Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 26, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Evercore ISI from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Briefing.com reports. The firm presently has a $128.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust's stock, up from their previous price objective of $112.00. Evercore ISI's price target indicates a potential upside of 9.48% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on SPG. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Simon Property Group from $74.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 9th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Simon Property Group from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 11th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Simon Property Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $92.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Simon Property Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 13th. Finally, BTIG Research raised their price target on shares of Simon Property Group from $99.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Simon Property Group has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $105.94. Read more …

 

Brookfield Renewable (NYSE:BEPC) was upgraded by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $53.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $47.00. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 20.65% from the company’s current price.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Brookfield Renewable in a research note on Wednesday, March 31st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $49.00 target price for the company.

NYSE:BEPC opened at $43.93 on Monday. Brookfield Renewable has a one year low of $26.67 and a one year high of $63.31. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $45.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $57.13. Read more …

 

Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WY) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Raymond James from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Monday, Price Targets.com reports.

Separately, DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Weyerhaeuser from $29.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Monday, February 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Weyerhaeuser currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $31.38.

NYSE WY traded up $0.61 on Monday, hitting $39.99. The stock had a trading volume of 166,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,538,245. Weyerhaeuser has a 52-week low of $16.05 and a 52-week high of $39.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.28. The company has a market capitalization of $29.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 96.05 and a beta of 1.96. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $36.48 and a 200-day moving average of $32.90. Read more …

 

 

ViacomCBS (NASDAQ:VIAC) was upgraded by equities researchers at Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on VIAC. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of ViacomCBS from $40.00 to $50.00 in a report on Thursday, February 25th. Barrington Research downgraded shares of ViacomCBS from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 25th. Barclays downgraded shares of ViacomCBS from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $36.00 to $35.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 19th. Gabelli raised shares of ViacomCBS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised shares of ViacomCBS from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 29th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. ViacomCBS has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $47.25. Read more …

7 Pharmaceutical Stocks To Buy For Valuation Plus Solid Dividends

 

Quality pharmaceutical stocks come with a steady business that offers a nice yield

 

Pharmaceutical stocks have been on investors’ radar more than usual in the past year as the healthcare sector grapples with the not-so-novel coronavirus. While the world is looking to reopen, the headaches caused by Covid-19 are still present.

 

While restaurants are reopening and parts of the world are recovering, healthcare is still disrupted plagued by raw material shortages and supply chain hiccups.

 

Some pharmaceutical stocks have found themselves in the spotlight, playing an active role in the fight against Covid-19. Others have been cast aside, as patients forego elective procedures and as other delays create uncertainty.

 

However, there lies opportunities within the pharma space. Many of these businesses are quite profitable and their stocks trade at reasonable valuations. Further, many of these companies pay out handsome dividend yields.

 

 

So without further ado, let’s look at seven pharmaceutical stocks with attractive dividend yields.

 

Continue reading …

 

12 Best Value Dividend Stocks to Buy Now According to Warren Buffett

 

In this article, we discussed the importance of dividend stocks for Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio and examined the 12 best value dividend stocks to buy now according to Warren Buffett.

 

The legendry value investor Warren Buffett’s investment holding Berkshire Hathaway expects to collect close to $4 billion in dividends this year. Buffett’s stock portfolio is composed of 49 stocks at the end of the latest quarter and 31 of them pay a dividend. What’s more, Berkshire's nine of the top ten stock positions, which accounted for 87% of the overall 13F portfolio, offer hefty dividends. Indeed, the dividend potential of several of Buffett's stock holdings will increase strongly this year due to economic reopening and easing social distancing policies. Further bolstering dividend returns for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) this year is its big stake in dividend-paying financial and energy companies that are leading the S&P 500 gains. The growth in energy, consumer staples, and financial stocks is one of the key reasons behind Berkshire Hathaway’s stunning stock price rally of 39% year to date.

 

 

The recovery in value and dividend stocks pushed the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average to a new all-time high this week. The flurry of strong economic data has also been adding to SPI and DJI gains. The jobless claims tumbled below 600,000 while reports hint retail sales grew nearly 10% for March compared to the previous month. The improving business and economic trends are helping dividend stocks in beating the growth stocks and the broader market index for the first time in many years. The Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index grew 21% so far in 2021 and S&P 500 high dividend index is up 19% year to date.

 

Warren Buffett says investing is very simple:

 

Continue reading …

 

25 Blue Chips With Brawny Balance Sheets

 

Blue chips with rock-solid financials have been among the most secure holdings of the COVID pandemic. They should be just fine on the way out, too.

 

We said around this time last year that blue chips with unimpeachable financials would be the kind of stocks that could come out of the pandemic smelling the most like roses.

 

That indeed came to pass, but now that the economy is on recovery road, don't think it's time to abandon these kinds of sturdy blue-chip stocks. After all, brawny balance sheets and responsible fiscal management never really go out of style.

 

We enlisted the help of Value Line to explore a universe of blue chips that earned their A++ rating for financial strength. But naturally, investors don't want to invest in companies that are expected to tread water, so the selections also had to have projected three- to five-year annual growth of at least 5%.

 

Ian Gendler, Value Line director of research, said that an A++ rating requires an exceptional balance sheet with moderate debt levels and a strong cash position. He added that, to achieve growth, these companies also had to demonstrate successful operations, wide margins and significant cash flows.

 

 

But he maintains the primacy of balance sheets in assessing financial strength.

 

"Growth can drive earnings and share price," he says. "But when growth dries up, or the economy makes it challenging to find, a strong balance sheet is what ensures the company will live to fight another day."

 

Here, we explore 25 blue chips with brawny balance sheets.

 

Continue reading …

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 19, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) was upgraded by analysts at Mizuho from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday, Briefing.com reports. The brokerage presently has a $148.00 target price on the utilities provider’s stock, up from their prior target price of $129.00. Mizuho’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 7.14% from the stock’s previous close.

SRE has been the subject of a number of other research reports. KeyCorp lowered their target price on Sempra Energy from $143.00 to $141.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Sempra Energy from $144.00 to $142.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 25th. Barclays cut their price objective on Sempra Energy from $159.00 to $149.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 5th. Seaport Global Securities restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Sempra Energy in a research report on Tuesday, April 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $145.55. Read more …

 

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) was upgraded by stock analysts at Evercore ISI from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Briefing.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $200.00 price objective on the specialty chemicals company’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $160.00. Evercore ISI’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 31.55% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Argus upped their price objective on Albemarle from $140.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 1st. Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Albemarle in a research report on Monday, March 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $180.00 price target for the company. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Albemarle from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $169.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Friday, March 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Albemarle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $175.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Monday, February 15th. Finally, Vertical Research raised Albemarle from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $131.26. Read more …

 

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) was upgraded by investment analysts at Bank of America from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on NUE. Credit Suisse Group upgraded Nucor from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $48.00 to $63.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Nucor in a research report on Thursday, April 15th. They set a "buy" rating and a $86.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Nucor from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $76.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 10th. Argus raised shares of Nucor from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $85.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Nucor from $63.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 17th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $63.18. Read more …

 

 

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) was upgraded by stock analysts at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, Price Targets.com reports. The firm currently has a $165.00 price objective on the stock, up from their prior price objective of $145.00. UBS Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 12.35% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, April 1st. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on PepsiCo from $144.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 16th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on PepsiCo in a research note on Monday. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Tuesday, January 19th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $136.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $158.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. PepsiCo has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $149.44. Read more …

Iron Mountain Inc: Market-Trumping Stock at Record Levels; Pays 6.5% Dividend

 

Iron Mountain Stock Has Raised its Annual Dividend for 9 Years

 

If knowledge is power, Iron Mountain Inc (NYSE:IRM) helps hundreds of thousands of customers stay at the top of their game. And thanks to the company’s diversified business model, unmatched customer base, and 98% customer retention rate, it has been able to provide investors with strong share-price growth and a frothy dividend, which currently stands at 6.5%.

 

Iron Mountain is the global leader in storage and information management services. Trusted by more than 225,000 organizations around the world, the company stores and protects billions of valued assets, including critical business information, highly sensitive data, and cultural artifacts. It has a real estate network of nearly 93 million square feet across approximately 1,450 facilities in 56 countries. (Source: “Investor Presentation: Q1 2021,” Iron Mountain Inc, last accessed April 20, 2021.)

 

Iron Mountain is an excellent company that not only weathered the coronavirus pandemic, but came out the other side stronger, with an even brighter future.

 

IRM stock has been on a tear over the last 12 months. Trading at record levels, Iron Mountain stock is up 52.7% year-over-year and 30% year-to-date. By comparison, the S&P 500 is only up 45% year-over-year and 11% year-to-date.

 

Despite the massive share-price gains, IRM stock continues to pay a frothy, high-yield dividend of 6.5%, or $2.47 per share (annualized).

 

 

Iron Mountain makes a point of saying on its investor relations web site that it has raised its annual dividends for the last nine years, which suggests that management wants to take that to a record 10 years.

 

Continue reading …

 

PepsiCo, Inc.: One More Year to Go to Reach This Dividend Milestone

 

PEP Stock Remains a Top Pick for Dividend Investors

 

In a world of soaring tickers, dividend announcements often get ignored. After all, if you can earn a double-digit profit from one upswing in a company’s share price, who cares about a few percentages of dividend yield?

 

However, when a company has the ability to increase its dividend payment to shareholders year after year for a long time, it’s often a sign of durable competitive advantage. And if there’s one thing that every income investor should do, it’s to consider businesses with durable competitive advantages.

 

And that’s why the latest dividend announcement from PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) deserves attention.

 

On February 11, PepsiCo announced a five-percent increase to its annual dividend rate from $4.09 per share to $4.30 per share, starting with the June payment.

 

That gives PepsiCo stock a forward dividend yield of just over three percent at the current share price.

 

Here’s the more important part: the announcement marked the company’s 49th consecutive annual dividend hike.

 

In other words, if PepsiCo, Inc. continues its track record for another year, it will become a Dividend King—a title reserved for companies that have increased their payouts for at least 50 consecutive years.

 

Half a century of yearly pay raises to shareholders is no easy feat. Among the thousands of companies that trade on U.S. stock exchanges, there are only 31 Dividend Kings at the time of this writing.

 

Of course, track records—however impressive they are—represent past performance. And past performance is no guarantee of future results. But as I mentioned earlier, this kind of track record is often a sign of a durable competitive advantage.

 

Continue reading …

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 12, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) was upgraded by research analysts at Raymond James from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note issued on Wednesday, Analyst Price Targets reports.

XOM has been the subject of a number of other reports. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $62.00 price objective (up from $48.00) on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, March 15th. Exane BNP Paribas raised shares of Exxon Mobil from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $45.50 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Tuesday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $53.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 2nd. Finally, Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Exxon Mobil in a report on Tuesday, February 23rd. They issued an "inline" rating and a $48.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Exxon Mobil has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $53.26. Read more …

 

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) was upgraded by analysts at Bank of America from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has a $62.00 price objective on the financial services provider’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $58.00. Bank of America‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 8.22% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Barclays lifted their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised U.S. Bancorp from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup upgraded U.S. Bancorp from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $53.00 to $55.00 in a report on Friday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $55.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Odeon Capital Group upgraded U.S. Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 24th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $54.28. Read more …

 

Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP) was upgraded by research analysts at Wolfe Research from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report issued on Wednesday, Analyst Ratings Network reports. The firm currently has a $45.00 price objective on the pipeline company's stock. Wolfe Research's price target points to a potential upside of 0.56% from the stock's current price.

MMP has been the topic of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 29th. TheStreet lowered Magellan Midstream Partners from a "b-" rating to a "c+" rating in a research note on Friday, March 12th. Truist cut Magellan Midstream Partners from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $44.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, February 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a report on Thursday, March 18th. Finally, TD Securities cut their target price on Magellan Midstream Partners from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 3rd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Magellan Midstream Partners currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $48.68. Read more …

 

 

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) was upgraded by equities researchers at Atlantic Securities from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a $240.00 price objective on the home improvement retailer’s stock. Atlantic Securities’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 20.17% from the company’s previous close.

LOW has been the topic of a number of other reports. Zelman & Associates raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 12th. Loop Capital upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Gordon Haskett upgraded Lowe’s Companies from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $202.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 3rd. Citigroup Inc. 3% Minimum Coupon Principal Protected Based Upon Russell started coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, March 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $195.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $203.00 to $206.00 in a report on Thursday, February 25th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $181.65. Read more …

Enbridge Inc: The Best 7%+ Yielding Energy Stock on the Market?

 

A High-Yield Energy Stock to Think About

 

In this day and age, not every income investor feels comfortable putting their money in the energy sector. After all, the price of energy commodities often goes on a roller-coaster ride. And since income investors tend to be risk-averse, that kind of volatility isn’t exactly appealing.

 

Still, there are energy stocks worth considering, even for the risk-averse income investor.

 

For instance, in November 2020, I told readers to consider Enbridge Inc (NYSE:ENB). I wrote, “If an investor purchases Enbridge stock today, there’s a good chance they will earn higher yield on cost in the years ahead.”

 

As it turns out, investors didn’t have to wait very long to earn a higher yield on cost.

 

On December 8, Enbridge declared a quarterly cash dividend of CA$0.835 per share, representing a 3.1% increase from its prior quarterly payout of CA$0.81 per share. The new dividend rate went into effect on March 1, 2021. (Source: “Enbridge Announces 2021 Financial Guidance, Increases Dividend, and Provides Update on Strategic Priorities,” Enbridge Inc, December 8, 2020.)

 

Better yet, ENB stock also gained some upward momentum. When I told readers to consider the company, it was trading at $29.08 per share. As of this writing, Enbridge stock is at $36.70. That’s a gain of more than 26%! And investors have been collecting bigger dividend checks than before, too.

 

Of course, that means for investors who didn’t get on board earlier, the stock is more expensive than before. However, if you look at what the company has been doing, you’ll see that ENB stock remains one of the best high-yield energy stocks on the market.

 

 

As an energy infrastructure company, Enbridge Inc operates through four main segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission, Gas Distribution & Storage, and Renewable Power Generation.

 

Continue reading …

 

Is Texas Instruments Stock A Buy?

 

Texas Instruments Incorporated [NASDAQ: TXN] is an American technology company, which designs, manufactures, tests and sells analog and embedded semiconductors in industrial, personal electronics, automotive, communications equipment and other markets.

 

It operates in two segments:

 

Analog and

Embedded Processing.

 

It is often said that the history of Texas Instruments (TI) is very closely associated with the American electronics industry.

 

TI produced the world’s first silicon transistor in 1954, and the first transistor radio the same year. It was a TI engineer Jack Kilby who invented the first semiconductor integrated circuit in 1958, and introduced the first single-chip microcontroller (an assembly of electronic components, fabricated as a single unit onto one piece of silicon) in 1970, which helped fuel the modern electronics revolution.

 

TI also invented the hand-held calculator in 1967. The company, which traces its roots to Geophysical Service, a petroleum-exploration firm founded in 1930, is based in Dallas, Texas.

 

Long-term investors in Texas Instruments [NASDAQ: TXN] have reaped rich returns over the years.

 

TXN has been a major beneficiary of increasing automation of factories and automobiles and the same is reflected in its ballooning stock price.

 

Despite the economic wreckage caused by the pandemic, TXN has returned more than 265 percent over the last five years, which is mainly made up of capital gains, but also dividends. The stock gained 28% in 2020, and is up 4.5% this year.

 

 

Texas Instruments derives a larger portion of its revenue from manufacturers of industrial equipment, and as such, its earnings and forecasts to a certain extent serve as a broader guide of how the economy is performing.

 

Continue reading …

 

 

The 2 Best High-Yield Stocks for a Low-Yield World

  

Interest rates may be up, but they’re still historically low. The best high-yield stocks are far better investments. Here are two that stand out.

  

The benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield spiked 90% higher in just the first three months of this year. That stratospheric leap took the rate on the bellwether bond all the way to … 1.75%. And these higher rates are filtering through the bond and fixed income markets.

 

Now, you can get about 0.75% on a two-year CD. The iShares iBoxx Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) now yields a whopping 2.72%. The yield on a AAA-rate 20-year municipal bond is all the way up to 1.5%. And get this: Rates are likely to move even higher over the rest of the year.

 

Rates like this could keep you in beer money for a year if you invest enough. Sure, after taxes and inflation you’ll probably lose money. But that’s the brave new world. It looks like these pathetic low rates on traditional fixed income investments are here to stay.

 

Fortunately, there are other places to find a decent yield and income, even in this low-rate world—namely, in high-yield stocks. Yields on certain income-paying securities are higher than they have been in a decade. While the S&P 500 is near all-time highs, many income-paying stocks took a beating during the pandemic and are still priced well below pre-pandemic levels.

 

 

Solid companies have maintained their dividends through the tumult. And yields are still sky high at these low prices. At the same time, businesses are recovering strongly, and prospects are likely to greatly improve as the vaccines unleash a full economic recovery.

 

You can still get safe and juicy yields in a low-yield world if you know where to look. Here are two of the best high-yield stocks.

 

Continue reading …

 

Exxon Mobil Will Keep Paying Its Dividend, And May Be Worth 30% More

 

XOM stock is worth over 30% more based on its historical yield, P/E, and P/Sales multiples

 

Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM) is not going to lower its dividend no matter what it costs the company. That point came out loud and clear from the company’s latest earnings conference call. This means that XOM stock will continue to have a “strong” dividend yield of about 6.15%. It’s worth at least 32% more, or $74.63 per share, based on its historical dividend yield.

 

For the past two years (8 quarters) Exxon has paid 87 cents per share in quarterly dividends. That works out to $3.48 per share each year. Exxon clearly intends to maintain that dividend. Therefore, at today’s price (April 9) of $55.87, the dividend yield is very healthy at 6.2%.

 

Target Price Based on Historicals

 

Moreover, based on the company’s historical dividend yield, this is much higher than its average. For example, Morningstar reports that over the past 5 years, its trailing 5-year dividend yield has been 4.96% (almost 5%).

 

We can use this to estimate the normalized target value for XOM stock. For example, if we divide the dividend per share of $3.48 by the average yield of 4.96%, the result is a target price of $70.16 per share. This represents a potential gain of $14.29 or about 26% more based on today’s price of $55.87.

 

 

We can do the same thing with the company’s earnings-per-share (EPS). Applying Morningstar’s 5-year avg. price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 25.62 times (over the last 5 years) to Exxon’s EPS for this year ($2.87) produces a target price of $73.53. That is over 30% above today’s price. Similarly using the Morningstar forward P/E average of 21.75 times Exxon’s $3.88 EPS for 2022 produces a target price of $84.39.

 

Continue reading …

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 5, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

The Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) was upgraded by analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from a “buy” rating to a “conviction-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on SCHW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on The Charles Schwab in a research report on Thursday, March 4th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Wolfe Research raised The Charles Schwab from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $67.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 22nd. Zacks Investment Research cut The Charles Schwab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $68.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on The Charles Schwab from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on The Charles Schwab from $76.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 31st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $57.14. Read more …

 

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) was upgraded by stock analysts at Raymond James from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Briefing.com reports. The firm presently has a $41.00 price target on the natural resource company's stock. Raymond James' price objective would suggest a potential upside of 15.95% from the company's current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. B. Riley increased their price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $32.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 23rd. TheStreet upgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a "c" rating to a "b-" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $20.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating on shares of Freeport-McMoRan in a research note on Tuesday, March 30th. Finally, Johnson Rice initiated coverage on Freeport-McMoRan in a research note on Wednesday, December 16th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Freeport-McMoRan presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $24.38. Read more …

 

ViacomCBS (NASDAQ:VIAC) was upgraded by Wolfe Research from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report released on Wednesday, Price Targets.com reports. The brokerage presently has a $70.00 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of $80.00. Wolfe Research's target price points to a potential upside of 59.49% from the company's previous close.

VIAC has been the topic of several other reports. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of ViacomCBS from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 29th. Loop Capital raised shares of ViacomCBS from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $48.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, March 29th. Citigroup downgraded shares of ViacomCBS from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $42.00 to $49.00 in a report on Monday, February 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of ViacomCBS from $35.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 25th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on shares of ViacomCBS from $55.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 3rd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company's stock. The company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $47.46. Read more …

 

 

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Guggenheim from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports.

TSCO has been the topic of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $170.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 25th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 29th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $168.00 to $175.00 in a report on Thursday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $155.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 29th. Finally, Raymond James upped their price target on shares of Tractor Supply from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 29th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $148.54. Read more …

Undervalued Unilever Presents a Good Entry Point

 

Improving business plus undervalued stock could lead to double-digit returns

 

U.K.-based Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) had a difficult first half to 2020 as the coronavirus weighed on its food service and out-of-home businesses. The second half of the year was a different story as sales growth returned. The stock is down 7.5% year to date while the S&P 500 has enjoyed a nearly 6% return.

 

Shares are also trading below their historical valuation as well as their estimated intrinsic value. This, combined with an improving business and a solid dividend yield, make Unilever an intriguing option in the consumer staples space.

 

Let's look closer at Unilever to see why I feel the stock is attractively priced.

 

Recent earnings results

 

Unilever reported full-year 2020 results on Feb. 4. For the year, revenue grew 1.9%. While not terribly impressive, the company reported 0%, -0.3%, 4.4% and 3.5% sales growth for the first-, second-, third- and fourth-quarters. As you can see, the business performed much better in the second half of the year when Covid-19 restrictions weren't as severe as the first half. Earnings per share grew 0.7% to $2.88 for 2020, a decent showing given the circumstances the company faced.

 

 

Due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns, Unilever's in-home products did exceptionally well.

 

In Food and Refreshment, sales grew 1.2%. This segment saw incredible strength in retail foods as consumers were forced to eat more meals at home. Sales in this area were up 12%. The Knorr brand and dressings were singled out as top performers. In-home ice cream improved 17% as e-commerce sales more than doubled. On the other hand, out-of-home ice cream was one of the rare weaker spots as sales plummeted due to fewer consumers eating out.

 

Continue reading …

 

The 7 Best Blue-Chip Stocks in the Dow Jones

 

Investors in these blue-chip names should enjoy years of capital growth and dividends

 

Blue-chip stocks are typically cornerstones of most long-term portfolios. They’re large capitalization businesses with relatively long histories, a broad range of resources, strong brands, stable earnings and cash-flow growth. These businesses benefit from economies of scale and can quickly invest in new technologies. The 30 stocks included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are blue-chip stocks. So, today I’m introducing you to seven DJIA blue-chip names that could work for buy-and-hold investors.

 

The companies in the DJIA represent a wide range of industries. Following the market lows seen in spring 2020, they have also rebounded significantly. In fact, the broad-based market rally since November has taken the index to new highs in recent days. Year-to-date (YTD), the index is up over 8%. Similarly, the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:DIA) — an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the returns of the DJIA — has also returned over 8%.

 

April means the start of a new earnings season, which typically brings increased volatility to broader markets. Are you worried that further choppiness may put pressure on many stocks that have gone up double digits in the past 52 weeks? Then it may be time to look for solid blue-chip stocks that could brave possible further headwinds in second quarter.

 

 

With that background in mind, here are seven of the best blue-chip stocks in the Dow Jones. I believe these names have strong business models, clean balance sheets, proactive management and strong competitive positions. They should create shareholder value for many quarters to come:

 

Continue reading …

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of March 29, 2021

 

Disposals:

 

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) COO Johan Deblaere sold 8,000 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.00, for a total value of $2,240,000.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 52,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,722,120. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Accenture stock traded down $2.21 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $278.56. The stock had a trading volume of 16,547 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,102,441. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $257.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $245.96. Accenture plc has a twelve month low of $148.28 and a twelve month high of $281.30. The firm has a market cap of $183.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.58, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.08. Read more …

 

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) COO Charlie B. Kawwas sold 1,890 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $469.29, for a total value of $886,958.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Shares of AVGO stock traded down $16.46 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $456.16. The stock had a trading volume of 2,777,077 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,224,907. The firm has a market capitalization of $186.25 billion, a PE ratio of 72.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $469.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $419.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. Broadcom Inc. has a 52-week low of $219.68 and a 52-week high of $495.14. Read more …

 

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) Director M Michele Burns sold 13,982 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction on Friday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.55, for a total value of $720,772.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 70,468 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,632,625.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

CSCO stock traded down $0.75 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $51.77. 22,321,186 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,636,520. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1-year low of $35.28 and a 1-year high of $52.94. The company has a market cap of $218.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.04, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.46. Read more …

 

 

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Director George Orban sold 3,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.17, for a total transaction of $390,552.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 405,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,722,926.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

George Orban also recently made the following trade(s):

On Friday, March 26th, George Orban sold 3,250 shares of Ross Stores stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.12, for a total transaction of $390,390.00.

On Wednesday, March 17th, George Orban sold 3,250 shares of Ross Stores stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.31, for a total transaction of $400,757.50.

Ross Stores stock traded up $0.60 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $120.51. The stock had a trading volume of 1,370,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,175,749. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $119.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $109.95. The company has a market capitalization of $42.96 billion, a PE ratio of 143.47, a P/E/G ratio of 8.16 and a beta of 0.95. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52-week low of $74.17 and a 52-week high of $127.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Read more …

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of March 29, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) was upgraded by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Briefing.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $36.00 target price on the closed-end fund's stock, up from their prior target price of $22.00. BMO Capital Markets' target price would suggest a potential upside of 22.45% from the stock's current price.

BEN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Franklin Resources from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Franklin Resources from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, December 18th. Barclays increased their price target on Franklin Resources from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, January 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Franklin Resources from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $24.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, January 5th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Franklin Resources from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Franklin Resources has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $23.77. Read more …

 

ViacomCBS (NASDAQ:VIAC) was upgraded by stock analysts at BMO Capital Markets from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report issued on Monday, The Fly reports.

Several other analysts have also commented on VIAC. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price target on ViacomCBS from $30.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 11th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded ViacomCBS from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $68.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 1st. Macquarie cut shares of ViacomCBS from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 17th. Barclays lowered shares of ViacomCBS from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $36.00 to $35.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 19th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of ViacomCBS from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their target price for the company from $42.00 to $49.00 in a research report on Monday, February 1st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. ViacomCBS has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.48. Read more …

 

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) was upgraded by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Briefing.com reports. The firm presently has a $73.00 price objective on the stock, up from their prior price objective of $52.00. Morgan Stanley’s target price indicates a potential upside of 21.69% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup Inc. 3% Minimum Coupon Principal Protected Based Upon Russell lowered shares of Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $51.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, December 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 14th. HSBC lowered shares of Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Monday, January 11th. Atlantic Securities upgraded shares of Johnson Controls International from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $56.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 9th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $42.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 25th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $47.15. Read more …

 

 

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) was upgraded by analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Gabelli raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 15th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $221.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, February 17th. G.Research raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 15th. Credit Suisse Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $210.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Monday, March 22nd. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 8th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $210.69. Read more …