Dividend Increases Week 6 (Part 1)

 

In this article, I will go through the weekly dividend increases and cuts in popular and well-known stocks. (Member of The Dividend Champions or Canadian All-Star list)

 

Recently, 21 companies announced dividend increases. Note that no dividend cuts or suspensions were announced during this period. This is the first part of the week’s notifications.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

CNA Financial Corporation (CNA)

CNA Financial Corporation provides commercial property and casualty insurance products primarily in the United States. It operates through Specialty, Commercial, International, Life & Group, and Corporate & Other segments. The company was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. CNA Financial Corporation is a subsidiary of Loews Corporation.

On February 7, CNA declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share.

This is a 5.3% increase from prior dividend of $0.38. 

Payable March 10 for shareholders of record February 22, ex-div February 18.

 

Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.

On February 8, TRI declared a quarterly dividend of $0.445 per share.

This is a 9.9% increase from prior dividend of $0.405. 

Payable March 15 for shareholders of record February 24, ex-div February 23.

 

Utah Medical Products, Inc. (UTMD)

Utah Medical Products, Inc. develops, manufactures, and distributes medical devices for the healthcare industry. The company offers fetal monitoring accessories, vacuum-assisted delivery systems, and other labor and delivery tools. The company was incorporated in 1978 and is headquartered in Midvale, Utah.

On February 8, UTMD declared a quarterly dividend of $0.29 per share.

This is a 1.8% increase from prior dividend of $0.285. 

Payable April 5 for shareholders of record March 18, ex-div March 17.

 

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW)

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm provides its services to individuals, institutional investors, retirement plans, financial intermediaries, and institutions. It launches and manages equity and fixed income mutual funds. The firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. was founded in 1937 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland

On February 8, TROW declared a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share.

This is an 11.1% increase from prior dividend of $1.08. 

Payable March 30 for shareholders of record March 15, ex-div March 14.

 

Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. (AUBN)

Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for AuburnBank that provides various banking products and services in East Alabama. The company’s deposit products include checking, savings, and transaction deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Auburn, Alabama.

On February 8, AUBN declared a quarterly dividend of $0.265 per share.

This is a 1.9% increase from prior dividend of $0.26. 

Payable March 25 for shareholders of record March 10, ex-div March 9.

 

 

Primerica, Inc. (PRI)

Primerica, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in three segments: Term Life Insurance; Investment and Savings Products; and Corporate and Other Distributed Products. It underwrites individual term life insurance products. Primerica, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

On February 8, PRI declared a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share.

This is a 17.0% increase from prior dividend of $0.47. 

Payable March 14 for shareholders of record February 22, ex-div February 18.

 

3M Company (MMM)

3M Company operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Safety and Industrial; Transportation and Electronics; Health Care; and Consumer. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

On February 8, MMM declared a quarterly dividend of $1.49 per share.

This is a 0.7% increase from prior dividend of $1.48. 

Payable March 12 for shareholders of record February 18, ex-div February 17.

 

Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (HCSG)

Healthcare Services Group, Inc. provides management, administrative, and operating services to the housekeeping, laundry, linen, facility maintenance, and dietary service departments of nursing homes, retirement complexes, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals in the United States. It operates through two segments, Housekeeping and Dietary. Healthcare Services Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1976 and is based in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

On February 9, HCSG declared a quarterly dividend of $0.21125 per share.

This is a 0.6% increase from prior dividend of $0.21. 

Payable March 25 for shareholders of record February 25, ex-div February 24.

 

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (FR)

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR) is a leading fully integrated owner, operator, and developer of industrial real estate with a track record of providing industry-leading customer service to multinational corporations and regional customers. Across major markets in the United States, our local market experts manage, lease, buy, (re)develop, and sell bulk and regional distribution centers, light industrial, and other industrial facility types. In total, we own and have under development approximately 64.1 million square feet of industrial space as of September 30, 2020.

On February 9, FR declared a quarterly dividend of $0.295 per share.

This is a 9.3% increase from prior dividend of $0.27. 

Payable April 18 for shareholders of record March 31, ex-div March 30.

 

Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. (REXR)

Rexford Industrial, a real estate investment trust focused on owning and operating industrial properties throughout Southern California infill markets, owns 232 properties with approximately 27.9 million rentable square feet and manages an additional 20 properties with approximately 1.0 million rentable square feet.

On February 9, REXR declared a quarterly dividend of $0.315 per share.

This is a 31.3% increase from prior dividend of $0.24. 

Payable April 15 for shareholders of record March 31, ex-div March 30.

 

 

PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP)

PepsiCo, Inc. operates as a food and beverage company worldwide. The company operates through seven segments: Frito-Lay North America; Quaker Foods North America; PepsiCo Beverages North America; Latin America; Europe; Africa, Middle East, and South Asia; and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and China Region. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

On February 10, PEP declared a annual dividend of $4.60 per share.

This is a 7.0% increase from prior dividend of $4.30. 

Effective with the dividend expected to be paid in June 2022

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of January 3 2022 (Part 1)

 

Upgrades:

 

Canadian Pacific Railway (TSE:CP) (NYSE:CP) was upgraded by analysts at Susquehanna Bancshares to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Stock Target Advisor reports. The brokerage presently has a C$87.00 target price on the stock. Susquehanna Bancshares' price target suggests a potential downside of 7.36% from the company's current price.

CP has been the subject of several other research reports. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway in a research report on Tuesday, December 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Canadian Pacific Railway to a "hold" rating and set a C$79.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, November 29th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway from C$105.00 to C$106.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, December 3rd. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a C$111.00 price objective on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway in a research note on Wednesday, October 27th. Finally, Desjardins reduced their price objective on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway from C$104.00 to C$103.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of C$156.87. Read more …

 

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) was upgraded by investment analysts at Piper Sandler from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report issued on Monday, The Fly reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on MCD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on McDonald's from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 28th. Truist Securities lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 27th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of McDonald's from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 28th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Argus upped their target price on McDonald's from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on McDonald's from $245.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, October 28th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald's currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $268.45. Read more …

 

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) was upgraded by Barclays from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report released on Monday, The Fly reports.

WFC has been the topic of several other reports. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, December 9th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Friday, December 10th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $65.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $49.00 price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Friday, September 10th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Wells Fargo & Company from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $61.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $51.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, October 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $50.43. Read more …

 

 

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) was upgraded by stock analysts at Vertical Research from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Tuesday, FinViz reports. The firm currently has a $335.00 target price on the basic materials company's stock. Vertical Research's target price would indicate a potential upside of 13.25% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $315.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 5th. Mizuho assumed coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, November 5th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $312.00 target price for the company. Wolfe Research lowered Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $332.00 to $331.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $312.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $321.06. Read more …

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 …

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 …

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of January 4, 2021 (Part 1)

 

Upgrades:

 

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) was upgraded by investment analysts at Barclays from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, AR Network reports. The brokerage currently has a $88.00 target price on the financial services provider's stock. Barclays's target price points to a potential upside of 28.41% from the stock's current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on MS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Morgan Stanley in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $57.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $64.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Friday, October 16th. ValuEngine downgraded Morgan Stanley from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 2nd. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.52. Read more …

 

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS) was upgraded by stock analysts at Barclays from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report issued on Monday, AR Network reports. The brokerage currently has a $362.00 target price on the investment management company’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 37.27% from the company’s current price.

GS has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Monday, December 21st. ValuEngine cut The Goldman Sachs Group from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 17th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $262.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 11th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $267.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, JMP Securities raised their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $262.86. Read more …

 

AT&T (NYSE:T) was upgraded by research analysts at Raymond James from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Briefing.com reports. The firm currently has a $32.00 target price on the technology company's stock. Raymond James' target price would suggest a potential upside of 11.27% from the stock's current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. KeyCorp cut shares of AT&T from a "sector weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and set a $25.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, October 5th. BidaskClub lowered shares of AT&T from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Friday, December 18th. Barclays initiated coverage on AT&T in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. They issued an "overweight" rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of AT&T from $32.00 to $30.00 in a report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded AT&T from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $36.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. The stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $32.40. Read more …

 

 

V.F. (NYSE:VFC) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Piper Sandler to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Stock Target Advisor reports. The firm currently has a $106.00 target price on the textile maker’s stock, up from their previous target price of $73.00. Piper Sandler’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 24.11% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of V.F. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $85.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 17th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of V.F. from $84.00 to $94.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 10th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of V.F. from $85.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 10th. Cowen raised their price target on shares of V.F. from $64.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, BTIG Research raised shares of V.F. from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $88.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $83.42. Read more …

 

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of November 16, 2020

 

Upgrades:

 

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) - Equities research analysts at William Blair cut their Q2 2021 earnings per share estimates for Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report released on Monday, November 16th. William Blair analyst M. Phipps now expects that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of $1.86 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.87.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $72.00 target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Tuesday, November 10th. Societe Generale upgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $76.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday. Raymond James reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Cfra reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Bristol-Myers Squibb has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $73.69. Read more …

 

International Paper (NYSE:IP) was upgraded by research analysts at Smith Barney Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Argus cut International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup Inc. 3% Minimum Coupon Principal Protected Based Upon Russell raised International Paper from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets raised International Paper from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $40.00 to $53.00 in a report on Monday, October 12th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of International Paper in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on International Paper from $29.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.42. Read more …

 

Chevron (NYSE:CVX)‘s stock had its “sector perform” rating reissued by research analysts at Royal Bank of Canada in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Analyst Ratings Network reports. They currently have a $95.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock. Royal Bank of Canada’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 6.79% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Piper Sandler cut Chevron from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $108.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Chevron from $108.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Scotia Howard Weill downgraded shares of Chevron from a “buy” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $121.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Credit Suisse Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $97.00 price target on shares of Chevron in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Raymond James reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Chevron in a report on Friday, October 30th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.28. Read more …

 

The Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) was upgraded by analysts at Smith Barney Citigroup from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $54.00 price objective on the financial services provider's stock, up from their prior price objective of $44.00. Smith Barney Citigroup's target price would suggest a potential upside of 10.84% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other research firms have also commented on SCHW. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of The Charles Schwab from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Argus upped their price objective on shares of The Charles Schwab from $42.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Friday, October 16th. TheStreet raised shares of The Charles Schwab from a "c" rating to a "b-" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of The Charles Schwab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $43.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of The Charles Schwab from $51.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. The company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $46.75. Read more …

 

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

Disposals:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of February 18, 2019

Acquisitions:

Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE:KMI) insider Richard D. Kinder acquired 200,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 15th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $18.93 per share, for a total transaction of $3,786,000.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 236,692,545 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,480,589,876.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.  Read more …

Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE:KMI) insider Richard D. Kinder bought 300,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $19.15 per share, for a total transaction of $5,745,000.00. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 237,011,657 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,538,773,231.55. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. KMI stock traded up $0.18 during trading on Friday, reaching $19.37. 8,769,645 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,353,239. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.71. Kinder Morgan Inc has a 1 year low of $14.62 and a 1 year high of $19.32. The company has a market capitalization of $42.29 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.89. Read more …

Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ) Director Rod Canion acquired 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $18.89 per share, for a total transaction of $377,800.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 84,451 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,595,279.39. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Rod Canion also recently made the following trade(s):

On Friday, February 8th, Rod Canion acquired 10,000 shares of Invesco stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of $17.97 per share, for a total transaction of $179,700.00.

Shares of NYSE IVZ traded up $0.22 on Friday, hitting $19.05. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,319,160 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,720,450. Invesco Ltd. has a 12-month low of $15.38 and a 12-month high of $35.03. The company has a market capitalization of $7.83 billion, a PE ratio of 7.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.55. Read more …

Disposals:

3M Co (NYSE:MMM) EVP Joaquin Delgado sold 4,897 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.30, for a total value of $1,015,148.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 23,191 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,807,494.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Shares of MMM traded down $0.92 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $207.94. 48,139 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,365,593. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.26 billion, a PE ratio of 19.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.06. 3M Co has a 12-month low of $176.87 and a 12-month high of $244.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.29. Read more …