Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of December 13 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) was upgraded by Bank of America from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a $107.00 target price on the utilities provider's stock, up from their prior target price of $100.00. Bank of America's price target would indicate a potential upside of 10.15% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research firms also recently commented on ATO. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $102.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, September 6th. Argus cut shares of Atmos Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 7th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $109.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 17th. TheStreet cut shares of Atmos Energy from a "b" rating to a "c+" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $123.00 to $119.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $108.83. Read more …

 

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) was upgraded by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note issued on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has a $63.00 price objective on the stock, up from their prior price objective of $59.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price suggests a potential upside of 11.94% from the stock's current price. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call.

KO has been the subject of a number of other reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $60.00 to $59.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 15th. Evercore ISI reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Tuesday, November 9th. Credit Suisse Group set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Coca-Cola in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Thursday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $61.29. Read more …

 

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) was upgraded by UBS Group to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday, Price Targets.com reports. The firm currently has a $60.00 price target on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, up from their previous price target of $52.00. UBS Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 13.68% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. SVB Leerink cut their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 3rd. Erste Group raised shares of Pfizer from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $29.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, December 8th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Finally, Truist Securities raised their target price on shares of Pfizer from $43.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 24th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $52.24. Read more …

 

 

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Bank of America from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has a $210.00 target price on the iPhone maker’s stock, up from their previous target price of $160.00. Bank of America‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 19.49% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on AAPL. Evercore ISI upgraded Apple to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 10th. Fundamental Research boosted their target price on Apple from $163.99 to $164.79 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 23rd. KeyCorp began coverage on Apple in a research note on Monday, December 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $191.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson boosted their target price on Apple from $167.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 19th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group began coverage on Apple in a research note on Friday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $170.24. Read more …

Dividend Increases Week 45, 2021

 

In this article, I will go through the weekly dividend increases and cuts in popular and well-known stocks.

 

Recently, 8 popular companies announced dividend increases. Note that no dividend cuts or suspensions were announced during this period.

 

The table below summarises the dividend change announcements.  The table shows the current dividend, the new dividend and the percentage increase (%). Dividends are shown on an annual basis and in US dollars unless otherwise stated. Yield is the new dividend yield of the most recent price, and Years is the years of consecutive dividend increases.

 

 

 

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of October 4, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:DD) was upgraded by investment analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report released on Monday, PriceTargets.com reports. The firm currently has a $85.00 price target on the basic materials company's stock, up from their previous price target of $84.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective suggests a potential upside of 22.96% from the stock's current price. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on DD. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of DuPont de Nemours from $96.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of DuPont de Nemours from $95.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 13th. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of DuPont de Nemours from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $83.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, July 15th. KeyCorp reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $93.00 price target on shares of DuPont de Nemours in a research report on Thursday, September 16th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of DuPont de Nemours from a "d+" rating to a "c" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 3rd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $88.59. Read more …

 

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by investment analysts at Barclays from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has a $260.00 price target on the railroad operator’s stock, up from their prior price target of $240.00. Barclays‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 28.88% from the company’s current price.

UNP has been the subject of a number of other reports. Evercore ISI restated a “buy” rating and issued a $228.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, September 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Union Pacific from $226.00 to $231.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 9th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Union Pacific from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 23rd. Finally, Atlantic Securities assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $263.00 price target on the stock. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $243.82. Read more …

 

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) was upgraded by equities researchers at BNP Paribas from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report released on Wednesday, FinViz reports. The brokerage presently has a $39.50 price objective on the natural resource company's stock. BNP Paribas' price objective points to a potential upside of 22.67% from the stock's previous close.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on FCX. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 23rd. Bank of America assumed coverage on Freeport-McMoRan in a report on Wednesday, September 29th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group downgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $29.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Friday, September 10th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $37.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, August 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $47.00 to $46.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $38.37. Read more …

 

 

Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) was upgraded by Piper Sandler from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, FinViz reports. The brokerage presently has a $87.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock, up from their previous price target of $85.00. Piper Sandler’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 12.48% from the stock’s current price.

PSX has been the topic of several other research reports. decreased their price target on Phillips 66 from $126.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Phillips 66 in a research report on Tuesday, September 7th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $80.00 target price on the stock. cut their price objective on Phillips 66 from $126.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Phillips 66 from $96.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 24th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of Phillips 66 from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $95.00 to $75.00 in a report on Thursday, August 26th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $84.31. Read more …

 

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of August 9, 2021

 

Disposals:

 

Albemarle Co. (NYSE:ALB) EVP Karen G. Narwold sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.12, for a total transaction of $2,161,200.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Karen G. Narwold also recently made the following trade(s):

On Tuesday, June 8th, Karen G. Narwold sold 1,338 shares of Albemarle stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.30, for a total value of $229,199.40.

 NYSE:ALB traded up $4.67 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $231.38. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,422,671 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,410,407. The company has a market capitalization of $27.06 billion, a PE ratio of 37.63, a P/E/G ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 1.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.18 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $179.29. Albemarle Co. has a 52-week low of $79.06 and a 52-week high of $232.53. Read more …

 

Nucor Co. (NYSE:NUE) EVP Kenneth Rex Query sold 3,792 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.88, for a total transaction of $386,328.96. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Nucor Co. (NYSE:NUE) EVP Allen C. Behr sold 6,103 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total value of $752,377.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

NYSE NUE traded up $0.76 on Thursday, reaching $123.48. 177,754 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,306,208. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $99.85. The company has a market cap of $36.95 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.76. Nucor Co. has a fifty-two week low of $44.05 and a fifty-two week high of $123.98. Read more …

 

Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) insider Don H. Liu sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.93, for a total value of $785,790.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 62,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,244,112.81. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

TGT traded up $2.32 on Monday, reaching $262.41. 2,491,688 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,449,493. Target Co. has a one year low of $131.25 and a one year high of $263.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $244.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $129.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Read more …

 

 

The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW) Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 81,400 shares of The Charles Schwab stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.21, for a total value of $5,796,494.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

SCHW stock traded up $1.51 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $73.44. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 453,659 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,802,283. The company has a market capitalization of $132.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.20 and a beta of 1.03. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $71.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 12 month low of $32.84 and a 12 month high of $76.37.  Read more …

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of March 1, 2021

 

Upgrades:

 

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Daiwa Capital Markets from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report released on Tuesday, Briefing.com reports. The brokerage presently has a $86.00 price target on the financial services provider's stock. Daiwa Capital Markets' target price points to a potential upside of 8.64% from the stock's current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on MS. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 21st. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $74.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 25th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $54.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, January 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $53.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 6th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $66.73. Read more …

 

Nestlé (OTCMKTS:NSRGY) was upgraded by analysts at AlphaValue to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

A number of other analysts have also commented on NSRGY. Royal Bank of Canada raised Nestlé from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 13th. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Nestlé in a research note on Wednesday, December 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Nestlé in a research note on Friday, February 19th. Zacks Investment Research raised Nestlé from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $127.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Nestlé in a research note on Thursday, December 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $127.00. Read more …

 

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) was upgraded by stock analysts at Bank of America from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Tuesday, Briefing.com reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on BMO. Canaccord Genuity reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $112.50 target price (up from $106.50) on shares of Bank of Montreal in a research report on Wednesday, February 24th. Barclays increased their target price on Bank of Montreal from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 16th. CIBC upgraded Bank of Montreal to an “outperformer” rating and increased their target price for the company from $95.00 to $108.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 19th. Credit Suisse Group upgraded Bank of Montreal from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $97.00 to $108.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 24th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Bank of Montreal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $87.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $93.39. Read more …

 

 

The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) was upgraded by analysts at CIBC from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report issued on Tuesday, Analyst Price Targets reports. The brokerage currently has a $86.00 price target on the bank's stock, up from their previous price target of $83.00. CIBC's price objective indicates a potential upside of 41.49% from the company's current price.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on BNS. Barclays raised their price target on shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia from $60.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 16th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 24th. TD Securities lifted their target price on shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 24th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia from $77.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 24th. Finally, Desjardins lifted their target price on shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia from $72.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $72.75. Read more …