dividend Stocks portfolio. Let’s take a closer look at the business.


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9 Dividend Stocks to Buy With Both Fists

Uncertainty and low rates will keep these dividend stocks squarely in investors' crosshairs for months to come.


Interest rates are likely to remain low, what with the global economy still on shaky ground, and the Federal Reserve essentially pushing back any thoughts of a rate hike thanks to the fallout from the Brexit vote.

And once again, dividend stocks look very, very appealing.

Of course, not every stock with a yield is a no-brainer buy. Many stocks have been driven higher in the past few weeks, shrinking yields in now overbought companies. Several other dividend stocks have sky-high but unsustainable yields that might not even exist in a few years.

However, the following group of dividend stocks offers a proper blend of positive traits: good yields, yes, but also sustainable businesses and some near- or long-term tailwinds. In a couple of cases, recent underperformance has plumped up yields while also presenting a rebound opportunity.

In no particular order, here’s a look at nine dividend stocks you can feel comfortable buying with your eyes closed.


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