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

 

Upgrades:

 

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) was upgraded by investment analysts at Redburn Partners from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Briefing.com reports.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on ACN. Cowen boosted their price objective on Accenture from $305.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, June 25th. Exane BNP Paribas upgraded Accenture from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 23rd. Barclays lifted their target price on Accenture from $310.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 28th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Accenture from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, June 25th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Accenture from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 25th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $311.13. Read more …

 

D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wedbush from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $125.00 target price on the construction company’s stock, up from their prior target price of $94.00. Wedbush’s target price indicates a potential upside of 33.22% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on DHI. BTIG Research cut their target price on D.R. Horton from $124.00 to $117.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on D.R. Horton from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 27th. Seaport Res Ptn reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of D.R. Horton in a research report on Monday, July 19th. Citigroup cut their price objective on D.R. Horton from $109.00 to $106.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Raymond James raised D.R. Horton from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $102.44. Read more …

 

W. P. Carey (NYSE:WPC) was upgraded by Capital One Financial from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report issued on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has a $90.00 target price on the real estate investment trust’s stock. Capital One Financial‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 13.31% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of W. P. Carey from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $77.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Monday, May 3rd. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of W. P. Carey in a research note on Tuesday, April 13th. Zacks Investment Research raised W. P. Carey from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on W. P. Carey from $77.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised W. P. Carey from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $88.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. W. P. Carey currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.60. Read more …

 

 

PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) was upgraded by Susquehanna Bancshares from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating in a report released on Monday, Stock Target Advisor reports. The firm currently has a $163.36 price target on the specialty chemicals company’s stock. Susquehanna Bancshares’ target price points to a potential downside of 0.86% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on PPG. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $197.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 21st. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $180.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $187.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 11th. Argus boosted their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $157.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 19th. Finally, Susquehanna upgraded shares of PPG Industries from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $115.00 to $190.00 in a research report on Monday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. PPG Industries presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.08. Read more …

Is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM) A Smart Long-Term Buy?

 

Wedgewood Partners, an investment management firm, published its second quarter 2021 investor letter – a copy of which can be downloaded here. A quarterly portfolio return of 11.8% was recorded by the fund for the first half of 2021, outperforming the S&P 500 that delivered an 8.6% return for the same period, but slightly below the 11.9% gain of Russell 1000 Growth Index. You can view the fund’s top 5 holdings to have an idea about their top bets for 2021.

 

In the Q2 2021 investor letter of Wedgewood Partners, the fund mentioned Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM), and discussed its stance on the firm. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited is a Hsinchu, Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturing company, that currently has a $600.2 billion market capitalization. TSM delivered a 6.14% return since the beginning of the year, extending its 12-month revenues to 74.31%. The stock closed at $115.74 per share on July 16, 2021.

 

 

Here is what Wedgewood Partners has to say about Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited in its Q2 2021 investor letter:

 

Continue reading …

 

 

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

 

Upgrades:

 

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) was upgraded by The Goldman Sachs Group from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on QCOM. Susquehanna Bancshares downgraded QUALCOMM to a "neutral" rating and cut their target price for the company from $175.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Monday, April 19th. Mizuho boosted their target price on QUALCOMM from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on QUALCOMM from $167.00 to $173.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 29th. Evercore ISI reissued an "in-line" rating and set a $150.00 target price (down previously from $195.00) on shares of QUALCOMM in a research report on Monday, April 19th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on QUALCOMM from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. The stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.96. Read more …

 

Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) was upgraded by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on SPG. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Simon Property Group from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 11th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Simon Property Group from $117.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, June 28th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Simon Property Group in a report on Thursday, June 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $135.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Simon Property Group from $97.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “hold” rating on shares of Simon Property Group in a report on Thursday, May 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $127.69. Read more …

 

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Societe Generale from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has a $140.00 target price on the technology company’s stock, up from their prior target price of $121.00. Societe Generale’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 1.51% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on International Business Machines from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on International Business Machines from $147.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $145.91. Read more …

 

 

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) was upgraded by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has a $26.00 price objective on the oilfield services company’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 29.55% from the company’s previous close.

HAL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Barclays raised shares of Halliburton from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $21.00 to $29.00 in a report on Monday, May 3rd. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Halliburton from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $24.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, April 12th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Halliburton from $23.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, July 9th. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on shares of Halliburton from $16.00 to $16.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 22nd. Finally, Atb Cap Markets upgraded shares of Halliburton from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.80. Read more …

FedEx Corporation: Low Yield, High Growth, & High Total Returns

 

A Good Opportunity for Income Investors?

 

 

When it comes to pandemic-proof plays, the most popular ones have been e-commerce stocks, social media stocks, and other Internet stocks that made the stay-at-home environment more bearable.

 

Indeed, these companies have generally performed much better than others—including the traditional recession-proof sectors like consumer staples and utilities.

 

But technology isn’t the only sector that has been prospering during these extraordinary times. FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX), for instance, has also provided huge returns to investors.

 

As a multinational delivery company that has been around since 1971, FedEx doesn’t seem nearly as exciting as the tech names. But its share-price performance has been nothing short of impressive.

 

Take a look at the chart below. Before the COVID-19-induced stock market crash last year, FedEx stock was trading around $160.00 per share. Today, it’s trading at more than $295.00 per share. That’s an increase of more than 84%!

 

And for investors who were buying the dip at about $100.00 per share during the sell-off in March 2020, the return would be nearly 200%.

 

 

Again, we’re not talking about some exciting tech play or “next-big-thing” industry. We’re looking at the returns from a five-decade-old courier.

 

Continue reading …

 

Altria (MO) – A Dividend King To Own

 

The market continues to set new highs, which has me even more hesitant to add more capital to an already overvalued market. If you look at the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) and the Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ), which are both indexes that represent a good portion of the entire market, the weekly and monthly chart of these indexes show us how extended the overall market is. However, it’s not a stock market but a market of stocks. With this kind of mindset, we can still find diamonds in the rough. There a still a hand full of high-quality stocks that are still consider undervalued in this inflated market. We have discussed a few already, and they still present a good opportunity. In today’s post, we will discuss another undervalued company, Altria Group (MO), with a current dividend yield of 7.24% and has been growing its dividends for over 51 consecutive years making the stock a Dividend King.

 

Overview of Altria – A Dividend King

 

 Altria Group, Inc. (MO) is an American corporation and one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products. It operates worldwide and is headquartered in unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia. The company’s brands include Marlboro, Copenhagen, Skoal, Black and Mild, IQOS, and several others. Altria recently inked a deal to sell the Ste. Michelle wine brand for $1.2 billion. Altria also has several large investments including a ~$16.7 billion stake in AB InBev (BUD), the global beer company; equity investment in JUUL, the U.S. e-vapor leader; and a 45% stake in Cronos Group, a cannabis company. Altria has a warrant to purchase an additional 10% stakes in Cronos. Today, the Company has a market capitalization of about $88.5 billion and currently trades hands for ~$47.53 per share as of this writing.

 

 

Since June 2017, Altria Group has been on a downtrend. In June 2017, the company hit an all-time high, trading for $77.79 per share. Since then, the Company’s stock price has been heading lower while Altria’s dividend yield has been heading higher. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the stock price hit a low of $30.95 per share. It has now broken that downward trend and looks to continue to go higher. Below you can see the trend line that Altria has broken on the monthly chart. I will cover the many reasons why this Dividend King, Altria, is an excellent buy at the current market price.

 

Continue reading …

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

 

Upgrades:

 

Invesco (NYSE:IVZ) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $34.00 target price on the asset manager’s stock, up from their previous target price of $29.00. Citigroup’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 26.63% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Invesco from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 9th. Evercore ISI reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of Invesco in a report on Friday, June 4th. Credit Suisse Group increased their target price on shares of Invesco from $30.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Invesco from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 20th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Invesco from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $28.00 target price for the company. in a report on Tuesday, April 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $26.13. Read more …

 

The Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) was upgraded by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report issued on Monday, Price Targets.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $166.00 price target on the insurance provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 8.26% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on TRV. Credit Suisse Group upped their price objective on shares of The Travelers Companies from $142.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 1st. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of The Travelers Companies from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 24th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of The Travelers Companies from $142.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 31st. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of The Travelers Companies from $156.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 21st. Finally, upped their price objective on shares of The Travelers Companies from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $153.77. Read more …

 

Hanesbrands (NYSE:HBI) was upgraded by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a $23.00 price target on the textile maker's stock, up from their previous price target of $20.00. Wells Fargo & Company's price target suggests a potential upside of 26.93% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Hanesbrands from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $18.00 to $25.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 12th. TheStreet raised Hanesbrands from a "c" rating to a "b" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $20.44.

Shares of NYSE:HBI opened at $18.12 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.53. Hanesbrands has a 1 year low of $11.05 and a 1 year high of $22.82. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $19.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -19.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.52. Read more …

 

 

DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) was upgraded by The Goldman Sachs Group from a “buy” rating to a “conviction-buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

DTE has been the topic of a number of other reports. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of DTE Energy in a research report on Tuesday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on DTE Energy from $142.00 to $122.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 8th. Mizuho lowered their target price on DTE Energy from $146.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $131.00 price target on shares of DTE Energy in a report on Monday, May 10th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded DTE Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $144.00 to $127.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 6th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $131.50. Read more …

Kimberly Clark Corp Is a Future Dividend King

 

This Is a Top Dividend Stock

 

When it comes to serving income investors, there’s a group of companies that stand out from the crowd: Dividend Kings.

 

These are companies that have paid increasing dividends every year for at least 50 consecutive years. Considering that our economy moves in cycles, half a century of nonstop dividend hikes is no easy feat. That’s why, among the thousands of companies trading on U.S. stock exchanges, there are just 31 Dividend Kings at the time of this writing.

 

In the near future, I expect one more company to join this group: Kimberly Clark Corp (NYSE:KMB).

 

Having been around since 1872, Kimberly Clark is one of the oldest consumer staples companies in America. Today, it’s one of the most established players in the paper-based consumer products business. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Kimberly Clark has operations in 34 countries, and its products are sold in more than 175 countries. It’s truly an international business: last year, the company generated 46% of its net sales outside of North America.

 

Kimberly Clark has quite a few iconic brands, such as “Kleenex,” “Huggies,” “Scott,” and “Cottonelle.” It’s estimated that about one quarter of the world’s population uses Kimberly Clark’s products. The company’s brands hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market-share position in 80 countries.

 

 

Having an entrenched position in the consumer staples business means the company can provide a reliable stream of dividends. After all, consumer staples are household necessities, products that people buy regardless of where they are in the economic cycle. Simply put, the business is recession-proof.

 

In fact, Kimberly Clark managed to pay not only a stable dividend, but an increasing one.

 

Continue reading …

 

3 Infrastructure Stocks for Growth and Dividends

 

With the government on the verge of a big infrastructure bill, these stocks stand to benefit

 

The U.S. may be on the verge of a major infrastructure spending plan, and a looming infrastructure bill could be a major boost to the nation’s infrastructure stocks.

 

Infrastructure across the country is in need of repair. Investors should always be on the hunt for potential growth catalysts.

 

Indeed, one potential catalyst is underway today with President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. At this stage it is a framework and not law, but should it become law, the major construction-related components of the framework stand to benefit a wide variety of stocks.

 

Investing in themes can be difficult given news gets priced into stocks very rapidly. However, because the infrastructure bill is still just a framework and the specific details haven’t been worked out, there are many companies that stand to benefit from it should it come to fruition.

 

The three companies we’ve highlighted here stand to be sizable beneficiaries regardless, as construction will undoubtedly be a massive portion of the bill. We therefore see these three stocks as years-long beneficiaries of increased infrastructure spending.

 

 

So let’s take a look at three dividend names we think have the potential to see a sizable positive impact should the plan come to fruition. And in the meantime, all three stocks pay dividends to shareholders, and raise their dividends on a regular basis.

 

Continue reading …

 

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

 

Upgrades:

 

American Express (NYSE:AXP) was upgraded by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday, Price Targets.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on AXP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on American Express from $131.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 26th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on American Express from $128.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on American Express from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 7th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on American Express from $166.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 26th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on American Express from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. American Express currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $142.47. Read more …

 

Dominion Energy (NYSE:D) was upgraded by Scotiabank from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $92.00 price objective on the utilities provider's stock, up from their previous price objective of $88.00. Scotiabank's target price points to a potential upside of 23.97% from the company's previous close. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. KeyCorp raised their target price on Dominion Energy from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 21st. TheStreet raised Dominion Energy from a "c+" rating to a "b-" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 22nd. Zacks Investment Research cut Dominion Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $80.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, April 7th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Dominion Energy from $76.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 17th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on Dominion Energy from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $83.75. Read more …

 

DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) was upgraded by equities researchers at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has a $127.00 target price on the utilities provider’s stock, down from their previous target price of $144.00. UBS Group’s price target points to a potential upside of 13.66% from the stock’s previous close. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of DTE Energy from $148.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 28th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed a “peer perform” rating and set a $139.00 price target (up from $128.00) on shares of DTE Energy in a research report on Monday, April 26th. Bank of America reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $131.00 price target on shares of DTE Energy in a research report on Monday, May 10th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of DTE Energy from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of DTE Energy from $148.00 to $142.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $134.14. Read more …

 

 

ABB (NYSE:ABB) was upgraded by stock analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from a “buy” rating to a “conviction-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, The Fly reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barclays reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating on shares of ABB in a report on Thursday, July 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of ABB in a report on Tuesday, June 29th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ABB in a report on Wednesday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of ABB in a report on Wednesday, April 28th. Finally, HSBC raised shares of ABB from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $33.33. Read more …

7 Best Income Stocks to Buy for July 2021

 

Add some stability to your portfolio as the market appears stretched

 

In the age of meme trades and rampant speculation, income stocks don’t exactly get the juices flowing. Generally defined as equity units of publicly traded companies that feature consistent (and hopefully rising) dividend payouts, we should be honest and admit that this investment class isn’t exactly sexy. But it’s also one of the more important sectors to consider given the present context.

 

For one thing, income stocks provide a strong measure of stability. As you know, one of the hottest sectors over the trailing year has been cryptocurrencies. When things are going well, you’re on top of the world. When they’re not, you want to find the deepest hole so you can crawl into it. With companies that pay dividends, though, you can always rely on something even when the market doesn’t go your way.

 

Second, the biggest threat to the equities sector and the economy could be deflation, which would favor income stocks over growth names. Now, I understand the social media chatter that scream incredulity when this topic comes out. I look at it this way. If inflation was the paradigm-shifting threat that we should worry about, then how come the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been flat to negative since early May?

 

Even more telling, why is the gold price down during the same period? Surely, in an inflationary environment, hard assets of intrinsic value should soar to the moon. Even if we don’t have inflation now, just the concept of professional investors anticipating it — and by the way, seemingly everybody is talking about inflation — should result in higher gold prices. If anything, we’re seeing lower prices, which should make you think about income stocks.

 

 

And that’s the point. Nobody has a crystal ball on this stuff, so you don’t want to swing for the fences toward any one narrative. But when everyone bets on the same horse, the possibility of great disappointment rises. Therefore, here are some income stocks to consider:

 

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STORE Capital Corp: This 4.2% Yielder Looks Solid

 

Is STOR Stock the Best REIT for Income Investors?

 

 

One of the challenges for income investors today is that, because of the huge market rally over the past year, most stocks have gotten more expensive, which means their yields are lower than before.

 

We can’t go back in time and buy stocks when they were cheaper, but we can find exceptions in the current market. While the broad indices were able to quickly shrug off the COVID-19-induced sell-off and soar to new heights, there are actually solid companies today trading at prices that are below their pre-pandemic levels.

 

Check out STORE Capital Corp (NYSE:STOR), for instance.

 

STORE Capital is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ. The company’s name stands for Single Tenant Operational Real Estate, which is the company’s target market. As of March 31, the REIT’s portfolio had investments in 2,656 properties located across 49 states.

 

 

Other than being diversified geographically, STORE Capital’s portfolio is diversified across industries. In particular, those 2,656 properties are leased to 522 tenants from 117 different industries. As a result, even if one industry or region enters a downturn, the impact on the REIT’s company-level financials will likely be limited.

 

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Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of June 28, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE:BEP) (TSE:BEP) was upgraded by stock analysts at Credit Suisse Group to an "outperform" rating in a report released on Monday, The Fly reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on BEP. TD Securities reduced their price target on Brookfield Renewable Partners from $47.00 to $44.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 5th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on Brookfield Renewable Partners from $44.00 to $41.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Brookfield Renewable Partners in a report on Wednesday, March 31st. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised Brookfield Renewable Partners from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $42.00 to $48.00 in a report on Monday, April 26th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research cut Brookfield Renewable Partners from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Brookfield Renewable Partners presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $40.39. Read more …

 

International Paper (NYSE:IP) was upgraded by equities researchers at Stephens from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, PriceTargets.com reports. The firm currently has a $80.00 price objective on the basic materials company’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $58.00. Stephens’ target price points to a potential upside of 31.84% from the company’s previous close.

IP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Argus upgraded shares of International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on International Paper from $66.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of International Paper from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of International Paper from $78.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 4th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $71.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $63.83. Read more …

 

Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) was upgraded by research analysts at Scotiabank from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating in a report issued on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has a $131.00 price target on the real estate investment trust's stock. Scotiabank's price target points to a potential upside of 9.83% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Mizuho raised Federal Realty Investment Trust from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $102.00 to $129.00 in a report on Thursday, June 3rd. TheStreet cut Federal Realty Investment Trust from a "b-" rating to a "c" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 5th. Piper Sandler raised Federal Realty Investment Trust from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $95.00 to $125.00 in a report on Thursday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Federal Realty Investment Trust from an "underweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $113.00 to $115.00 in a report on Thursday, May 20th. Finally, Truist increased their target price on Federal Realty Investment Trust from $88.00 to $96.00 in a report on Monday, March 22nd. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Federal Realty Investment Trust currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $100.53. Read more …

 

 

Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $42.00 price target on the stock, up from their prior price target of $36.00. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 20.41% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on KDP. Evercore ISI reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Keurig Dr Pepper in a research note on Monday, May 3rd. Credit Suisse Group upped their price objective on Keurig Dr Pepper from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Keurig Dr Pepper from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Keurig Dr Pepper from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $33.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Friday, March 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Keurig Dr Pepper from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $36.88. Read more …

7 Dividend Stocks with Double-Digit Earnings Growth

 

These names offer investors the rare combo of solid earnings growth and strong payouts

 

 

I don’t know many investors who don’t like dividends. However, there are many investors who would opt for either dividend income or earnings and revenue growth. This divide between growth and dividend investors has left a rift among dividend stocks. But does there need to be one? Not necessarily.

 

While we can find growth stocks with a minuscule dividend — hello Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) — we can also find dividend stocks that have growth as well. After all, the companies that are able to pay a stable, growing dividend often have a solid business behind them.

 

So, for this article, I wanted to take a look at high-quality companies that have both growth and a decent dividend payout. Specifically, I am looking for names that have forecasts for double-digit earnings growth. The more dependable the dividend and the stronger the earnings, the better.

 

 

Believe it or not, there are not that many dividend stocks that fit the bill. But here are the seven promising names that I’ve found:

 

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