November 30, 2017

5 ‘Strong Buy’ Dividend Growth Stocks for 2018

These stocks represent the holy grail of income growth



What is the holy grail of dividend investing? Stocks in strong companies that pay out a high dividend yield. The yield can provide a steady source of income every quarter, which will hopefully increase over time. You can even reinvest the dividend back into the company to further bump up your holding. Plus, dividend growth stocks from financially healthy companies can also help you to hedge your risk against more volatile stocks.

So how we can pinpoint these elusive stocks? In this case, I used TipRanks’ innovative stock screener. The screener is a great way to find stocks that match your investing criteria and have significant support from the Street’s best analysts. Here I set the filter for stocks with a “positive,” “high” or “very high” dividend yield and a “strong buy” top analyst consensus rating.

These are the Street’s top analysts according to their success rate and average return. I left the other filters open e.g. sector, market cap, etc. From the list pulled up by the screener, I specifically searched for stocks with big dividend growth and strong potential rather than just the current yield rate.

A stock that pays a high dividend yield is ultimately disappointing in the long-run if the dividend shrinks rather than grows. And a bullish company with an impressive dividend growth rate is a great sign that the dividend will continue to go one way: up.

Bearing that in mind, let’s dive in and take a closer look at these top five stock picks:





November 29, 2017

How Safe Is Target Corporation (TGT) Dividend?

Checking in on the health of this unusually high dividend yield.



Target (NYSE:TGT) has found a way to thrive in a brutally competitive industry. The retailer's fashionable products and national network of locations helped it produce strong earnings growth over the past few decades as demand for general merchandise expanded with a growing population. Those profit gains have, in turn, translated into consistently rising dividends for shareholders.

That formula isn't looking as robust these days as Target wraps up what could be its second straight year of flat or declining sales. With that challenging selling environment in mind, let's look at the prospects for this retailer's dividend.




November 28, 2017

Why Cisco Systems, Inc. Stock Is STILL a Safe Bet for Investors

CSCO stock won’t make you rich, but it will hold its value



As the internet has matured, so has Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO). And along with that maturity, CSCO stock has continued to be a fairly appealing stock to some investors.

The market leader in internet routers and switches has become a stable, albeit no-growth, stock. Sales have remained stable for years, at just short of $50 billion, and about 20% of it hits the net income line.

Management has accepted this fate, and Cisco stock has been a reliable dividend payer since 2011, with its payout starting at 6-cents-per-share and rising to 29-cents-per-share and a yield of 3.2% at its Nov. 27 opening bid of about $36.50-per-share.

CSCO stock may never regain its dot-com boom glory, where it briefly touched $80-per-share and Cisco was the world’s most valuable company, but those were different days. Today, Cisco counts victory in different ways.



November 25, 2017

This Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: November 20 - 24, 2017



Disposals:


Dover Corporation (NYSE:DOV) SVP Stephen Gary Kennon sold 2,359 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.40, for a total value of $222,689.60. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 5,192 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $490,124.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.  Read more …

Dover Corporation (NYSE:DOV) VP William T. Bosway sold 6,087 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.66, for a total value of $576,195.42. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 21,877 shares in the company, valued at $2,070,876.82. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Read more …

Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG) SVP Scott S. Douglas sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.45, for a total value of $139,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 35,289 shares in the company, valued at $1,639,174.05. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Shares of Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE LEG) traded up $0.46 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $46.45. The company had a trading volume of 689,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 970,469. The stock has a market cap of $6,122.92, a P/E ratio of 19.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Leggett & Platt, Incorporated has a 1-year low of $43.17 and a 1-year high of $54.97. Read more …

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) EVP Christopher C. Capossela sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.44, for a total value of $333,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 184,278 shares in the company, valued at $15,376,156.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) traded down $0.61 during trading on Thursday, hitting $83.11. 20,213,704 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,378,939. The company has a market capitalization of $645,865.50, a PE ratio of 24.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.01. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $58.80 and a 52-week high of $86.20. The company has a current ratio of 3.12, a quick ratio of 3.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Read more …

Parker-Hannifin Corporation (NYSE:PH) Director Linda S. Harty sold 3,491 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $639,900.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 9,727 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,782,959.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Parker-Hannifin Corporation (PH) traded up $0.56 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $182.90. 529,700 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,010,851. Parker-Hannifin Corporation has a one year low of $134.03 and a one year high of $189.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.44. The company has a market cap of $24,290.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.40. Read more …

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) EVP Peter W. Carter sold 19,809 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.42, for a total value of $998,769.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 67,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,382,022.34. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) traded up $0.88 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $50.67. The stock had a trading volume of 4,833,800 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,828,938. The company has a market capitalization of $35,498.93, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.43. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 1 year low of $43.81 and a 1 year high of $55.75. Read more …


Acquisitions:



General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) Director Francisco Dsouza acquired 55,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $17.94 per share, for a total transaction of $986,700.00. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) traded down $0.23 during trading on Monday, hitting $17.98. 63,916,475 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 44,308,273. The company has a market cap of $156,310.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.69, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. General Electric Company has a 12-month low of $17.46 and a 12-month high of $32.38. Read more …

L Brands, Inc. (NYSE:LB) Director David T. Kollat acquired 9,910 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $50.34 per share, for a total transaction of $498,869.40. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 158,878 shares in the company, valued at $7,997,918.52. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. L Brands, Inc. (LB) traded down $0.42 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $50.06. The stock had a trading volume of 3,450,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,224,021. L Brands, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $35.00 and a fifty-two week high of $75.50. The company has a market capitalization of $14,090.00, a P/E ratio of 16.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of -6.25, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.68. Read more …

Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE:JCI) VP William C. Jackson acquired 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $36.00 per share, with a total value of $720,000.00. Following the purchase, the vice president now owns 286,842 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,326,312. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Shares of Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE JCI) traded up $0.79 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $36.79. 5,848,200 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,147,991. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.04. Johnson Controls International PLC has a 12 month low of $34.51 and a 12 month high of $46.17. The stock has a market cap of $34,050.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.94. Read more …



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November 24, 2017

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of November 20, 2017



Upgrades:


Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAB) was upgraded by equities researchers at Deutsche Bank AG from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $25.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank AG’s price target suggests a potential downside of 4.47% from the stock’s previous close. Several other analysts also recently commented on VIAB. B. Riley restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Viacom in a research note on Wednesday, November 1st. BidaskClub downgraded Viacom from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Viacom from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 5th. Jefferies Group LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $43.00 target price (down from $52.00) on shares of Viacom in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Read more …

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) was upgraded by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report released on Monday. VZ has been the subject of several other reports. TheStreet upgraded Verizon Communications from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. Bank of America Corporation set a $52.00 price target on Verizon Communications and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 20th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $49.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, October 4th. BidaskClub upgraded Verizon Communications from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Read more …

Dominion Energy Inc. (NYSE:D) was upgraded by research analysts at Bank of America Corporation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup Inc. dropped their price objective on Dominion Energy from $78.00 to $76.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 26th. Deutsche Bank AG raised their price objective on Dominion Energy from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Zacks Investment Research raised Dominion Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 4 th. Read more …

Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) was upgraded by Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Susquehanna Bancshares Inc set a $71.00 price objective on Kellogg and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 31st. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Kellogg from $85.00 to $78.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Kellogg from $70.00 to $66.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 13th. Read more …

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) was upgraded by research analysts at Deutsche Bank AG from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. DE has been the topic of several other reports. ValuEngine raised Deere & from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 1st. Jefferies Group LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Deere & in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Zacks Investment Research raised Deere & from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 2nd. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Deere & in a report on Sunday, August 20th. Read more …


Downgrades:


Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) was downgraded by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday. Several other research firms have also commented on CAH. BidaskClub lowered shares of Cardinal Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Jefferies Group LLC reissued a “hold” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Cardinal Health in a research report on Thursday, July 27th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on shares of Cardinal Health from $87.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. UBS AG reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $76.00 price target (down from $79.00) on shares of Cardinal Health in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Read more …

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) was downgraded by Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report released on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $100.00 price objective on the retailer’s stock. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 2.59% from the company’s previous close. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call. Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Cowen and Company set a $86.00 target price on Wal-Mart Stores and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 7th. Jefferies Group LLC set a $88.00 target price on Wal-Mart Stores and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 11th. BidaskClub raised Wal-Mart Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 31st. Read more …

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (NYSE:RDS.A) was downgraded by research analysts at HSBC Holdings PLC from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. A number of other brokerages have also commented on RDS.A. Piper Jaffray Companies reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC in a research report on Thursday, October 19th. ValuEngine upgraded Royal Dutch Shell PLC from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 9th. Jefferies Group LLC set a $63.00 price objective on Royal Dutch Shell PLC and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 29th. Read more …


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November 23, 2017

Cardinal Health: A Dividend Aristocrat The Risk Is Already Priced In


As a value investor, I am totally cognizant of the reality that attractively valued bargains are hard to find in a strong bull market. Moreover, as an experienced value investor I clearly understand that low valuations in a raging bull market are usually associated with issues and challenges sometimes real, sometimes imaginary. The key to success is to identify when current problems are temporary, thereby creating long-term opportunity.

With that said, there are a couple of other aspects of value investing that need to be recognized and understood.As a committed value investor, I will never invest in a stock unless I consider it attractively valued. With extremely high quality companies this can simply mean that valuation needs to be sound or reasonable. With less-than-stellar companies, valuations need to be extremely low to be of interest. Nevertheless, I will never knowingly overpay for even the best of businesses. On the other hand, just because a company is fairly valued doesn’t automatically make it investment worthy.

My point being that although attractive valuation is a critically important investment consideration, it is not the only consideration. From this perspective, valuation is primarily a risk assessment metric more than it is a return assessment. Furthermore, I believe that a comprehensive and thorough research and due diligence effort should be conducted before ever investing in any common stock. However, that requires time and effort on the part of the investor.

Consequently, I will not waste my time or take this important step unless I believe that valuation is attractive enough before I start. To me, as a committed value investor, there is little that is more frustrating than getting all excited about a possible stock investment only to determine that its current valuation is excessive. Unfortunately, it is hard to find attractively valued best-of-breed stock investments when markets are high like they are today. Unless, of course, the company is faced with issues that Mr. Market is concerned about.




November 22, 2017

Aflac: A Valuation Conundrum?

Aflac (AFL) is a Dividend Aristocrat that has increased its dividend for 35 consecutive years.




True value investors are a rare breed, because it takes a special mindset and/or psyche to successfully implement a value investing strategy. This is especially true during major bull markets like we’ve experienced since the 1st quarter of 2009. Common sense would dictate that it is much harder to find attractively valued companies during strong bull markets. Consequently, value typically only manifests during bull markets when a specific company is facing a negative situation.The secret is to determine whether the situation the company is facing is temporary or permanent.

If temporary, low valuation can represent an extraordinary long-term opportunity.If the problem represents a permanent deterioration of fundamentals, then a value trap exists. Value investors attempt to exploit opportunities while avoiding value traps. During our most recent bear market Warren Buffett quipped that “we should be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy.”When dealing with fundamentally strong companies, this is truly sage advice. On the other hand, when dealing with fundamentally weak companies, being greedy can lead to catastrophic long-term results. In other words, greed only works when it is applied to fundamentally strong businesses that the market is temporarily mis-appraising.




November 21, 2017

Omega Healthcare Investors: Does The Market Price In A Dividend Cut?


Omega's fixable operator troubles have led to a grotesque mispricing in the health care REIT's shares in the last three weeks.

The market appears to have less confidence in the health care REIT’s dividend prospects after its AFFO guidance was lowered.

Investors reacted largely emotionally to the guidance revision. Omega Healthcare Investors' shares are widely oversold, making them ripe for a technical rebound.

Omega Healthcare Investors easily covers its dividend with recurring cash flow. The dividend is NOT at risk, not even if AFFO year-over-year growth will be zero.

An investment in OHI comes with a 9.6 percent entry (!) yield and ~20 percent upside.

Health care REIT Omega Healthcare Investors (OHI) reported worse-than-expected third quarter earnings at the end of October which resulted in a steep drop in the company's share price. Omega Healthcare Investors revealed (temporary) problems with one of its tenants, Orianna Health Systems, and lowered its full-year AFFO guidance as a result. The market currently seems to price a dividend cut into the REIT's valuation. Lack of a rebound in valuation is a good opportunity for contrarian-minded income investors to gobble up shares on the cheap.



November 18, 2017

This Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: November 13 - 17, 2017



Disposals:


AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) EVP Michael Severino sold 25,633 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.69, for a total transaction of $2,427,188.77. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 114,922 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,881,964.18. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Shares of AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) opened at $95.12 on Tuesday. AbbVie Inc. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $98.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $152,347.31, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.51. Read more ...

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) insider Susan Sobbott sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.34, for a total transaction of $518,870.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
Susan Sobbott also recently made the following trade(s):
On Thursday, September 7th, Susan Sobbott sold 6,000 shares of American Express stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.39, for a total transaction of $506,340.00. Read more ...

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) CFO Richard A. Galanti sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.95, for a total value of $512,850.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 35,225 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,021,713.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) traded up $0.47 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $171.83. The company had a trading volume of 2,871,101 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,103,734. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company has a market capitalization of $75,390.00, a P/E ratio of 29.44, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.93. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $145.38 and a fifty-two week high of $183.18. Read more ...
Insider John D. Mckay sold 8,111 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.78, for a total transaction of $1,401,418.58. Following the sale, the insider now owns 66,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,533,237.78. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Read more …

Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) Chairman John A. Bryant sold 190,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.01, for a total transaction of $11,971,900.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Shares of Kellogg Company (NYSE K) traded up $1.42 on Monday, hitting $64.70. 6,215,400 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,494,075. The company has a market cap of $22,170.00, a PE ratio of 16.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.49. Kellogg Company has a one year low of $58.76 and a one year high of $76.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.71. Read more …

Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) insider Carolyn M. Tastad sold 5,300 shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.18, for a total value of $472,654.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 57,191 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,100,293.38. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE PG) traded up $0.38 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $88.16. The company had a trading volume of 7,227,200 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,454,322. The firm has a market cap of $225,870.00, a PE ratio of 22.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.66. Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $81.18 and a 12 month high of $94.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Read more …
  
The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW) Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.29, for a total transaction of $8,858,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW) traded up $0.27 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $44.27. 4,512,000 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,115,542. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $59,060.00, a P/E ratio of 28.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.74. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 12 month low of $34.85 and a 12 month high of $46.21. Read more …
Chairman Charles R. Schwab also sold 350,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.65, for a total transaction of $15,627,500.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Read more …

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) EVP Lloyd M. Yates sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.95, for a total transaction of $449,750.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) traded up $0.99 on Tuesday, reaching $89.88. 2,626,600 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,581,345. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market cap of $63,760.00, a PE ratio of 19.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.26. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $72.34 and a 12 month high of $90.22. Read more …

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) insider Daniel J. Riccio sold 15,641 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.35, for a total transaction of $2,695,726.35. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 39,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,839,192.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) traded up $2.02 on Thursday, hitting $171.10. The stock had a trading volume of 23,616,680 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,238,994. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $108.25 and a 12 month high of $176.24. The firm has a market cap of $878,480.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.25. Read more …

Medtronic PLC (NYSE:MDT) EVP Bryan C. Hanson sold 16,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.02, for a total transaction of $1,264,320.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Medtronic PLC (NYSE:MDT) traded up $0.23 during trading on Friday, reaching $79.49. The company had a trading volume of 7,097,884 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,895,725. The stock has a market cap of $106,580.00, a PE ratio of 16.88, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.00. Medtronic PLC has a 1 year low of $69.35 and a 1 year high of $89.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Read more …

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) insider Gregory S. Foran sold 52,793 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.86, for a total value of $5,113,529.98. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 121,457 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,764,325.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Shares of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) traded down $2.15 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $97.47. The company had a trading volume of 23,569,662 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,895,206. The company has a market cap of $297,590.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.78. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has a twelve month low of $65.28 and a twelve month high of $100.13. Read more ...
Insider Cheesewright David sold 55,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.29, for a total value of $5,460,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 123,679 shares in the company. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.


Acquisitions:



General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) Chairman John Leonard Flannery purchased 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 15th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $18.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,096,200.00. Following the purchase, the chairman now directly owns 575,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,513,964.79. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Shares of General Electric Company (GE) traded up $0.13 on Friday, hitting $18.38. The company had a trading volume of 12,422,717 shares, compared to its average volume of 44,147,281. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.53. General Electric Company has a 52-week low of $17.46 and a 52-week high of $32.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $159,650.00, a PE ratio of 14.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.11. Read more …


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Analysis Collection


November 17, 2017

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of November 13, 2017



Upgrades:


Automatic Data Processing (NYSE:ADP) was upgraded by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “underweight” rating to an “equal” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday. A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on ADP. BidaskClub raised shares of Automatic Data Processing from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 28th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $122.00 to $114.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Bank of America Corporation increased their price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $111.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 13th. Barclays PLC reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Tuesday, August 15th. Read more …

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) was upgraded by investment analysts at HSBC Holdings plc from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday, The Fly reports. A number of other brokerages also recently commented on APD. Deutsche Bank AG boosted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Susquehanna Bancshares Inc boosted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. Jefferies Group LLC reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday, September 28th. SunTrust Banks, Inc. reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, October 27th. Read more …

Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Vetr upgraded Coca-Cola Company (The) from a “sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $49.00 target price on Coca-Cola Company (The) and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday. UBS AG boosted their target price on Coca-Cola Company (The) from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Read more …

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Barclays PLC from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday. A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on SNY. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Sanofi from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, October 6th. raised Sanofi from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Sanofi in a research report on Friday, September 1st. J P Morgan Chase & Co reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Sanofi in a research report on Friday, September 15th. Finally, BidaskClub raised Sanofi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 5th. Read more ...

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) was upgraded by stock analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Friday. A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on OXY. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum Corporation from $62.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th. Jefferies Group LLC set a $58.00 price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum Corporation and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 29th. Read more …


Downgrades:


Argus lowered shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Monday morning. Argus currently has $73.77 target price on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, up from their previous target price of $73.25. Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 8th. Maxim Group reiterated a hold rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Friday, October 27th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $89.00 to $83.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 27th. J P Morgan Chase & Co set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Read more …

J P Morgan Chase & Co downgraded shares of Rio Tinto PLC (NYSE:RIO) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report report published on Monday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Societe Generale upgraded shares of Rio Tinto PLC from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Citigroup Inc. downgraded shares of Rio Tinto PLC from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. Cowen and Company set a $47.00 price target on shares of Rio Tinto PLC and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 16th. Clarkson Capital lowered shares of Rio Tinto PLC from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Read more …

Schlumberger N.V. (NYSE:SLB) was downgraded by investment analysts at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) from a “conviction-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday. They currently have a $75.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)’s price target indicates a potential upside of 19.46% from the stock’s current price. SLB has been the topic of several other reports. Zacks Investment Research lowered Schlumberger N.V. from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. FBR & Co reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Schlumberger N.V. in a report on Friday, October 20th. Piper Jaffray Companies set a $74.00 target price on Schlumberger N.V. and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of Schlumberger N.V. in a report on Wednesday, September 6th. Read more …

J P Morgan Chase & Co downgraded shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA) from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a report published on Monday morning. The firm currently has $11.00 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $11.48. A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on TEVA. Jefferies Group LLC restated a hold rating on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited in a report on Tuesday, July 25th. Vetr upgraded Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $34.17 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, July 24th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $37.00 price target (down previously from $38.00) on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited in a report on Monday, July 17th. Read more …

Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) was downgraded by stock analysts at Barclays PLC from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday. They presently have a $100.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $95.00. Barclays PLC’s price target indicates a potential upside of 7.49% from the company’s previous close. A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on PSX. Scotiabank set a $86.00 price target on Phillips 66 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 1st. BidaskClub cut Phillips 66 from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, August 18th. Jefferies Group LLC reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $78.00 price target on shares of Phillips 66 in a research report on Tuesday, September 5th. Piper Jaffray Companies reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $98.00 price target on shares of Phillips 66 in a research report on Tuesday, September 26th. Read more ...

Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) was downgraded by stock analysts at Argus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday. Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on CAH. Jefferies Group LLC lowered their price target on shares of Cardinal Health from $77.00 to $67.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Cardinal Health from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 8th. BidaskClub cut shares of Cardinal Health from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price objective on shares of Cardinal Health from $87.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. Read more ...

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) was downgraded by research analysts at J P Morgan Chase & Co from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday. A number of other research firms have also issued reports on WSM. Robert W. Baird set a $48.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 31st. Zacks Investment Research lowered Williams-Sonoma from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday. TheStreet raised Williams-Sonoma from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Monday, October 9th. Credit Suisse Group lowered Williams-Sonoma from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $44.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, October 12th. Read more …


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November 16, 2017

3 Value Stocks Perfect for Retirement

Don't judge these stocks at first glance.



Many savvy investors know they'll need steady income-generating stocks in retirement, but finding companies that can do that -- and that are priced under their potential -- is not always easy.


That's why three Motley Fool writers have put together a short list of value stocks that could end up being perfect investments for retirement: Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Dominion Energy (NYSE:D), and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ). These companies may need some sprucing up right now, but they could easily reclaim their shine in the coming years.