November 30, 2018

Nucor Corporation Increases Quarterly Dividend $NUE



  • Nucor (NYSE:NUE) declares $0.40/share quarterly dividend, 5.3% increase from prior dividend of $0.38.
  • Forward yield 2.68%
  • Payable Feb. 11; for shareholders of record Dec. 31; ex-div Dec. 28.

November 29, 2018

The Walt Disney Company Increases Dividend $DIS



  • Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) declares $0.88/share semi-annual dividend, 4.8% increase from prior dividend of $0.84.
  • Forward yield 1.51%
  • Payable Jan. 10; for shareholders of record Dec. 10; ex-div Dec. 7.

November 28, 2018

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Increases Quarterly Dividend $MKC



  • McCormick (NYSE:MKC) declares $0.57/share quarterly dividend, 9.6% increase from prior dividend of $0.52.
  • Forward yield 1.55%
  • Payable Jan. 14; for shareholders of record Dec. 31; ex-div Dec. 28.

November 27, 2018

5 Top REIT Stocks You Can Buy Right Now


Here are five excellent ways for investors of all experience levels to add real estate to their portfolios.


Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, can not only be excellent income investments but also have the potential for massive long-term returns. Unfortunately, this potentially lucrative sector of the stock market isn't well-understood by many investors.

With that in mind, here's a rundown of the basics of REIT investing as well as five excellent top-quality REIT stocks to put on your radar now.

What is a REIT?

A REIT (pronounced "reet"), or real estate investment trust, is a type of investment company that buys real estate assets. A real estate investment trust works somewhat like a mutual fund or ETF in the sense that while mutual funds pool investors money to buy stocks, bonds, or commodities, REITs pool investors money to buy commercial properties or other real estate assets.

REITs were created to allow everyday investors to capitalize on real estate opportunities that had historically only been available to the rich. For example, few people have hundreds of millions of dollars to build a high-rise apartment building in a major city, but anyone who can afford one share of an apartment REIT can now invest in properties like these.

The basic concept of a REIT is that as the underlying assets generate income, this income will be (mostly) passed to shareholders in the form of dividends. In addition, as real estate values tend to increase over time, property-owning REITs also grow their intrinsic value over time. Of course, there are other value-creating tactics REITs can use, such as developing properties from the ground-up, using leverage to boost returns, and more. You can read my complete guide to REIT investing if you want a more in-depth look at how these investment vehicles work, but we'll cover the major points in this article before we dive into specific REITs to invest in.


In order to qualify as a REIT, a company needs to meet a few specific requirements. First and foremost, it must invest at least 75% of its taxable assets in real estate and must pay out 90% or more of its taxable income to shareholders. It also must have at least 100 shareholders, and no more than 50% of a REIT's shares can be held by five or fewer individuals.

Continue reading …


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November 26, 2018

3 Stocks To Buy Before 2019 (Dividends Up To 6.5%)


Now that the election’s over, it’s time for us contrarians to get greedy!

And I’ve got just the thing: 3 hated buys we can use to rack up serious gains and dividends while the rest of the herd struggles to get its bearings.

Where do these 3 cash machines come from? The defense and infrastructure sectors.

Now you might see where I’m coming from on infrastructure. Probably the one thing Republicans and Democrats agree on is that our ramshackle roads, bridges and power plants need a lot of work.

More on this, including a rock-solid play for 6.5% dividends and “steady as she goes” upside, at the end of this article.

Before we get to that, though, let’s talk defense, a sector that might surprise you given that the media regularly rolls out stories about Democrats’ reluctance to goose the Pentagon budget.


Funny thing is, defense stocks crushed it during the Obama years, including from November 2008 to November 2010, when Democrats were elected to majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate, as well.

And share prices continued to climb when Trump was elected in 2016.

You might be fooled into thinking defense stocks are too pricey now. And sure, some have gotten ahead of themselves. But the two I want to show you below are still bargains, giving us a rare second chance to jump in.




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November 24, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of November 19, 2018



Disposals:


Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) Director Alan G. Hassenfeld sold 400,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.41, for a total value of $38,964,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,945 shares in the company, valued at $3,014,352.45. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Shares of NASDAQ HAS opened at $94.89 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.41, a quick ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Hasbro, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $79.00 and a fifty-two week high of $109.60. The company has a market capitalization of $12.36 billion, a PE ratio of 17.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.96. Read more …

Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD) EVP Steven P. Cugine sold 15,000 shares of Church & Dwight stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.39, for a total value of $965,850.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 43,948 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,829,811.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. NYSE CHD opened at $65.53 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $15.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.31. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $44.53 and a fifty-two week high of $67.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Read more …

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) EVP T Richard Riney sold 15,288 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.50, for a total value of $955,500.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

T Richard Riney also recently made the following trade(s):
On Friday, August 31st, T Richard Riney sold 13,708 shares of Ventas stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $822,480.00.

Shares of NYSE:VTR opened at $61.36 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $22.23 billion, a PE ratio of 14.75, a PEG ratio of 4.62 and a beta of -0.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.56. Ventas, Inc. has a 12 month low of $46.55 and a 12 month high of $64.96. Read more …





Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) insider Chris Kondo sold 3,408 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.00, for a total value of $647,520.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 8,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,698,600. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Shares of AAPL traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $176.78. 31,104,724 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 32,756,955. The stock has a market capitalization of $913.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.26. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $150.24 and a 52-week high of $233.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.09. Read more …

November 23, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of November 19, 2018



Upgrades:



JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 31st. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, October 4th. Cfra reissued a hold rating on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Friday, November 2nd. Guggenheim began coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Monday, October 8th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Pareto Securities downgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, October 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Novo Nordisk A/S presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $64.00. Read more …


Citigroup upgraded shares of Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has $74.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock. A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on HP. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Helmerich & Payne from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $81.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 9th. B. Riley set a $83.00 price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Sunday, October 7th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Helmerich & Payne in a report on Wednesday, October 10th. They set an underperform rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Helmerich & Payne from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the company from $49.00 to $58.00 in a report on Friday, September 14th. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded shares of Helmerich & Payne from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Helmerich & Payne currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $73.24. Read more …

Target (NYSE:TGT) was upgraded by equities researchers at Credit Suisse Group to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday. The brokerage currently has a $94.00 price target on the retailer’s stock. Credit Suisse Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 35.72% from the stock’s previous close. Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. ValuEngine cut shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group upgraded shares of Target from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $80.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 23rd. Wolfe Research cut shares of Target from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 23rd. Loop Capital set a $102.00 price target on shares of Target and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 17th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Target from $76.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Target currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $88.19. Read more …

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wedbush from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has a $65.00 price target on the technology retailer’s stock. Wedbush’s price target indicates a potential upside of 2.31% from the company’s previous close. Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Best Buy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 14th. Bank of America cut shares of Best Buy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $92.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Best Buy from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 11th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on shares of Best Buy from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 29th. Finally, Barclays reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $90.00 price objective on shares of Best Buy in a research report on Wednesday, August 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Best Buy currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $78.50. Read more …


Texas Instruments: A Growth Stock Paying A 3.2% Dividend Yield


Traditionally, the tech sector has not been a source of dividend stocks. Many tech companies, particularly those at earlier stages of their development, do not pay dividends at all. Instead, they typically need to reinvest as much cash flow as possible back into growing the business. And even among tech companies that do pay dividends to shareholders, yields are usually low.

However, in rare cases investors can find highly profitable, mature tech companies with enough cash flow to pay high dividend yields to shareholders. For example, Texas Instruments (TXN) currently has a 3.2% dividend yield, which beats the average yield in the S&P 500 Index by a considerable margin. And, Texas Instruments is a dividend growth stock. It has raised its dividend for 15 consecutive years, including a 24% increase in 2018. Texas Instruments qualifies as a Dividend Achiever, a select group of stocks with 10+ consecutive years of dividend growth.


Texas Instruments is a unique stock. It offers a mix of high yield and dividend growth, which makes the stock attractive for income and growth investors.




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November 21, 2018

15 Safe Dividend Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2018


Dividend stocks offer some much-needed stability for your portfolio



In early June of this year, J.P. Morgan strategist Marko Kolanovic made a startling statement. Since March, President Donald Trump’s tough stance on fair trade practices has evaporated more than $1 trillion in market value. Such a drastic impact exponentially raises interest in safe dividend stocks to buy.

Of course, since Kolanovic’s analysis went public, the markets have reasserted themselves. However, that still doesn’t take away from investor uneasiness with the White House’s economic policies. And since the start of the year, the Dow Jones is basically flat.

Grabbing the spotlight, of course, is our ongoing trade war with China. Neither side shows any indication that the conflict will resolve anytime soon. Love him or hate him, we can all agree that Trump doesn’t have a conciliatory personality. And China can’t afford to look weak, not when their people are openly expressing dissent.

If only that were the sole problem we faced! Along with other geopolitical hotspots, our domestic standing has turned into shambles. Honestly, I cannot keep track of all the accusations and indictments flying around.


Trump recently claimed that if he were ever impeached, the markets will fall off the rails. I can’t say one way or another. What I do know for sure is that the markets prefer reasonable predictability. Right now, we’re experiencing anything but that. To better protect your portfolio, consider these 15 safe dividend stocks to buy:




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November 20, 2018

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Quarterly Dividend $BDX



  • Becton, Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) declares $0.77/share quarterly dividend, 2.7% increase from prior dividend of $0.75.
  • Forward yield 1.27%
  • Payable Dec. 31; for shareholders of record Dec. 10; ex-div Dec. 7.



Hormel Foods Corp Increases Quarterly Dividend $HRL



  • Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) declares $0.21/share quarterly dividend, 12% increase from prior dividend of $0.1875.
  • Forward yield 1.85%
  • Payable Feb. 15; for shareholders of record Jan. 14; ex-div Jan. 11.

November 17, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of November 12, 2018



Disposals:


Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) insider Richard Lumb sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.51, for a total transaction of $327,020.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 126,104 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,619,265.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Richard Lumb also recently made the following trade(s):

On Tuesday, October 16th, Richard Lumb sold 2,000 shares of Accenture stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.63, for a total transaction of $321,260.00.

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $160.29 on Thursday. Accenture Plc has a twelve month low of $143.68 and a twelve month high of $175.64. The company has a market capitalization of $107.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.01. Read more …

CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS) EVP Troyen A. Brennan sold 14,229 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.00, for a total value of $1,166,778.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Shares of CVS traded down $0.51 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $79.33. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 6,568,352 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,515,497. CVS Health Corp has a one year low of $60.14 and a one year high of $83.88. The company has a current ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.98. Read more …






Acquisitions:


Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Chairman Seifi Ghasemi bought 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $160.11 per share, with a total value of $3,202,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 408,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,429,271.72. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Air Products & Chemicals stock opened at $160.64 on Friday. Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.44 and a fifty-two week high of $175.17. The stock has a market cap of $34.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.56, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.17. Read more …

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD) CEO Aj Teague acquired 15,005 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $26.32 per share, with a total value of $394,931.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Read more …

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD) insider W Randall Fowler acquired 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $26.19 per share, for a total transaction of $261,900.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Shares of NYSE:EPD opened at $26.13 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. has a 1-year low of $23.10 and a 1-year high of $30.05. The company has a market cap of $57.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.80, a PEG ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.87. Read more …

November 16, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of November 12, 2018



Upgrades:


Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $79.00 target price on the coffee company’s stock. Argus’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.19% from the company’s current price. Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. UBS Group lowered Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, November 5th. DZ Bank lowered Starbucks to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, November 5th. Mizuho upgraded Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $56.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Monday, November 5th. Barclays increased their price objective on Starbucks from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Starbucks from $51.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Starbucks currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $64.66. Read more …

Realty Income (NYSE:O) was upgraded by Bank of America from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $72.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock. Bank of America’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 14.87% from the company’s previous close. A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Realty Income from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 6th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Realty Income from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 24th. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Realty Income from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 23rd. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Realty Income from an “overweight” rating to an “equal” rating and set a $31.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, October 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Realty Income from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, September 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Realty Income has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $55.99. Read more …

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) was upgraded by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. BidaskClub downgraded QUALCOMM from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Investment Research raised QUALCOMM from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $63.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank decreased their target price on QUALCOMM to $65.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 8th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on QUALCOMM from $62.00 to $58.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 8th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity decreased their target price on QUALCOMM from $86.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $70.44. Read more …


Novartis (NYSE:NVS) was upgraded by investment analysts at Goldman Sachs Group from a “neutral” rating to a “conviction-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, The Fly reports. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. BNP Paribas upgraded Novartis from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 11th. Barclays upgraded Novartis from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 19th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Novartis in a report on Tuesday, October 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Exane BNP Paribas upgraded Novartis from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 11th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $95.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 18th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $84.86. Read more …

November 15, 2018

Brown-Forman Corporation Increases Quarterly Dividend $BFA



  • Brown-Forman (NYSE:BF.A) declares $0.166/share quarterly dividend, 5.1% increase from prior dividend of $0.158.
  • Forward yield 1.38%
  • Payable Jan. 2; for shareholders of record Dec. 6; ex-div Dec. 5.

Nike Inc. Increases Quarterly Dividend $NKE



  • Nike (NYSE:NKE) declares $0.22/share quarterly dividend, 10% increase from prior dividend of $0.20.
  • Forward yield 1.18%
  • Payable Jan. 2; for shareholders of record Dec. 3; ex-div Nov. 30.

Sysco Corporation Increases Quarterly Dividend $SYY




  • Sysco (NYSE:SYY) declares $0.39/share quarterly dividend, 8.3% increase from prior dividend of $0.36.
  • Forward yield 2.36%
  • Payable Jan. 25; for shareholders of record Jan. 4; ex-div Jan. 3.

November 14, 2018

5 Top Dividend Stocks to Buy Now


These five income-generating stocks could power your portfolio to market-beating returns.



There's no shortage of stock selection criteria that investors can use in pursuit of market-beating returns, but no strategy has more reliably created wealth than buying quality dividend stocks, setting the payments to reinvest, and holding for the long term.

Whether an investor is young or old, new to the market or a seasoned pro, income-generating stocks can play a key role in elevating portfolio performance and paving a path to financial freedom. Owning a collection of dividend stocks shouldn't be thought of as a way to generate great returns without work, research, or risk, but dividend investing does present a blueprint that the average investor can thrive with once he or she knows what to look for and has a solid foundation to build on.

Understanding the basics of dividends
When you buy a stock, you're purchasing an ownership stake in that business, and some companies will opt to distribute a portion of earnings to their shareholders in the form of cash dividends. Not every company chooses to pay a dividend -- with some instead preferring to reinvest cash flows into growing the business, pay down debts, or build capital reserves in accordance with their needs.

Depending on the state of the business and its growth needs, returning income to shareholders isn't always the best use of capital. Companies that are in relatively early growth stages tend to be better served by funneling profits back into expanding the business, but there are clear reasons many investors flock to income-generating stocks.




Companies that are in a position to pay regular dividends tend to have dependable earnings, and this characteristic in conjunction with the power of compounding and reinvestment have led dividend stocks as a category to outperform their non-income-generating counterparts over the long term. That doesn't mean investors should just select dividend stocks at random and expect to beat the market, however.




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November 12, 2018

Meredith is in Transition, But 25-year Dividend Growth Streak Continues


Meredith (MDP) is one of the nation's oldest media and publishing companies, having been founded in 1902 as an agricultural publisher. More impressively, the firm has paid uninterrupted dividends for 71 consecutive years and has increased its dividend in each of the last 25 years.

At its core, Meredith provides consumers with the content they want by leveraging print, digital, mobile, video, and broadcast TV media platforms. Advertising is the company's largest source of revenue.

Meredith organizes its various media businesses into two segments:


  1. Local Media (31% of sales, 66% of operating profits): owns 17 local TV stations including: seven CBS affiliates, five FOX affiliates, two MyNetworkTV affiliates, one NBC affiliate, one ABC affiliate, and two independent stations. This segment also includes 12 websites and about 30 applications focused on news, sports, and weather-related information. The local TV stations reach 11% of all U.S. households.
  2. National Media (69% of sales, 34% of operating profits): publishes magazines targeted to women, including well known titles such as: People, Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle, Allrecipes, Real Simple, Shape, Southern Living, and Martha Stewart Living. This segment also runs approximately 60 websites and over a dozen smartphone applications hosting special interest publications.




Nationally, the firm reaches over 175 million American consumers directly, has more than 120 million magazine readers, paid circulation in excess of 40 million subscribers, and 140 million monthly unique visitors to its websites. Meredith also reaches 80% of all millennial women, and 65% of all Latinas.




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November 10, 2018

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of November 5, 2018


Disposals:


American Express (NYSE:AXP) Chairman Stephen J. Squeri sold 12,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.84, for a total value of $1,298,000.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 209,957 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,801,934.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Shares of NYSE AXP traded up $1.50 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $105.21. The company had a trading volume of 2,697,676 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,579,099. American Express has a twelve month low of $87.54 and a twelve month high of $111.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.58. The company has a market capitalization of $88.60 billion, a PE ratio of 17.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.06. Read more …

NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE) CEO Armando Pimentel, Jr. sold 4,920 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.11, for a total transaction of $836,941.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 59,969 shares in the company, valued at $10,201,326.59. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. NextEra Energy stock traded down $0.80 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $172.74. 92,364 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,866,117. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.57. NextEra Energy Inc has a 12 month low of $145.10 and a 12 month high of $176.82. The stock has a market cap of $81.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.74, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.13. Read more …

Becton Dickinson and Co (NYSE:BDX) Director Timothy M. Ring sold 42,000 shares of Becton Dickinson and stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.07, for a total value of $9,956,940.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 93,688 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,210,614.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Shares of BDX traded up $4.60 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $241.46. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 259,633 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,330,895. Becton Dickinson and Co has a one year low of $209.91 and a one year high of $265.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.23. The firm has a market cap of $64.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.93, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.19. Read more …

Becton Dickinson and Co (NYSE:BDX) EVP James C. Lim sold 5,189 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.36, for a total value of $1,257,606.04. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,227,750.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Read more ...

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) EVP Wiebe Tinga sold 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.80, for a total transaction of $598,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,446,988.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. HAS traded down $2.09 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $98.31. 74,720 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,871,147. Hasbro, Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.00 and a 1-year high of $109.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.04, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 2.41, a quick ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Read more …

November 9, 2018

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of November 5, 2018


Upgrades:


Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Chevron (NYSE:CVX) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report released on Monday, MarketBeat reports. Credit Suisse Group currently has $138.00 price objective on the oil and gas company’s stock. Several other brokerages have also recently commented on CVX. ValuEngine cut Chevron from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 2nd. Zacks Investment Research raised Chevron from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $137.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, October 1st. Redburn Partners cut Chevron from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $130.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 3rd. Piper Jaffray Companies reissued an overweight rating on shares of Chevron in a research report on Tuesday, October 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada set a $150.00 price target on Chevron and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, September 20th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Chevron currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $138.13. Read more …

Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Goldman Sachs Group from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a $73.00 price target on the utilities provider’s stock, up from their prior price target of $72.00. Goldman Sachs Group’s target price indicates a potential downside of 4.00% from the stock’s previous close. ED has been the subject of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Consolidated Edison from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 11th. ValuEngine raised Consolidated Edison from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 2nd. Bank of America upped their target price on Consolidated Edison from $84.50 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 26th. Scotiabank assumed coverage on Consolidated Edison in a research note on Tuesday, July 24th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $32.00 target price for the company. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Consolidated Edison in a research note on Tuesday, July 10th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $81.00 target price for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $77.18. Read more …

Wells Fargo & Co upgraded shares of Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) (TSE:ENB) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report released on Monday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on ENB. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Enbridge from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, July 13th. ValuEngine lowered shares of Enbridge from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, August 2nd. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Enbridge in a research report on Thursday, October 4th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Enbridge from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $38.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 8th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a neutral rating on shares of Enbridge in a research report on Monday, September 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Enbridge currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $49.17. Read more …

National-Oilwell Varco (NYSE:NOV) was upgraded by analysts at Tudor Pickering from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. NOV has been the subject of several other reports. R. F. Lafferty upgraded shares of National-Oilwell Varco from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $41.00 to $51.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 21st. Edward Jones downgraded shares of National-Oilwell Varco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of National-Oilwell Varco in a research note on Tuesday, September 18th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of National-Oilwell Varco from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 11th. Finally, Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of National-Oilwell Varco in a research note on Friday, October 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $43.27. Read more …

Raymond James upgraded shares of Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a report published on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has $41.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call. Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on MAIN. National Securities increased their price target on shares of Main Street Capital from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 8th. SunTrust Banks reiterated a hold rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of Main Street Capital in a report on Friday, August 3rd. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Main Street Capital from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, July 10th. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott set a $35.00 price target on shares of Main Street Capital and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Friday, November 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $39.50. Read more …

Raymond James upgraded shares of Noble Energy (NYSE:NBL) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Noble Energy from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Noble Energy from $39.00 to $36.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 16th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $46.00 price objective on shares of Noble Energy and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 7th. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Noble Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 3rd. They set a market perform rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $40.00 price objective on shares of Noble Energy and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and twenty-one have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $41.96. Read more …

Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE:ADM) was upgraded by stock analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Several other equities research analysts have also commented on ADM. Cleveland Research reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Archer Daniels Midland in a research report on Monday, October 1st. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Archer Daniels Midland in a research report on Thursday, August 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Archer Daniels Midland from $33.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 3rd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Archer Daniels Midland from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 1st. Finally, Buckingham Research boosted their price objective on shares of Archer Daniels Midland from $53.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 1st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.36. Read more …

Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM) (TSE:BAM.A) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Credit Suisse Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday. The brokerage presently has a $50.00 price objective on the financial services provider’s stock. Credit Suisse Group’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 16.93% from the stock’s current price. A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Thursday, September 20th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $54.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, August 10th. Finally, Scotiabank restated a “buy” rating and set a $50.50 price target on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Tuesday, August 7th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. Brookfield Asset Management has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $51.42. Read more …


Downgrades:


Viacom (NASDAQ:VIAB) was downgraded by research analysts at UBS Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. ValuEngine downgraded Viacom from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday. BidaskClub downgraded Viacom from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, October 27th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Viacom from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of Viacom in a report on Monday, October 15th. Finally, B. Riley upgraded Viacom from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $39.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $34.70. Read more …





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