April 30, 2018

9 Highest-Yielding Dividend Aristocrats to Buy Today


These companies have largely withstood the test of time and also have strong 'Dividend Safety Scores'



Dividend aristocrats have a cult-like following among income investors, and for good reason. To be a dividend aristocrat, a company must be a member of the S&P 500 Index and have paid higher dividends for 25 consecutive years.

Businesses that have rewarded shareholders with rising dividends over the course of several decades tend to generate dependable cash flow, operate in large and growing markets, and be managed very conservatively.

As a result, dividend aristocrats have outperformed the S&P 500 by about 3% annually over the past decade, while also recording less volatility. Even during the worst of times, when the S&P lost 37% in 2008, the dividend aristocrats only lost 22%.

Investors can view data on the complete list of dividend aristocrats here.

In this article, we identified nine of the highest-yielding dividend aristocrats that investors may want to consider for income.

These companies have largely withstood the test of time and also have strong Dividend Safety Scores, a metric created by Simply Safe Dividends to assess how secure a company’s current payout is.




Since inception, Dividend Safety Scores have flagged over 98% of dividend cuts before they occurred, providing predictive value. Investors can learn more about Dividend Safety Scores here. Let’s review nine of the highest-yielding dividend aristocrats that have passed the test.




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April 28, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: April 23 - 27, 2018



Disposals:


Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW) Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 250,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.99, for a total transaction of $13,747,500.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Read more …

Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW) Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 200,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.60, for a total value of $10,920,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. SCHW stock traded up $0.11 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $54.60. The company had a trading volume of 7,878,190 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,419,821. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $74,554.20, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.55. Charles Schwab Co. has a fifty-two week low of $37.63 and a fifty-two week high of $58.11. Read more …

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.34, for a total transaction of $1,383,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 301,943 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,709,525.62. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Shares of NYSE:DAL traded down $0.79 during trading on Monday, reaching $54.61. The stock had a trading volume of 5,360,408 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,273,122. Delta Air Lines has a one year low of $44.59 and a one year high of $60.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $39,163.00, a P/E ratio of 11.08 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.39. Read more …

The Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK) insider Mitchell E. Harris sold 48,000 shares of The Bank of New York Mellon stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.00, for a total transaction of $2,688,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 166,810 shares in the company, valued at $9,341,360. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Read more …

The Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK) EVP J Kevin Mccarthy sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.89, for a total transaction of $838,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 100,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,623,037.01. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Shares of NYSE:BK traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $55.40. The stock had a trading volume of 5,199,470 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,042,090. The stock has a market capitalization of $56,273.31, a PE ratio of 15.39, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.22. The Bank of New York Mellon has a fifty-two week low of $46.06 and a fifty-two week high of $58.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Read more …

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Director Richard T. Burke sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.20, for a total value of $3,513,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,761,533 shares in the company, valued at approximately $412,551,028.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Shares of UNH traded up $0.68 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $234.90. 2,932,158 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,876,005. UnitedHealth Group has a 52 week low of $166.65 and a 52 week high of $250.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The company has a market capitalization of $225,218.73, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.33, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.77. Read more …



Acquisitions:



Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) insider Jerry Whitson acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $82.76 per share, with a total value of $248,280.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. PM traded down $0.58 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $81.91. 5,236,570 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,196,733. The company has a market capitalization of $129,958.75, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.86. Philip Morris International has a 1 year low of $80.64 and a 1 year high of $123.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of -2.82, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.80. Read more …

Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE:CCI) Director Anthony J. Melone acquired 1,979 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $101.06 per share, with a total value of $199,997.74. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 10,547 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,065,879.82. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. NYSE:CCI traded down $3.79 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $101.31. 4,451,604 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,983,137. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Crown Castle International Corp. has a 1 year low of $93.14 and a 1 year high of $114.97. The company has a market capitalization of $42,806.64, a P/E ratio of 20.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.29. Read more …
  


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April 27, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 23, 2018



Upgrades:


BP (NYSE:BP) was upgraded by analysts at Goldman Sachs from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday, The Fly reports. Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. TheStreet lowered shares of BP from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Vetr lowered shares of BP from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $44.43 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, March 12th. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of BP from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 9th. Piper Jaffray reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $51.00 price target on shares of BP in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, Societe Generale upgraded shares of BP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $42.54. Read more …

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) was upgraded by equities researchers at Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, The Fly reports. A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on CAT. Buckingham Research began coverage on Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, April 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $170.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo set a $180.00 target price on Caterpillar and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 16th. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $168.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, April 13th. Cleveland Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Thursday, April 5th. Finally, Vetr raised Caterpillar from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $164.34 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $171.95. Read more …

BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Kansas City Southern Railway (NYSE:KSU) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report released on Monday, Marketbeat reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has $120.00 price target on the transportation company’s stock. Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Cowen reissued a hold rating and set a $116.00 price objective on shares of Kansas City Southern Railway in a research note on Monday. Zacks Investment Research raised Kansas City Southern Railway from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Kansas City Southern Railway from $102.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, April 6th. Seaport Global Securities reissued a neutral rating on shares of Kansas City Southern Railway in a research note on Friday, March 23rd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reissued an outperform rating and set a $121.00 price objective (down previously from $126.00) on shares of Kansas City Southern Railway in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $117.57. Read more …


Goldman Sachs upgraded shares of Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Marketbeat reports. Goldman Sachs currently has $58.83 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of $60.15. MRK has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Group set a $55.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co. and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, March 23rd. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Merck & Co. from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. DZ Bank raised shares of Merck & Co. from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co. from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on shares of Merck & Co. from $67.00 to $66.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $65.82. Read more …

April 26, 2018

3 Reasons to Get Excited About Procter & Gamble Co


1 Top Dividend Stock for 2018



Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) has just about all of the qualities we look for in a business: simple, timeless products; entrenched market position; and a long history of growing dividends.

But while owning such wonderful asset represents a great wealth building formula, “Mr. Market” doesn’t operate on a set schedule. Since we recommended the stock to Automated Income readers in 2015, Procter & Gamble share price has barely budged. A number of positive corporate developments, however, keep us bullish on the consumer products giant.




Procter & Gamble’s turnaround plan has started to pay dividends, to begin with. Management has culled around 100 brands from its product mix over the last few years, leaving the company with 65 labels. This might sound counterintuitive as first; after all, doesn’t it make for sense to grow revenues by adding up categories to the product line?



April 25, 2018

3 Tech Stocks for Dividend Investors to Buy Now


Tech stocks have been unpredictable over the past few weeks, but there is no question that the technology sector has been at the forefront of the market’s strong multiyear run. However, this might mean that income investors—those focused on finding companies with solid dividends—might be feeling left out, as tech stocks aren’t really known for their payouts.

Finding a strong dividend-yielding tech stock might feel like searching for a golden goose, but investors should not feel too intimidated. In fact, dividend-focused investors can search for the best tech stocks by using the Zacks Stock Screener, the perfect one-stop screening tool for investors of all kinds.

By limiting our search to companies in our “Computer and Technology” sector with Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) or better rankings, we can ensure that we are finding the highest quality stocks to buy right now. Throw in your preferred dividend yield and voila—the best tech stocks for dividend investors to target!




Check out three of these stocks to buy now:

Continue reading …


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April 24, 2018

7 Stocks to Buy for Big May Dividend Hikes


While most income investors are reaching for big yields right now, a small group of “hidden yield” stocks are quietly handing smart investors growing income streams plus annual returns of 12%, 27.1% and even 54% or more per year.

So if you want to double your money every few years – and double your income as well – then you need to focus on the seven stocks I’m about to share.

(All seven are about to hike their dividends. Yet the “forward-looking market” hasn’t yet priced in these payout raises. This is free money the market is giving us, thanks to the most “underrated” shareholder return vehicle.)

There are three – and only three – ways a company’s stock can pay us:

A cash dividend.
A dividend hike.
By repurchasing its own shares.




Everyone loves the dividend, but investors usually don’t give enough love to the dividend hike. Not only do these raises increase the yield on your initial capital, but also they often are reflected in a price increase for the stock.

For example, if a stock pays a 3% current yield and then hikes its payout by 10%, it’s unlikely that its stock price will stagnate for long. Investors will see the new 3.3% yield, and buy more shares.

They’ll drive the price up, and the yield back down – eventually towards 3%. This is why your favorite dividend “aristocrat” – a company everyone knows and has paid dividends forever – never pays a high current yield. Its stock price rises too fast!



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April 23, 2018

Johnson & Johnson: Is Now the Best Time to Consider JNJ Stock?


Johnson & Johnson Is Still a Top Dividend Stock


Over the years, blue-chip stocks have delivered a tremendous amount of value to income investors. But because many large-cap companies have also become household names, their share prices have gotten expensive. Therefore, when something as solid as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) stock is having a pullback, it deserves the attention of income investors.

Johnson & Johnson is a healthcare giant. Starting out making ready-to-use surgical dressings in the 1880s, Johnson & Johnson has become a multinational medical, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods manufacturer. It’s one of the largest companies in the world, commanding more than $340.0 billion of market cap.




Mega-cap companies with established market positions are not known for making big moves in their share prices. But in the recent correction of the U.S. stock market, even large-cap stocks took a huge hit. In particular, shares of Johnson & Johnson have plunged by more than 13% since their January high, an unusually large drop for the healthcare behemoth.

Still, for investors who are looking to add a blue-chip company to their income portfolios, JNJ stock’s latest pullback could represent an opportunity.

Let me explain…



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April 21, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: April 16 - 20, 2018



Disposals:


Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) EVP Sean E. Harper sold 1,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.68, for a total transaction of $263,337.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Sean E. Harper also recently made the following trade(s):

  • On Friday, March 16th, Sean E. Harper sold 1,525 shares of Amgen stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.75, for a total transaction of $289,368.75.
  • On Wednesday, February 14th, Sean E. Harper sold 1,525 shares of Amgen stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.18, for a total transaction of $265,624.50.
  • On Tuesday, January 16th, Sean E. Harper sold 1,525 shares of Amgen stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.62, for a total transaction of $283,070.50.


AMGN traded down $0.10 on Monday, reaching $171.38. 2,656,361 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,937,485. Amgen has a one year low of $152.16 and a one year high of $201.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $114,595.02, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.62, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 5.49 and a quick ratio of 5.17. Read more …

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) insider Luca Maestri sold 39,122 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.66, for a total value of $6,833,048.52. Following the sale, the insider now owns 64,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,261,203.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $177.84 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market cap of $892,113.06, a P/E ratio of 19.31, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.25. Apple has a 52-week low of $140.45 and a 52-week high of $183.50. Read more …

Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) SVP Susan Mahony sold 22,544 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.09, for a total transaction of $1,805,548.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,656,268.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Susan Mahony also recently made the following trade(s):
  • On Friday, April 13th, Susan Mahony sold 5,165 shares of Eli Lilly and stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total transaction of $413,923.10.

Shares of LLY traded down $0.24 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $79.88. The stock had a trading volume of 2,579,657 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,694,244. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.32. Eli Lilly and Co has a 52 week low of $73.69 and a 52 week high of $89.09. The firm has a market cap of $87,341.06, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.64, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.26. Read more … 





Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) insider Weir Mirian M. Graddick sold 24,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.00, for a total value of $1,392,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Shares of NYSE MRK traded up $0.62 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $59.27. 15,333,132 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,177,643. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market cap of $154,141.17, a PE ratio of 14.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.77. Merck & Co. has a twelve month low of $52.83 and a twelve month high of $66.41. Read more …

American Tower Co. (NYSE:AMT) EVP Amit Sharma sold 32,943 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.82, for a total transaction of $4,573,147.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 111,558 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,486,481.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. AMT stock opened at $139.81 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.85. American Tower Co. has a twelve month low of $122.73 and a twelve month high of $155.28. The firm has a market cap of $62,168.81, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.91, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.78. Read more …

April 20, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 16, 2018



Upgrades:


C. H. Robinson (NASDAQ:CHRW) was upgraded by stock analysts at UBS from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Monday, The Fly reports. Several other analysts also recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of C. H. Robinson in a research note on Tuesday, April 10th. BidaskClub downgraded C. H. Robinson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on C. H. Robinson from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 6th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded C. H. Robinson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 4th. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded C. H. Robinson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $82.71. Read more …

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wells Fargo from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report released on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a $188.91 target price on the retailer’s stock, down from their previous target price of $191.42. Wells Fargo’s price target would indicate a potential downside of 3.62% from the company’s current price. A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on COST. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, January 5th. BidaskClub raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 28th. Gordon Haskett raised shares of Costco Wholesale from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $191.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, January 12th. Vetr upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.28 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $205.00 target price (down previously from $209.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $192.14. Read more …

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Goldman Sachs from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday, The Fly reports. Several other research firms have also weighed in on TSCO. Oppenheimer reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Tractor Supply from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 5th. Telsey Advisory Group lowered shares of Tractor Supply from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $62.00 to $83.00 in a report on Thursday, January 25th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. BidaskClub lowered shares of Tractor Supply from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Tractor Supply from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.11. Read more …


ABB Group (NYSE:ABB) was upgraded by analysts at UBS from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report released on Tuesday, 247wallst.com reports. ABB has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Zacks Investment Research cut ABB Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 27th. JPMorgan Chase reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of ABB Group in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Robert W. Baird cut ABB Group from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $29.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Berenberg Bank upgraded ABB Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, Jefferies Group reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $23.00 target price on shares of ABB Group in a report on Wednesday, March 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $27.00. Read more …

April 18, 2018

10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever


If you have to get married to companies, these are some of your best bets



In a market environment that overwhelmingly encourages constant activity by investors who seemingly want to double their money every week, a discussion of stocks to buy and hold forever seems comically out of place.

And yet, for better or worse, that’s the mindset all of us should adopt for most of our investing capital. More often than not, the more you trade, the worse you end up doing. It has been said (and verified) that 95% of true “day traders” — the most aggressive and active of all market participants — end up losing money by being too active for their own good. Conversely, the fact that Warren Buffett’s favorite holding period is “forever” and how he’s got a track record most investors would envy is just as telling.




With that as the backdrop, here’s a rundown of 10 stocks to buy and hold forever … or at least until something significant changes with your life plans or the companies themselves.



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April 17, 2018

High Dividend Stocks: 29 High Yield Stocks for Income – April 2018 Update



High dividend stocks appeal to many investors living off dividends in retirement because their high yields provide generous income.

Many of the highest paying dividend stocks offer a high yield in excess of 4%, and some even yield 10% or more.

However, not all high yield dividend stocks are safe. Let’s review what high dividend stocks are, where stocks with high dividends can be found in the market, and how to identify which high dividends are risky.

At the end of the article, we will take a look at 29 of the best high dividend stocks, providing analysis on each company. Almost all of these high yield stocks offer a dividend yield greater than 4%, have increased their dividends for at least five consecutive years, and maintain healthy Dividend Safety Scores.

Analysis of these stocks was last updated on 4/6/18, and investors eager to jump straight into these high income ideas can click here




The market’s strength has reduced the number of safe dividend stocks with high yields, but there are still several dozen worth reviewing.

By the way, many of the people interested in high dividend stocks are retirees looking to generate safe income from dividend-paying stocks. If that sounds like you, you might like to try our online product, which lets you track your portfolio’s income, dividend safety, and more. Learn more about our suite of tools and research for retirees here:



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April 16, 2018

Is Cisco Systems, Inc. a Buy?


For years, the company's primary business of selling switches and routers has stalled. Is Cisco finally turning the ship around?



The stock price of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) has recently enjoyed a bit of a renaissance. The company, which develops and sells networking hardware, has seen its shares increase almost 100% over the past five years compared to the S&P 500 index's 67% return. This, even though the business has not shown any fundamental improvements in its numbers over the same period. Don't believe me? Consider: In its 2013 fiscal year, Cisco reported $48.6 billion in revenue and $10 billion of net income. In its 2017 fiscal year, the company reported...wait for it...$48 billion in revenue and $9.6 billion in net income. That's right, over four whole years, the company's revenue and net income actually inched down, not up!




So, if the company isn't recording more sales and earning more income, why are analysts upgrading the stock even after huge moves to the upside? When one looks under the hood, beyond the headline numbers, there are reasons to believe the company is past the better part of a major transition, one that could see it return to growth for years to come. Let's take a look at what some of these catalysts are and whether they make Cisco's stock a buy for investors today.

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April 13, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 9, 2018


Upgrades:


General Motors (NYSE:GM) (TSE:GMM.U) was upgraded by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $45.00 target price on the auto manufacturer’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 15.18% from the stock’s current price. Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Berenberg Bank set a $34.00 price objective on shares of General Motors and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase restated an “overweight” rating and set a $55.00 target price (down from $56.00) on shares of General Motors in a research report on Tuesday, March 13th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of General Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 9th. TheStreet lowered shares of General Motors from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 27th. Finally, Vetr upgraded shares of General Motors from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $40.24 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.65. Read more …

Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report issued on Monday, The Fly reports. Morgan Stanley currently has $72.00 price objective on the data storage provider’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $51.00. STX has been the subject of several other research reports. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Seagate Technology from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $48.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, January 5th. TheStreet raised shares of Seagate Technology from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 9th. Vetr downgraded shares of Seagate Technology from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $56.12 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, March 1st. Cross Research raised shares of Seagate Technology from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo reissued a market perform rating and issued a $45.00 price target (up previously from $38.00) on shares of Seagate Technology in a research report on Tuesday, January 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $53.12. Read more …

Becton Dickinson and (NYSE:BDX) was upgraded by investment analysts at Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Becton Dickinson and from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 6th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Becton Dickinson and in a report on Monday, March 5th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $249.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Becton Dickinson and from $245.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Piper Jaffray reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $260.00 target price (up previously from $223.00) on shares of Becton Dickinson and in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of Becton Dickinson and in a research note on Friday, January 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $240.53. Read more …


Eaton (NYSE:ETN) was upgraded by stock analysts at Goldman Sachs to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday. The firm presently has a $88.00 target price on the industrial products company’s stock. Goldman Sachs’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 15.90% from the company’s current price. ETN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. UBS began coverage on shares of Eaton in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $87.00 price objective on the stock. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Eaton from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Bank of America raised shares of Eaton from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $81.03 to $85.00 in a report on Thursday, March 8th. JPMorgan Chase raised shares of Eaton from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 1st. Finally, Jefferies Group raised shares of Eaton from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $86.73. Read more …

April 11, 2018

3 Smart Buys For Big Spring Dividend Hikes


The 10-Year Treasury yield is holding at 2.85%, but another run to 3% is coming soon. Let’s use this breather to sell our weakest dividends and replace them with stocks that should actually head higher as rates rise.

You know the playbook by now. When the 10-Year yield rallies, it crushes stocks with pathetic yields or meager dividend growth. These “bond proxies” get dumped for the real thing as first-level investors scamper to the 3% yields on “safe” US government debt.

If your portfolio relies on laggards like these—I’m talking about penny-a-year hikers like AT&T and Walmart, or stocks that haven’t hiked their payouts in years, like Wynn Resorts—I have two words for you:

Sell now!





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April 10, 2018

10 Safe Dividend Stocks for the Second Quarter

These stocks have been paying their shareholders for a long time



With the U.S. stock market fresh off its first quarterly loss since 2015, many conservative  investors are in need of dividend stock ideas that can provide safe income and preserve their capital over the long term.

Using Dividend Safety Scores, a system created by Simply Safe Dividends to help investors avoid dividend cuts in their portfolios, we identified 10 high-quality dividend stocks from traditionally defensive sectors like telecom, healthcare and consumer staples.

These stocks have an impeccable record of paying continuous dividends over the years given their durable business models, strong cash flows and disciplined approach to capital allocation.

Many of these companies are also in Simply Safe Dividends’ list of the best high dividend stocks here and trade at yields above their five-year averages, providing an attractive combination of current income and growth.

Let’s take a look at 10 of the best safe dividend stocks for the second quarter.






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April 7, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 2, 2018


Upgrades:


Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) was upgraded by stock analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call. Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Bank of America upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 5th. Goldman Sachs upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $116.02 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, December 11th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $133.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, February 5th. BidaskClub upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $118.00 price target (up previously from $110.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Friday, January 12th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $118.43. Read more …

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) was upgraded by equities researchers at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday. The firm currently has a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Argus’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 35.61% from the company’s current price. CAH has been the subject of several other research reports. TheStreet raised shares of Cardinal Health from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 13th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Cardinal Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $84.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, January 29th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Cardinal Health in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $74.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Group set a $72.00 price target on shares of Cardinal Health and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada set a $83.00 price target on shares of Cardinal Health and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Cardinal Health currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $75.46. Read more …

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) was upgraded by investment analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report issued on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $97.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. Royal Bank of Canada’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 14.45% from the company’s previous close. DRI has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $99.00 to $97.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 22nd. SunTrust Banks reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Thursday, December 21st. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Darden Restaurants from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 6th. Wells Fargo reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $99.00 price objective (up from $92.00) on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Tuesday, January 9th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $116.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $98.26. Read more …


Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by research analysts at Deutsche Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday. The brokerage currently has a $158.00 price target on the railroad operator’s stock. Deutsche Bank’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.58% from the stock’s current price. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. UBS upgraded Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, January 8th. Citigroup upgraded Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $157.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $136.10. Read more …