May 31, 2020

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of May 25, 2020



Disposals:


Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY) CEO Corie S. Barry sold 18,844 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.49, for a total value of $1,460,221.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 163,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,655,976.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Corie S. Barry also recently made the following trade(s):

On Wednesday, April 15th, Corie S. Barry sold 19 shares of Best Buy stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.08, for a total value of $1,274.52.


Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY) COO Rajendra M. Mohan sold 28,263 shares of Best Buy stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.49, for a total value of $2,190,099.87. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 170,413 shares in the company, valued at $13,205,303.37. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Rajendra M. Mohan also recently made the following trade(s):

On Wednesday, April 15th, Rajendra M. Mohan sold 22 shares of Best Buy stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.08, for a total value of $1,475.76.

BBY opened at $79.08 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $19.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.54, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.50. Best Buy Co Inc has a 1 year low of $48.10 and a 1 year high of $91.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $73.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.96. Read more…

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY) SVP Adam Dubow sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.01, for a total transaction of $195,232.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 16,086 shares in the company, valued at approximately $981,406.86. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Shares of NYSE:BMY opened at $60.40 on Thursday. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co has a fifty-two week low of $42.48 and a fifty-two week high of $68.34. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 1.66. The firm has a market cap of $136.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.74. Read more …

Duke Energy Corp (NYSE:DUK) SVP Dwight L. Jacobs sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.11, for a total value of $126,165.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 5,191 shares in the company, valued at $436,615.01. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

NYSE DUK opened at $85.83 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $84.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $89.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.67. Duke Energy Corp has a fifty-two week low of $62.13 and a fifty-two week high of $103.79. Read more …


Mastercard Inc (NYSE:MA) Director Steven J. Freiberg sold 4,230 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.98, for a total transaction of $1,285,835.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 5,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,634,196.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Shares of NYSE MA opened at $302.30 on Friday. Mastercard Inc has a fifty-two week low of $199.99 and a fifty-two week high of $347.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 1.87. The company has a market cap of $304.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.66, a PEG ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 1.06. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $273.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $288.30. Read more …

May 30, 2020

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of May 25, 2020




Upgrades:


Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) was upgraded by equities researchers at SunTrust Banks from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $73.00 price target on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. SunTrust Banks’ target price suggests a potential downside of 0.46% from the stock’s current price.

 

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on GILD. Wells Fargo & Co restated a “hold” rating and issued a $84.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $89.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Gilead Sciences from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $78.00 to $70.00 in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, BidaskClub cut Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $78.26. Read more …


Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Bank of America from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $250.00 price target on the industrial products company’s stock. Bank of America‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 23.65% from the stock’s previous close.

 

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $162.00 to $177.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $175.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Rosenblatt Securities lowered shares of Rockwell Automation from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $155.00 to $173.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $155.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, G.Research downgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Rockwell Automation currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $188.83. Read more …


Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) was upgraded by analysts at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

 

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Susquehanna Bancshares raised shares of Southwest Airlines from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and set a $41.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Bank of America raised shares of Southwest Airlines from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $48.00 to $43.00 in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Raymond James raised shares of Southwest Airlines from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $50.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Evercore ISI raised shares of Southwest Airlines from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Southwest Airlines from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $49.00 to $36.00 in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Southwest Airlines presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.33. Read more …



May 28, 2020

4 Energy Stocks to Buy Now as Massive Oil Rally Continues


Less than a month ago, something that seemed impossible actually occurred. The front month oil futures contract for May, which expired in mid-April, actually traded negative. Traders were forced to sell at a loss as those holding contracts on expiration have to take physical delivery, and with no storage space available, had to sell at a loss.

 

What a difference a month can make for energy investors. On Monday, the benchmark pricing for West Texas Intermediate crude shot up to $33.10, up almost 14% from the Friday close. Oil traders seemed to be focused down the road, with futures markets for both overseas-benchmark Brent and West Texas Intermediate barrels for December delivery having the highest open interest, or total number of options and outstanding contracts.

 

What that means for investors is that while the front month contract for June, which expires this week, is the current price point, many traders think the biggest money can be made later this year, as the combination of production cuts and renewed consumption kicks in. For investors looking for energy stocks to buy, the prices now are still very reasonable.

 

 

 

 

We screened the BofA Securities energy research universe looking for companies with Buy ratings that have kept the dividend intact. We stay with the larger cap leaders, as they have the ability and balance sheet to stay in the game when prices become extremely volatile.

 

Continue reading …

 

May 27, 2020

5 Dividend Kings to Buy and Hold Forever


The "forever" part means investors have to think about the longevity of payout growth as well as reliable payments.



If volatility linked to the coronavirus contagion has become exhausting to you, you're not alone. March's sell-off looked like it might never end, and then suddenly, it reversed. The market has recovered most of what was lost then, yet earnings and the economy seem to be in even worse trouble than initially feared. Investors know everything will eventually be fine, but the past three months have been a not-so-gentle reminder that trying to beat the market is a tricky game.

There is a solution, at least for a big part of most investors' portfolios. That solution is owning reliable dividend stocks. While growth stocks tend to offer juicer stories, current income is a surprisingly big component of investors' total long-term gains and even more so with dividend-paying companies in the habit of generously increasing their payouts year after year. The most reliable of these companies can earn the moniker of Dividend Kings, or companies that have increased their dividend payout yearly for at least 50 straight years.



To that end, here's a look at five Dividend Kings most investors can simply buy and hold forever without constantly babysitting them. In no particular order...



May 26, 2020

7 Financial Stocks with Dependable Dividends


In a crazy market, a solid dividend stock can keep your portfolio sane



We are in the midst of turbulent times to be sure. And it could be that investing moves that worked previously won’t work any longer. But that’s nothing new for the markets. Good investors need to be adaptable and transition to new strategies when necessary. The challenge now is, what is the new direction? And I’d like to look at financial stocks today.

There’s a split between the economic news and the markets reaction lately, and it’s hard to tell which one will win out in the end. Likewise, there are pundits making predictions for both rallies and routs.

In these situations, the smart thing to do is not take sides, but start to build from the middle. That means good stocks that have growth potential but will also pay you regardless of the market’s ups and downs.



I’m no fan of the big banks, with their “creative accounting” practices. But these other seven financial stocks with dividends to bank on are rock-solid companies that will deliver in good and bad times. In Growth Investor, I always recommend a healthy weighting in growth stocks that also pay a decent yield, to help “smooth out” your portfolio returns long-term. My picks here are:



May 24, 2020

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of May 18, 2020



Disposals:


Duke Energy Corp (NYSE:DUK) SVP Harry K. Sideris sold 1,285 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total value of $103,339.70. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 5,396 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $433,946.32. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $83.31 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $84.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $89.49. Duke Energy Corp has a 1-year low of $62.13 and a 1-year high of $103.79. The firm has a market cap of $61.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. Read more …

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) CEO Laura Alber sold 17,699 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.24, for a total value of $1,243,177.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 519,582 shares in the company, valued at $36,495,439.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Laura Alber also recently made the following trade(s):

On Tuesday, May 12th, Laura Alber sold 2,301 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.03, for a total value of $161,139.03.

On Thursday, April 23rd, Laura Alber sold 9,177 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.07, for a total value of $505,377.39.

Shares of WSM opened at $66.49 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $26.01 and a 12-month high of $77.00. The business’s fifty day moving average is $56.80 and its 200 day moving average is $64.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market cap of $5.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.60. Read more …

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY) EVP Louis S. Schmukler sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.68, for a total value of $1,567,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,777 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,678,382.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Shares of NYSE BMY opened at $60.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 1.66. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co has a 52 week low of $42.48 and a 52 week high of $68.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $138.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.05, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.74. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $60.48 and its 200 day moving average is $60.71. Read more …


Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB) EVP Patrick Schorn sold 34,468 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.83, for a total value of $614,564.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 80,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,426,400. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Shares of SLB opened at $17.79 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.37, a PEG ratio of 18.82 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.23. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $15.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.60. Schlumberger Limited. has a 52 week low of $11.87 and a 52 week high of $41.40. Read more …

May 23, 2020

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of May 18, 2020



Upgrades:


Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) was upgraded by Bank of America from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $38.00 price target on the stock, up from their prior price target of $32.00. Bank of America‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 23.79% from the stock’s previous close.

KHC has been the topic of several other reports. TheStreet raised Kraft Heinz from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. ValuEngine downgraded Kraft Heinz from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Guggenheim upgraded Kraft Heinz from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $22.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. DZ Bank upgraded Kraft Heinz from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $27.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded Kraft Heinz from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.39. Read more …

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) was upgraded by research analysts at Wedbush from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has a $80.00 price objective on the specialty retailer’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $46.00. Wedbush’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 20.26% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also commented on WSM. ValuEngine lowered Williams-Sonoma from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Barclays raised their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $43.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $70.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $80.00 to $60.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Loop Capital lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $70.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $60.00. Read more …

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by investment analysts at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, Briefing.com Automated Import reports. The firm presently has a $181.00 target price on the railroad operator’s stock, up from their previous target price of $156.00. UBS Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 13.65% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also commented on UNP. Cfra reduced their target price on Union Pacific from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Benchmark decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $206.00 to $165.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James dropped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $212.00 to $185.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $174.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on Union Pacific from $200.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Union Pacific has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $172.00. Read more …


Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Co from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $60.00 price objective on the industrial products company’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $48.00. Wells Fargo & Co‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 25.18% from the company’s current price.


Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Argus raised shares of Sonoco Products from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Sonoco Products from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Deutsche Bank cut their target price on shares of Sonoco Products from $61.00 to $52.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. DA Davidson raised shares of Sonoco Products from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Sonoco Products in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $55.57. Read more …

May 20, 2020

5 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for Income and Safety


In a near-zero interest environment and amid a series of drastic dividend cuts, investors are seeking consistent and safe income thereby driving the appeal for dividend investing. Though the strategy doesn’t offer dramatic price appreciation, it is a major source of consistent income for investors in any type of market.

In fact, investors are zeroing in on stocks that not only offer dividends but also consistently increase their payout. Stocks that have a strong history of dividend growth as opposed to those that offer high yields form a healthy portfolio with more scope for capital appreciation.

Dividend Growth Strategy

Stocks that have a strong history of dividend growth belong to mature companies, which are less susceptible to large swings in the market, and thus act as a hedge against economic or political uncertainty as well as stock market volatility. At the same time, these offer downside protection with their consistent increase in payouts.

Additionally, these stocks have superior fundamentals that make dividend growth a quality and promising investment for the long term. These include a sustainable business model, a long track of profitability, rising cash flows, good liquidity, a strong balance sheet and some value characteristics. Further, a history of strong dividend growth indicates that dividend increase is likely in the future.



Although these stocks do not necessarily have the highest yields, they have outperformed for a longer period than the broader stock market or any other dividend-paying stock.

As a result, picking dividend growth stocks appear as winning strategies when some other parameters are also included.



May 19, 2020

7 Tech Industry Dividend Stocks for Growth and Income

These dividend stocks offer payouts that compare well to established, non-tech stocks



Equities in the tech sector usually don’t become popular dividend stocks. Even when they finally introduce payouts, it often only happens after years of pressure from shareholders.

These stocks also often retain the interest of shareholders more for their growth potential than the payout. Others such as Google-parent Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL), resist offering a dividend to this day despite having a cash hoard of over $121 billion.

However, we also see indications that this attitude has shifted. Some of the largest names in tech have become every bit as mainstream as 100-plus-year-old firms such as Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) or Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ).

As they achieve this place in American business, many have begun to begin paying dividends and building a record of consecutive annual increases.



Over the next few years, many of these companies could gain the “dividend aristocrat” distinction as they meet the 25-year minimum threshold. Investors looking for dividend stocks in the tech sector should consider the following stocks to buy.


May 17, 2020

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of May 11, 2020



Disposals:


Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB) General Counsel Alexander C. Juden sold 35,000 shares of Schlumberger stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.35, for a total value of $607,250.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now owns 92,103 shares in the company, valued at $1,597,987.05. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Shares of NYSE:SLB opened at $15.85 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $15.58 and a 200 day moving average of $29.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market cap of $23.70 billion, a P/E ratio of -1.22, a P/E/G ratio of 17.99 and a beta of 2.09. Schlumberger Limited. has a 12 month low of $11.87 and a 12 month high of $41.40. Read more …

Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY) SVP Oscar K. Brown sold 30,000 shares of Occidental Petroleum stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.85, for a total value of $445,500.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Shares of NYSE:OXY opened at $14.58 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.18. Occidental Petroleum Co. has a 1 year low of $9.00 and a 1 year high of $55.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.52 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.45 and a beta of 1.99. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $13.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $31.88. Read more …

Sherwin-Williams Co (NYSE:SHW) insider Aaron M. Erter sold 935 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $534.70, for a total value of $499,944.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

NYSE:SHW opened at $553.46 on Wednesday. Sherwin-Williams Co has a 12 month low of $325.43 and a 12 month high of $599.95. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $488.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $547.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.94. The firm has a market cap of $49.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 1.22. Read more …


AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) SVP Jeffrey Ryan Stewart sold 23,024 shares of AbbVie stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.00, for a total value of $2,072,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 52,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,748,400. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Shares of ABBV stock opened at $88.87 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $79.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $84.85. AbbVie Inc has a 1-year low of $62.55 and a 1-year high of $97.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.98 billion, a PE ratio of 15.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.82. Read more …

May 16, 2020

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of May 11, 2020



Upgrades:


Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE:CNQ) (TSE:CNQ) was upgraded by investment analysts at Goldman Sachs Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a $21.00 price objective on the oil and gas producer’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $15.00. Goldman Sachs Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 30.52% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on CNQ. Wood & Company reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Canadian Natural Resources from $55.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Canadian Natural Resources from $44.00 to $32.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Canadian Natural Resources from $24.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Raymond James reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a report on Friday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.09. Read more …

Leggett & Platt (NYSE:LEG) was upgraded by analysts at Raymond James from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $32.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James’ target price points to a potential upside of 27.54% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on LEG. TheStreet downgraded Leggett & Platt from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Leggett & Platt from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $28.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Leggett & Platt from $49.00 to $20.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Leggett & Platt from $47.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, SunTrust Banks cut their target price on Leggett & Platt from $29.00 to $27.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Leggett & Platt has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $32.67. Read more …

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group cut their target price on Yum! Brands from $109.00 to $105.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Credit Suisse Group increased their target price on Yum! Brands from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Yum! Brands from $80.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. BTIG Research cut Yum! Brands from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Co raised their price target on Yum! Brands from $85.00 to $94.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $99.14. Read more …





Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE:OHI) was upgraded by investment analysts at Raymond James from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $34.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $32.00. Raymond James’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 29.23% from the company’s current price.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on OHI. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Omega Healthcare Investors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Capital One Financial raised shares of Omega Healthcare Investors from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $33.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Co lowered their target price on shares of Omega Healthcare Investors from $43.00 to $28.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Omega Healthcare Investors from $44.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, SunTrust Banks decreased their price target on shares of Omega Healthcare Investors from $36.00 to $32.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $35.10. Read more …

May 15, 2020

7 Dividend Stocks That You Can Still Bank On


These seven dividend stocks are still secure despite the coronavirus



This has been the most traumatic year for dividend investors since 2008, if not longer. Major blue-chip companies have been announcing dividend cuts or suspensions almost every day. Last Tuesday, Disney (NYSE:DIS) joined the crowd with its shocking decision to not pay its dividend for the first half of 2020. And in the high-yield space, it’s been an absolute bloodbath. Whole segments of the market, like energy, mortgage REITs and business development companies have seen their payments shrivel up. It’s looking grim for many dividend stocks.

Consider this. In 2008, it took the S&P 500 a subsequent three years to reach a new record dividend payout. If you owned an index exchange-traded fund in 2007, you were earning more income by the end of 2011. This time around, it appears the damage will last a lot longer.

The CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) lists dividend futures contracts, which are settled based on how many dividends one unit of the S&P 500 pays out over a year.

If you owned one “share” of the S&P 500 last year, it would have been worth around $3,000 and it paid out $56 in dividends in 2019. That’s as you’d expect. The S&P 500, as an index, has yielded around 2% recently. And normally, the index pays more and more dividends every year.

Now, however, the novel coronavirus has messed that up. The dividend futures suggest that the S&P 500 will only pay out $50 this year, marking an 11% drop from 2019. For 2021, dividends will be down again to just $44. It won’t be until 2026 that dividends get back to 2019’s level of $56 per unit of the index.



If you use index funds, that’s a depressing outlook. Meanwhile, inflation keeps ticking on, eroding purchasing power. There’s a solution to this unpleasant forecast: Pick dividend stocks that can maintain their payouts despite the sour economic conditions at present.

Here are seven such dividend stocks that are standing tall despite the coronavirus:


May 13, 2020

11 Monthly Dividend Stocks and Funds for Reliable Income



Your bills generally come monthly. Your mortgage, your car payment, your utility bills … even the gym membership and Netflix subscription come due once per month.

Yet that’s not how most investments typically work. Bonds tend to pay their coupon payments semiannually, and stocks tend to pay their dividends quarterly. You can get paid much more frequently, however. A number of monthly dividend stocks and funds can help you better align your investment income with your living expenses.

Investors received a stark reminder of how important stable income is during the market turmoil of February and March. Not only did the stock market take a nosedive, but many seemingly reliable dividend payers were forced to cut or suspend their payouts.

Furthermore, the coronavirus lockdowns have disrupted the livelihoods of millions of Americans, leaving many to dip into already depleted portfolios to pay their bills.

"Income security is the single biggest concern I'm hearing from my clients," says Sonia Joao, a wealth manager based in Houston, Texas. "Many of my clients are at that critical age when they become targeted for early retirement, and that's now more likely than ever with companies being forced to reduce headcount. Replacing that lost income is our top priority."





Today, we're going to take a look at 11 of the best monthly dividend stocks and funds that have so far managed the coronavirus with their payouts intact. Not all of these will be exceptionally high yielders. In this environment, it's better to take a lower but reliable yield than to reach for an unrealistically high yield, only to watch it evaporate before the next payment.



May 12, 2020

AbbVie Stock: Love It or Leave It?


The COVID-19 pandemic is still far from over, and many investors are increasingly looking for stability in a highly volatile stock market. And while no industry has been entirely immune to the adverse effects of the outbreak, some pharmaceutical companies have managed to handle the ongoing crisis better than most. AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is one of those companies with financial results that haven't been hit hard by the public health crisis. The drugmaker released its first-quarter financial results May 1, and AbbVie's revenue of $8.6 billion and earnings per share of $2.02 both came in ahead of analyst estimates.

Still, detractors may point to the fact that AbbVie's most important cash cow, Humira, continues to lose steam abroad: During the first quarter, Humira's international revenue was $1.047 billion, representing a 14.9% year-over-year decrease. Humira has been AbbVie's crown jewel since the pharma giant split from its former parent company, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), to become a stand-alone publicly traded company in 2013.





Since then, AbbVie has outperformed the broader market -- largely thanks to Humira's growing sales -- with its shares gaining 136.6%, compared to 106.5% for the S&P 500. With this backdrop in mind, it isn't surprising that investors are skeptical of AbbVie now that Humira's sales are taking a serious hit. But even with Humira facing competition from biosimilars in Europe, there are plenty of reasons to love AbbVie's stock. Here are just three.



May 11, 2020

Is ExxonMobil Stock a Buy?


It's a compelling stock...for a very particular type of investor.



Times are tough all over the stock market these days, but the oil industry is possibly the hardest hit of them all. Tumbling prices and oversupply have hit oil stocks hard, including Big Oil superstar ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM). Shares of the oil major have crashed more than 50% over the last five years.

With shares trading at levels not seen since 2004, it's worth checking to see if ExxonMobil is a smart buy, or a sucker's bet.

The short-term outlook for ExxonMobil isn't good, but that's true of a lot of stocks right now. Coronavirus has upended the world's economy, and it's going to take time for things to get back to normal -- or to settle into a "new normal."

For oil and gas companies like ExxonMobil, the biggest issue is plain old supply and demand. With flights grounded and commuters on lockdown, crude oil supply has vastly outstripped the demand for fuel and refined products. That's a situation that's not going to change overnight: with a coronavirus vaccine nowhere near ready and even effective treatments for COVID-19 remaining elusive, people aren't just going to jump right onto planes once restrictions are lifted.



Worse, recent production cuts agreed to by the world's oil producing nations haven't gone far enough to address the demand shortage. 9.7 million barrels per day (b/d) of production sounds like a lot to cut, but demand in April has fallen by an estimated 29 million b/d from last year. All that excess crude has been filling up available storage capacity, to the point that there are now dozens of oil tankers anchored offshore, full of oil that has nowhere to go.



May 10, 2020

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of May 4, 2020


Disposals:


eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) SVP Wendy Elizabeth Jones sold 62,719 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.48, for a total value of $2,413,427.12. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 68,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,651,618.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.


NASDAQ:EBAY opened at $40.32 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.87. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $33.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.41. The stock has a market cap of $27.51 billion, a PE ratio of 6.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.36. eBay Inc. has a 52 week low of $26.02 and a 52 week high of $42.00. Read more …

American Electric Power Company Inc (NYSE:AEP) CEO Nicholas K. Akins sold 16,519 shares of American Electric Power stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.90, for a total transaction of $1,352,906.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 134,743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,035,451.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Shares of American Electric Power stock opened at $78.82 on Thursday. American Electric Power Company Inc has a 1 year low of $65.14 and a 1 year high of $104.97. The firm has a market cap of $41.10 billion, a PE ratio of 20.26, a PEG ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.75. Read more …


Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT) EVP Margaret L. Johnson sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.08, for a total transaction of $6,162,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 50,023 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,808,049.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.




MSFT opened at $183.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 2.90 and a quick ratio of 2.88. The company’s 50-day moving average is $162.59 and its 200 day moving average is $159.85. Microsoft Co. has a fifty-two week low of $119.01 and a fifty-two week high of $190.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $1,392.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.60, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.95. Read more …

Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) Director Myron E. Ullman III sold 4,252 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.99, for a total value of $267,833.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 22,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,431,636.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.


Shares of NASDAQ SBUX opened at $63.05 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $76.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.60, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.72. Starbucks Co. has a 1 year low of $50.02 and a 1 year high of $99.72. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $74.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.83. Read more …