January 31, 2018

The 5 Best Dividend Aristocrats For 2018

If you are looking for the best dividend stocks out there, look no further than these top dividend aristocrats.



If you want to find the best dividend stocks to trust, look no further. The Dividend Aristocrats are a group of 50 companies in the S&P 500 Index, with 25-plus straight years of dividend increases. These companies span all eleven sectors within the index and encompass both large-cap growth and large-cap value stocks. But how can investors pinpoint the best Dividend Aristocrats to invest in right now?

Here, we searched for Dividend Aristocrats that also boast a 'Strong Buy' analyst consensus rating on TipRanks. This is based on analyst ratings from only the last three months- giving a valuable perspective on how the Street perceives these stocks right now. The bullish outlook from the Street on these five stocks reassures us that the price of these stocks is set to rise rather than fall. Add in the consistent dividend payouts and you can see why these stocks make such an appealing source of investing income.




January 30, 2018

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Analysis


Verizon is the largest wireless service provider in the United States. The company’s 4G LTE network is available to more than 98% of the country’s population.

Wireless operations, which include voice and data services and equipment sales, generate approximately 73% of Verizon’s revenue and account for over 86% of the company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, depreciation, and amortization).

Wireline operations account for about 27% of the company’s revenue but only generate 14% of Verizon’s EBITDA. This segment includes traditional voice offerings, as well as broadband video and internet services. The company has sold off many of its wireline assets in recent years to reduce its exposure to slower-growing, capital intensive areas of the sector.

Overall, Verizon maintains more than 115 million wireless retail connections, 5.8 million Fios internet subscribers, and 4.6 million Fios video subscribers.

Verizon’s business is (slowly) expanding into newer areas such as digital media, telematics, and the Internet of Things, but the company’s historical key to success has been delivering reliable wireless and wireline services over the best communications network in the country.

Verizon routinely invests more than $16 billion annually to increase the capacity and reliability of its wireless network. Thanks to its massive investments in capital equipment and spectrum licenses, Verizon’s 4G LTE network covers more than 314 million people today.

The company’s investments have also kept it at the top of Root Metrics’ rankings of wireless reliability, speed, and network performance for each of the last five years. The chart below shows overall performance metrics for the big four carriers:



January 27, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: January 22 - 26, 2018


Disposals:


Cardinal Health Inc (NYSE:CAH) CEO Michael C. Kaufmann sold 18,586 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.90, for a total transaction of $1,373,505.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,849 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,655,641.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Shares of Cardinal Health Inc (CAH) opened at $73.99 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $23,320.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 1.06. Cardinal Health Inc has a 12 month low of $54.66 and a 12 month high of $84.88. Read more …

Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) insider Stephanie A. Lundquist sold 3,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.08, for a total value of $234,240.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 16,906 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,320,020.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Target Co. (NYSE TGT) opened at $76.03 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $41,795.33, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. Target Co. has a fifty-two week low of $48.56 and a fifty-two week high of $78.70. Read more …

Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) CFO David Rowland sold 3,102 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.21, for a total transaction of $500,073.42. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 25,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,032,184.52. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) traded up $1.76 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $162.55. 1,950,655 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,075,203. The firm has a market capitalization of $102,025.66, a PE ratio of 28.77, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.08. Accenture Plc has a 1 year low of $112.31 and a 1 year high of $162.58. Read more …

Acquisitions:


Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE:KMI) Director William A. Smith purchased 5,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $19.52 per share, with a total value of $107,360.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 14,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $284,738.24. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Kinder Morgan Inc (KMI) opened at $19.45 on Wednesday. Kinder Morgan Inc has a 1 year low of $16.68 and a 1 year high of $23.01. The company has a market cap of $43,440.00, a PE ratio of 1,945.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.44. Read more …




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January 26, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of January 22, 2018



Upgrades


AFLAC (NYSE:AFL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Citigroup to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday. The brokerage currently has a $100.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock, up from their prior price target of $88.00. Citigroup’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 15.18% from the stock’s current price. Several other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Janney Montgomery Scott reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AFLAC in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of AFLAC from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 11th. Wells Fargo & Co reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $90.00 price objective (up previously from $84.00) on shares of AFLAC in a report on Tuesday, January 9th. ValuEngine raised shares of AFLAC from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, December 31st. Finally, B. Riley reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of AFLAC in a report on Monday, November 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $82.21. Read more …

Guggenheim upgraded shares of Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report released on Monday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Halliburton and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, December 14th. Wells Fargo & Co reiterated an outperform rating and set a $56.00 price objective (up from $51.00) on shares of Halliburton in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Halliburton from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $54.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 26th. FBR & Co dropped their price objective on shares of Halliburton from $61.00 to $55.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank started coverage on shares of Halliburton in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th. They set a buy rating and a $54.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $59.73. Read more …

Scotiabank upgraded shares of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) from a sector perform rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Monday. Scotiabank currently has $60.00 price target on the cell phone carrier’s stock. VZ has been the subject of several other research reports. Nomura raised shares of Verizon Communications from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $61.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. KeyCorp reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Saturday, October 21st. Macquarie reaffirmed a hold rating and issued a $52.00 price objective on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Sunday, October 22nd. ValuEngine raised shares of Verizon Communications from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, December 1st. Finally, HSBC downgraded shares of Verizon Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $54.83 to $42.80 in a research report on Thursday, December 14th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $53.02. Read more …

January 25, 2018

7 More Dividend Stocks Benefiting From the Tax Cut

Enjoy higher dividends in the future from these blue chips



Here come those tax cuts! If you are an American corporation, especially a large publicly traded one, there is going to be a windfall. Now, some of these companies will plow the savings back into their businesses.

Others will repurchase stock, which I don’t generally like considering how overvalued many of these companies are. Others may use the money to pay down debt.

Still, others will have plenty of cash to reward shareholders by increasing dividends. With taxes being cut from 35% to 21%, that represents a 40% savings; companies paying tons in taxes may love the idea of boosting their dividend to attract more income investors.

Here are seven companies I see as raising their dividends.



January 24, 2018

10 Top Dividend Stocks From Around the World


The United States of America is one of the largest wealth creation machines in the history of the world. According to Credit Suisse, American stocks returned an inflation-adjusted annualized 6.5% between 1900 and 2014 – behind only Australia and South Africa, which lead all international stocks at 7.4% each. Go, ‘Merica!

But while American stocks have been the better long-term bet, they’re not always the best bargain. In fact, the U.S. market is priced to deliver subpar returns over the next decade, whereas many international stocks are downright cheap.

The cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio (“CAPE”) is more than double its long-term average. And according to John Del Vecchio, co-manager of the AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF (HDGE), “The median price/sales ratio on the S&P 500 is the highest it has ever been in history. We are three standard deviations above the average. You don’t need to be a math whiz to understand that this is a big deal.”



But while U.S. stocks are looking bubbly, investors can find bargains overseas.

Today, we’ll look at 10 solid international dividend stocks for investors looking to add foreign exposure to their portfolios. Investors will want to note that international taxes may apply, and that overseas stocks have much more varied payout schedules than the balanced quarterly routine of most U.S. companies. Still, even if Wall Street defies the laws of gravity and continues to outperform its international peers, these stocks will provide a steady stream of dividend income while we wait for market leadership to shift.


January 23, 2018

3 Stocks to Hold for the Next 20 Years

The best way to grow your wealth with stocks is to buy and hold the best companies for as long as possible. We think these three will do very well by investors who own them over the next two decades.




Investing in stocks has proven time and again to be one of the best ways for you to grow your wealth. Better yet, the simplest approach -- buying the best companies at reasonable prices and then holding onto them as long as possible -- has also shown to be one of the most effective. To paraphrase Warren Buffett, time is the friend of great companies, which will increase earnings and steadily build value for its owners -- the shareholder.



To help you get started on your search for the best companies to buy and hold, we reached out to three of our contributing investors with long-term investing chops and asked them for their best ideas. The companies they came up with already have over 300 years of success behind them but are still going strong: American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC), and Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS).



Read more …

January 20, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: January 15 - 19, 2018



Disposals:


Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) insider Max A. Guinn sold 11,235 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.68, for a total transaction of $1,895,119.80. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 39,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,647,004.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) traded down $1.76 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $167.54. 2,011,811 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,543,099. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.71. Deere & Company has a fifty-two week low of $104.10 and a fifty-two week high of $170.73. The stock has a market cap of $53,830.00, a PE ratio of 25.19, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.77. Read more …

Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) insider Ellyn Shook sold 4,375 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.25, for a total value of $696,718.75. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 41,595 shares in the company, valued at $6,624,003.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Ellyn Shook also recently made the following trade(s):
On Monday, October 23rd, Ellyn Shook sold 4,375 shares of Accenture stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.81, for a total value of $611,668.75. Read more …
Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) insider Richard Lumb sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.30, for a total transaction of $320,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 123,863 shares in the company, valued at $19,855,238.90. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Shares of Accenture Plc (ACN) traded up $0.73 on Friday, reaching $160.94. 1,715,400 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,210,142. The firm has a market capitalization of $103,090.00, a PE ratio of 28.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.08. Accenture Plc has a one year low of $112.31 and a one year high of $161.08. Read more …

Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) EVP Sean E. Harper sold 1,525 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.62, for a total value of $283,070.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Amgen, Inc. (AMGN) opened at $187.72 on Thursday. Amgen, Inc. has a one year low of $150.38 and a one year high of $191.10. The company has a quick ratio of 5.72, a current ratio of 6.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market cap of $136,270.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.96, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.36. Read more …

Charles Schwab Corp (NYSE:SCHW) Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 300,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total value of $16,593,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Shares of Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW) traded down $0.76 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $55.33. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,840,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,520,000. Charles Schwab Corp has a 1-year low of $37.16 and a 1-year high of $56.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.30. The stock has a market cap of $74,090.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.47, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.75. Read more …

Pentair PLC. (NYSE:PNR) CFO John L. Stauch sold 2,392 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.30, for a total value of $168,157.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Shares of Pentair PLC. (NYSE:PNR) traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $73.56. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 731,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 876,900. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.59. Pentair PLC. has a 12 month low of $57.44 and a 12 month high of $74.84. The firm has a market cap of $13,360.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.41. Read more …

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Director James D. Sinegal sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.06, for a total transaction of $5,761,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 746,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $143,316,900.54. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (COST) traded up $0.15 during trading on Friday, hitting $191.66. 901,164 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,820,000. The firm has a market capitalization of $84,170.00, a P/E ratio of 30.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. Costco Wholesale Co. has a twelve month low of $150.00 and a twelve month high of $195.35. Read more …

Acquisitions:


BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) Director Deryck C. Maughan purchased 3,861 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 17th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $573.44 per share, with a total value of $2,214,051.84. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 12,265 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,033,241.60. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE BLK) traded up $10.97 on Friday, reaching $590.26. The company had a trading volume of 591,655 shares, compared to its average volume of 511,730. BlackRock, Inc. has a 1 year low of $365.83 and a 1 year high of $590.56. The company has a current ratio of 2.89, a quick ratio of 2.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $94,640.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.81. Read more …




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January 19, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of January 15, 2018



Upgrades


Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report released on Tuesday. The firm currently has $124.00 target price on the real estate investment trust’s stock. Several other brokerages have also issued reports on DLR. ValuEngine raised Digital Realty Trust from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Sunday, December 31st. Wells Fargo & Co raised Digital Realty Trust from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and upped their target price for the company from $109.31 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. Zacks Investment Research lowered Digital Realty Trust from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Monday. KeyCorp reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a research report on Tuesday, September 26th. Finally, TheStreet lowered Digital Realty Trust from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Monday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $123.40. Read more …

Wells Fargo & Co upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report report published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat reports. They currently have $96.00 target price on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, up from their prior target price of $79.02. Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on GILD. Mizuho restated a buy rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Friday, September 29th. BidaskClub lowered Gilead Sciences from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, January 9th. BMO Capital Markets restated a hold rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Credit Suisse Group set a $80.00 target price on Gilead Sciences and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Maxim Group restated a hold rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Thursday, October 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $85.61. Read more …

Barclays upgraded shares of GlaxoSmithKline (LON:GSK) to an overweight rating in a report published on Wednesday. They currently have GBX 1,650 ($22.38) price objective on the stock, up from their prior price objective of GBX 1,450 ($19.66). Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Jefferies Group reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 1,500 ($20.34) price target on shares of GlaxoSmithKline in a report on Tuesday. BNP Paribas reiterated a neutral rating and set a GBX 1,580 ($21.43) price target on shares of GlaxoSmithKline in a report on Tuesday. Liberum Capital reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 1,760 ($23.87) price target on shares of GlaxoSmithKline in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank lifted their price target on GlaxoSmithKline from GBX 1,380 ($18.71) to GBX 1,440 ($19.53) and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, January 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a GBX 1,340 ($18.17) price target on GlaxoSmithKline and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, January 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 1,565.24 ($21.23). Read more …

January 18, 2018

10 Cheap Stocks With Growing Dividends


My colleague Christine Benz once explored the question, should you manage your portfolio for income or total return? Her conclusion: Who says you have to choose? Savvy dividend investors have known this all along; investing in high-quality dividend-payers allows you to get the best of both worlds.

But the key here is "quality." sometimes the highest yields portend danger. Those juicy dividends are likely to be cut, particularly if the payout constitutes a large percentage of earnings. That leaves only a small buffer to sustain those payments if earnings fall. (A stock's payout ratio can help you get a handle on this.)

Rather than homing in on the market's juiciest yields, the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index looks for companies whose cash flows have translated into a rising payout. Companies that are focused on growing dividends tend to be higher quality, cash-rich businesses that hold up well in down markets, participate in up markets, and are capable of excess returns over a full market cycle.



January 17, 2018

DLR Stock: Combining Technology and Real Estate to Produce 12% Dividend Growth Every Year?

This Company is Well-Positioned for Another Dividend Increase




The technology sector has produced some of the fastest-growing companies in today’s stock market. The real estate sector, on the other hand, is known for its ability to generate a steady stream of rental income. So what would happen if a company manages to combine technology with real estate?

Well, you get an income stock with huge dividend growth potential: Digital Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:DLR).



Digital Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in San Francisco, California. Unlike most REITs, the company doesn’t own apartment buildings, industrial warehouses, or shopping malls. Instead, it specializes in a very unique type of real estate asset: data centers.

Right now, Digital Realty Trust owns more than 180 data center properties in 11 countries on four different continents. It offers a wide range of data center services, such as colocation, wholesale deployments, interconnection, and cloud services.




January 16, 2018

3 of the Best Dividend Aristocrats for Retirement

These Dividend Aristocrats are winners for those looking for growth and dividends



Retirement investing is a bit different from regular investing, and not because it depends more on dividend investing. See, we’ve been led to believe inflation is 3%, when it’s really closer to 10%. That means that retired investors don’t think they need stocks that offer capital gains alongside dividends, but they most certainly do.

Dividend Aristocrats were an important part of the retired investor’s portfolio then, because their cash flow is not only so fantastic that they can continue raising dividends year after year, but because they also have enough growth in some cases to boost annual returns to that important 10% level.

I’ve got three Dividend Aristocrats that not only pay that yummy dividend, but that I think have a pretty decent shot at growing earnings enough that their stock prices should also rise to breach the 10% annual level.







January 13, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: January 8 - 12, 2018

Disposals:


Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) VP James P. Murphy sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.48, for a total value of $937,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 53,834 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,092,798.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) VP Roland Michael Vachris sold 5,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.98, for a total transaction of $977,496.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 15,694 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,950,158.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.
Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) insider Daniel M. Hines sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.62, for a total transaction of $943,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 30,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,819,492.86. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.
Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) VP Richard A. Galanti sold 5,000 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.62, for a total value of $958,100.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 32,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,300,465.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.
Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) VP Paul G. Moulton sold 6,985 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.92, for a total transaction of $1,312,621.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 45,248 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,503,004.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) traded up $0.73 during trading on Monday, hitting $188.48. 1,962,225 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,836,060. The company has a market capitalization of $82,780.00, a PE ratio of 29.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52-week low of $150.00 and a 52-week high of $195.35. Read more …

Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) insider Richard P. Clark sold 1,754 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.39, for a total transaction of $277,816.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 10,543 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,669,905.77. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.
Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) CAO Richard P. Clark sold 1,433 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.37, for a total transaction of $226,944.21. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 8,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,414,560.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) traded up $1.12 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $160.23. The company had a trading volume of 623,540 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,219,462. Accenture Plc has a 12-month low of $112.31 and a 12-month high of $159.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $102,640.00, a P/E ratio of 28.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.08. Read more …


Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) insider Daniel J. Riccio sold 15,641 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.78, for a total transaction of $2,733,733.98. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 13,739 shares in the company, valued at $2,401,302.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ AAPL) traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $174.33. 21,583,997 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 26,580,000. The company has a market cap of $895,060.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $117.94 and a 12 month high of $177.20. Read more …



Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) EVP Eric Carre sold 28,024 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.71, for a total value of $1,449,121.04. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 173,767 shares in the company, valued at $8,985,491.57. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Eric Carre also recently made the following trade(s):



Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) Director Matthew M. Mckenna sold 10,899 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.82, for a total value of $499,392.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 35,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,603,700. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Shares of Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) traded down $0.41 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $45.88. The stock had a trading volume of 540,475 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,430,129. Foot Locker, Inc. has a one year low of $28.42 and a one year high of $77.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $5,570.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.56, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 4.41, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. Read more …


Acquisitions:


Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Director Francis S. Blake acquired 3,350 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Friday, January 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $59.76 per share, for a total transaction of $200,196.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 33,520 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,003,155.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) traded up $1.31 during trading on Friday, reaching $59.83. The company had a trading volume of 12,264,521 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,160,000. The firm has a market cap of $42,660.00, a P/E ratio of 12.11, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.30. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a twelve month low of $43.81 and a twelve month high of $60.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.43 and a quick ratio of 0.36. Read more …





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January 12, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of January 8, 2018



Upgrades:


JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research note released on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $200.00 target price on the industrial products company’s stock, up from their prior target price of $161.96. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group set a $180.00 price target on Caterpillar and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 5th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Vetr downgraded Caterpillar from a sell rating to a strong sell rating and set a $141.37 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday, January 4th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a buy rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (up from $165.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Thursday, January 4th. ValuEngine raised Caterpillar from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Sunday, December 31st. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Caterpillar from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $145.87. Read more …

Bank of America upgraded shares of T. Rowe Price Group (NASDAQ:TROW) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have $125.00 target price on the asset manager’s stock, up from their previous target price of $113.00. Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of T. Rowe Price Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 6th. Jefferies Group reissued a buy rating and set a $104.00 target price (up previously from $96.00) on shares of T. Rowe Price Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 10th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of T. Rowe Price Group from $94.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, October 27th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of T. Rowe Price Group from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research report on Friday, October 27th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of T. Rowe Price Group from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, October 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. T. Rowe Price Group has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $98.70. Read more …

United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) was upgraded by Goldman Sachs Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Monday, Marketbeat reports. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of United Technologies in a research note on Friday, November 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $126.00 target price on shares of United Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th. Atlantic Securities upgraded shares of United Technologies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 5th. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of United Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of United Technologies from $122.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $125.63. Read more …


January 11, 2018

Is AT&T Inc. Stock Still Worth Its 5%-Plus Dividend?

T stock can still weather storms that would sink others




AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) stock is having a tough day. Actually … T stock has had a tough quarter.

In its most recent quarter, AT&T announced that it lost 90,000 subscribers and that its hopes for a boon of new subscribers from its pending Time Warner Inc (NYSE:TWX) deal may be more optimistic than previously anticipated.

But T stock has dropped almost 2% in the past five days and 5% year-to-date.

With all the evolution going on in the cable space and the competition in the mobile space, the question becomes, is AT&T stock still a good long-term stock to hold to take advantage of the transition, or is it becoming a dinosaur?




January 10, 2018

3M (MMM): A Dividend King With A Wide Moat


While fast-growing momentum stocks might get the headlines, some of the best long-term investments are often far less exciting dividend growth stalwarts such as 3M (MMM).

This industrial powerhouse has made countless investors amazingly wealthy over the years (12.9% total returns vs 9.1% for the S&P 500 over the last 22 years) thanks to its disciplined and steady growth strategy, which includes 59 straight years of dividend increases at a double-digit annualized rate.

Let’s take a look at what has made this venerable dividend king one of the best choices for almost any long-term income growth portfolio and if 3M’s valuation looks attractive today.

Business Overview

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, or 3M, was founded in 1902 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The global industrial conglomerate markets over 60,000 products used in homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals in over 200 countries around the world. The company has five main business segments.

Industrial: tape, sealants, abrasives, ceramics, and adhesives for automotive, electronic, energy, food, and construction companies.

Healthcare: Infection preventions supplies, drug delivery systems, food safety products, healthcare data systems, dental and orthotic products.

Electronics & Energy: insulation, splicing and interconnection devices, touch screens, renewable energy components, infrastructure protection equipment.

Safety & Graphics: Personal protection and fall protection equipment, traffic safety products, commercial graphics equipment, commercial cleaning and safety products.

Consumer Products:  post-it notes, tape, sponges, construction & home improvement products, indexing systems, and adhesives.

3M is a highly diversified company with industrial products representing its largest business unit, while healthcare is its most profitable segment by far.





January 9, 2018

7 Dividend Growth Stocks Worth Owning


Do you invest in dividend growth stocks? If you don’t, you ought to consider doing so. These dividend stocks to buy could be your ticket to a better retirement.

Many dividend investors get caught up focusing on yield when the growth is what’s truly important. By utilizing the power of compound interest, investors can achieve higher returns by merely owning the stocks of companies who regularly hike their dividends.

A Canadian finance site, Hardbacon, provides an excellent example why investing in dividend growth stocks is a sound idea:

“If you invest in a stock which pays $1 in dividends a year and costs $25, it means it yields 4% at the time you buy it (dividend yield on cost),” wrote Sam Kovacs. “If the company increases its dividend 10 cents every year, in 10 years those same stocks which you bought for $25 will be paying out $2 in dividends, an outstanding 8% yield on cost.”

That’s the power of income-growth stocks. Here are seven dividend stocks to buy that are worth owning. If that’s not enough to get your mouth salivating, each has hiked its dividends in 2017 by 20% or more!





January 6, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: January 1 - 5, 2018


Disposals:


Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) EVP Robb L. Voyles sold 5,953 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $297,650.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Read more …
Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) EVP Robb L. Voyles sold 5,000 shares of Halliburton stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.85, for a total transaction of $244,250.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.
Shares of Halliburton Company (NYSE HAL) traded up $0.30 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $48.87. 5,194,700 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,712,148. The stock has a market cap of $42,830.00, a PE ratio of 203.63, a P/E/G ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Halliburton Company has a 12 month low of $38.18 and a 12 month high of $58.78. Read more …

J M Smucker Co (NYSE:SJM) insider David J. Lemmon sold 1,205 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.54, for a total value of $150,070.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Read more …
J M Smucker Co (NYSE:SJM) SVP Jeannette L. Knudsen sold 1,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.36, for a total transaction of $198,976.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 23,452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,916,490.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. J M Smucker Co (NYSE:SJM) traded down $0.65 during trading on Friday, hitting $124.24. 495,440 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 876,432. J M Smucker Co has a 52 week low of $99.57 and a 52 week high of $143.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $14,187.20, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Read more …

Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) VP Michael Joseph Donnelly sold 15,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.66, for a total value of $425,964.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Kroger Co (NYSE KR) opened at $27.85 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $24,550.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.58, a P/E/G ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.93. Kroger Co has a 12 month low of $19.69 and a 12 month high of $34.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.31. Read more …

Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) insider ‘T Noordende Alexander M. Van sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total value of $997,620.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Shares of Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) opened at $156.38 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $98,182.22, a PE ratio of 27.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.08. Accenture Plc has a 1 year low of $112.31 and a 1 year high of $158.44. Read more …

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Director John W. Meisenbach sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.23, for a total transaction of $561,690.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 8,654 shares in the company, valued at $1,620,288.42. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) traded up $2.20 on Wednesday, reaching $188.32. 2,509,300 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,268,800. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1 year low of $150.00 and a 1 year high of $195.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $83,940.00, a P/E ratio of 29.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.98. Read more …

General Motors (NYSE:GM) (TSE:GMM.U) insider Mark L. Reuss sold 30,000 shares of General Motors stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.09, for a total value of $1,292,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 103,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,440,510.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. General Motors (NYSE GM) traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $44.01. The stock had a trading volume of 9,519,935 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,086,084. General Motors has a fifty-two week low of $31.92 and a fifty-two week high of $46.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a market cap of $62,510.00, a PE ratio of 9.53, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.55. Read more …

Johnson Controls International plc Ordinary Share (NYSE:JCI) VP Jeffrey M. Williams sold 27,734 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $1,109,360.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 201,961 shares in the company, valued at $8,078,440. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Johnson Controls International plc Ordinary Share (NYSE:JCI) traded down $1.43 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $38.42. 9,435,100 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,764,225. The firm has a market capitalization of $36,880.00, a P/E ratio of 22.47, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.90. Johnson Controls International plc Ordinary Share has a 52 week low of $34.51 and a 52 week high of $44.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Read more …


Acquisitions:


Nothing to mention.





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