6 Monthly Dividend Stocks to Buy

These 6 stocks offer monthly payouts -- and potential upside

Most dividend stocks pay their shareholders quarterly, but a few dividend yielding stocks offer monthly distributions.

The group is small: less than 100, with many of the offerings being exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or closed-end actively managed funds. And so investors looking for monthly dividend stocks to buy are limiting their universe quite a bit.

Still, even in a market near all-time highs, there are attractive dividend-yielding stocks that pay out monthly. And several offer compelling cases for both their upside and safe dividends, with attributes that go beyond simply the timing of their distributions.

These six stocks all fit that bill, offering not only monthly dividends but potential share price appreciation and reasonable payout ratios.

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The Hershey Company: A Dividend Stock to Hold for the Next Century

1 Stock to Hold Forever

Since the Passive Monthly Income newsletter debuted in August 2015, we have added 52 stocks to the portfolio. We sold 13 of those picks over the period, nine of which were for large capital gains. The remaining 39 stocks still remain as active positions in the portfolio today.

Does that mean we have a preference for longer holding periods? For sure. I respect anyone that can flip equities for quick profits. But that’s not how we do things around here. Let others fiddle with the Fibonacci retracements, stochastic oscillators, and chart price patterns to predict stock movements for the next hour or so. Our investment horizon is over the next decade or more.

In paid newsletters, we seek out an elite group of businesses I’ve nicknamed “forever assets.” I highlighted several such firms in previous issues. These firms represent a group of stocks you could literally buy today and hold for the rest of your life.

Thanks to their entrenched market positions, such elusive companies throw off ample supplies of surplus free cash flow, which management generously shares with investors. This results in a growing stream of income (in addition to outrageous capital gains) that can roll in like clockwork for decades.

This month, I want to highlight another such forever asset: Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY). For decades, The Hershey Company has served up sweet treats for chocolate lovers. What’s less well known is that the candymaker has also delivered plenty of treats for income investors, too.

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Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of September 10, 2018

Upgrades:

Guggenheim upgraded shares of American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report published on Monday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call. A number of other research firms have also issued reports on AEP. Zacks Investment Research lowered American Electric Power from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 27th. ValuEngine upgraded American Electric Power from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, June 26th. Barclays initiated coverage on American Electric Power in a report on Tuesday, July 10th. They issued an overweight rating and a $81.00 price objective on the stock. Goldman Sachs Group upgraded American Electric Power from a neutral rating to a buy rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $76.00 to $74.00 in a report on Thursday, July 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on American Electric Power from $67.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 16th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $75.25. Read more …

Bank of America upgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE:NVS) from an underperform rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has $74.71 price target on the stock. Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Barclays upgraded Novartis from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, July 19th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Novartis from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, June 19th. Credit Suisse Group upgraded Novartis from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, May 25th. ValuEngine upgraded Novartis from a strong sell rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, July 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a neutral rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, May 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Novartis presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $87.24. Read more …

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) was upgraded by stock analysts at Bank of America from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday, The Fly reports. Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on SNY. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Sanofi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 30th. ValuEngine cut shares of Sanofi from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 2nd. TheStreet upgraded shares of Sanofi from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Sanofi in a research report on Tuesday, July 31st. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Sanofi from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $47.00. Read more …

Foot Locker (NYSE:FL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Co from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report released on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has a $58.00 target price on the athletic footwear retailer’s stock, up from their prior target price of $50.00. Wells Fargo & Co’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 19.10% from the stock’s previous close. Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Pivotal Research set a $64.00 target price on shares of Foot Locker and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 29th. Canaccord Genuity set a $66.00 target price on shares of Foot Locker and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 29th. Buckingham Research upped their target price on shares of Foot Locker from $54.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 29th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Foot Locker in a research report on Thursday, June 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $59.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group decreased their target price on shares of Foot Locker from $62.00 to $58.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $56.33. Read more …

10 Super Safe Growth Stocks to Buy for Long-Lasting Dividends

These growth stocks also offer steady dividends for long-term security

Whenever the stock market marches higher, it pushes the prices of many companies higher along with it. But as investors bid up good and bad businesses alike, that can make it hard to discern which companies are the best dividend stocks for long-term investors.

That’s especially true in the world of dividend stocks, where income-starved investors face great temptation to reach for high-dividend stocks that offer juicy yields.

Fortunately, Simply Safe Dividends identified the 10 best dividend growth stocks that investors can rely on for secure, fast-growing income.

These companies all have very healthy Dividend Safety Scores, which measure a firm’s most important financial metrics to gauge how likely it is to cut its dividend in the future.

Let’s take a look at 10 of the safest dividend stocks in the market. These dividend-paying companies generate excellent free cash flow, maintain safe payout ratios, are committed to rewarding shareholders with healthy dividend increases and have bright long-term outlooks.

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7 Dividend Stocks to Buy Amid This Tough Market Environment

As geopolitics and broader economic concerns weigh on Wall Street, dividend stocks offer both upside potential and passive income

The markets have finally appeared to reassert themselves after suffering several months of wild choppiness. But even with this newfound bullishness, I’m angling for dividend stocks to buy. These aren’t merely empty words, as I’ll demonstrate later in this article.

This summer, my InvestorPlace colleague Vince Martin wrote an excellent piece detailing the nitty-gritty of dividend stocks, including why you want to buy them, what nuances to look out for and real-world examples of various income-paying companies. Before you dive into this sector, I highly recommend learning from Martin’s expertise.

Along with his factors for purchasing dividend stocks, I believe this present juncture provides enormous justification. With an income-bearing asset, you’re not entirely dependent on market performance for shareholder profitability. This is important because this optimism is largely a bull on paper. After all, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is only up 4.5% year-to-date.

Additionally, the markets must absorb significant ambiguities. President Trump and his policies cut multiple controversial lines. Agree or disagree, we have consensus that investors prefer predictability over uncertainty. With Trump, both supports and opponents don’t know what they’re going to get.

If it’s uncomfortable on Capitol Hill, it’s at least doubly so on Wall Street.

Again, this is the reason why I’m bullish on dividend stocks to buy. If things go well, you have the potential for capital returns and passive income. If the markets take an unexpectedly negative turn, dividend-paying companies tend to ride out bearish cycles better than less-generous organizations.

With this in mind, here are my ideas for dividend stocks to buy, ranging from safer options to speculative bets:

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Intel Corporation: 3 Reasons to Own INTC Stock

A Choppy Ride for Intel Stock

So far into 2018, the stock market seemed to have a hard time putting a price tag on Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC). The company started the year trading at $46.85 apiece, then went to as high as $57.03 in June, marking in 21.7% surge, before paring most of those gains in the last two months.

Where does that leave us? Well, as of this writing, Intel shares trade at $47.75 apiece, meaning that INTC stock returned just 1.9% year-to-date. To put it in perspective, the S&P 500 Index went up 7.2%.

That seems a bit disappointing. But before you cross Intel stock off your list, I want to show you three reasons why the company may still deserve a spot in an investor’s portfolio.

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Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of September 3, 2018

Disposals:

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) EVP T Richard Riney sold 13,708 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $822,480.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. NYSE:VTR opened at $60.12 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market cap of $21.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.45, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.12. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $46.55 and a 52-week high of $69.92. Read more …

Autoliv Inc. (NYSE:ALV) Director Jan Carlson sold 42,589 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.53, for a total transaction of $3,812,993.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 53,579 shares in the company, valued at $4,796,927.87. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Shares of ALV opened at $86.55 on Thursday. Autoliv Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.63 and a twelve month high of $115.37. The stock has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a PE ratio of 13.15, a P/E/G ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. Read more …

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) EVP Craig Steven Tyle sold 11,165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.35, for a total value of $350,022.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Shares of BEN stock opened at $30.26 on Friday. Franklin Resources, Inc. has a 12 month low of $30.14 and a 12 month high of $45.96. The company has a market cap of $16.56 billion, a PE ratio of 9.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 3.37 and a quick ratio of 3.37. Read more …

Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY) insider Asheesh Saksena sold 26,309 shares of Best Buy stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.07, for a total value of $2,106,561.63. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Asheesh Saksena also recently made the following trade(s):

On Thursday, June 14th, Asheesh Saksena sold 18,570 shares of Best Buy stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.69, for a total value of $1,368,423.30.

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of September 3, 2018

Upgrades:

ABB (NYSE:ABB) was upgraded by analysts at Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. ABB has been the topic of a number of other reports. ValuEngine raised shares of ABB from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of ABB from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $23.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of ABB in a research report on Monday, July 9th. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of ABB from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 4th. Finally, DNB Markets initiated coverage on shares of ABB in a research report on Monday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.00. Read more …

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) was upgraded by Macquarie from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $84.00 target price on the wireless technology company’s stock, up from their prior target price of $65.00. Macquarie’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 18.49% from the stock’s current price. Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Cowen boosted their target price on shares of QUALCOMM from $58.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 26th. Rosenblatt Securities raised shares of QUALCOMM from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $56.00 to $70.00 in a report on Monday, August 20th. BidaskClub raised shares of QUALCOMM from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 3rd. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of QUALCOMM from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of QUALCOMM to $64.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.13. Read more …

Raymond James upgraded shares of United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) from a market perform rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Several other research analysts have also commented on UPS. Bank of America raised shares of United Parcel Service from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, May 14th. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service to $139.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 30th. ValuEngine lowered shares of United Parcel Service from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Monday, July 2nd. UBS Group raised shares of United Parcel Service from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $125.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, July 16th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research raised shares of United Parcel Service from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $126.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $122.99. Read more …

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Vodafone Group (NASDAQ:VOD) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note released on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. Sanford C. Bernstein currently has $40.00 price target on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. BidaskClub downgraded Vodafone Group from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Sunday, May 20th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Vodafone Group from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, May 19th. Bank of America downgraded Vodafone Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, August 30th. UBS Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of Vodafone Group in a report on Tuesday, August 7th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded Vodafone Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, May 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, nine have issued 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 $33.36. Read more …

Ford Motor Company: Is Ford Stock’s 6.2% Yield Safe?

Ford Stock Takes a Beating

While the stock market was soaring past its all-time highs, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) seemed to have gotten left behind. Shares of this Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker fell six percent after its second-quarter earnings report in July. And then last week, Ford stock took another beating due to a ratings downgrade.

On Wednesday, August 29, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Ford’s credit rating from Baa2 to Baa3, just one notch above junk bond status.

“The downgrade of Ford’s rating reflects the erosion in the company’s global business position and the challenges it will face implementing its Fitness Redesign program,” wrote Moody’s in a press release. (Source: “Moody’s downgrades Ford ratings to Baa3; outlook is negative,” Moody’s Investors Service, August 29, 2018.)

In particular, the rating agency noted several negative developments at the automaker, including shrinking profit margins in North America, a slowing business in China, and losses in Europe and South America.

And that’s not all. Moody’s also warned that if things don’t improve, there could be another downgrade next year:

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This 4.5%-Yielding Bank Just Raised Its Payout Again

This is a Top Dividend Growth Stock

For income investors, America has got some pretty solid dividend-paying financial institutions. However, that does not mean you should ignore foreign banks altogether.

Case in point, Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS), more commonly known as “Scotiabank,” is currently the third-largest bank in Canada. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, the bank offers wide range of financial products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets.

Note that BNS stock trades on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange, so it’s very convenient for American investors to pick up its shares.

At first glance, the obvious reason to consider this foreign bank is its generous dividend policy. Last week, the board of directors of Bank of Nova Scotia declared a quarterly cash dividend of CA$0.85 per share, marking a three-percent increase from its previous payout. (Source: “Scotiabank Announces Dividend on Outstanding Shares,” Bank of Nova Scotia, August 28, 2018.)

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General Mills' Major Acquisition and Dividend Freeze: What Dividend Investors Need to Know

General Mills (GIS) is a consumer food giant with numerous well-known brands such as Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Nature Valley, Old El Paso, and Haagen-Dazs.

Despite its impressive product portfolio the company's stock has been very disappointing, losing 10% over the past year while the S&P 500 has returned close to 20%.

General Mills has made some fundamental changes to its business model in an effort to adapt to changing consumer tastes which have pressured growth for many packaged food giants.

Earlier this year the firm made a major acquisition and announced a dividend freeze (not a cut) that snaps a 13-year dividend growth streak.

Let's take a closer look at what investors need to know about this company's challenges, plans for the future, and most importantly whether or not it appears to remain a dependable long-term dividend growth stock.

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Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of August 27, 2018

Disposals:

Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) insider Ioannis Skoufalos sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.17, for a total value of $499,020.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,543 shares in the company, valued at $1,209,541.31. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. PG stock opened at $83.49 on Thursday. Procter & Gamble Co has a fifty-two week low of $70.73 and a fifty-two week high of $94.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $210.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.77, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.58. Read more …

Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) insider Deborah P. Majoras sold 11,097 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.53, for a total transaction of $926,932.41. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 46,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,850,398.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Read more …

  

International Paper Co (NYSE:IP) insider Timothy S. Nicholls sold 17,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.53, for a total value of $893,010.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 108,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,701,501.14. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. International Paper stock opened at $51.73 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market cap of $21.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.65, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.50. International Paper Co has a fifty-two week low of $50.00 and a fifty-two week high of $66.94. Read more …

National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV) Director Eric L. Mattson sold 5,284 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.06, for a total value of $238,097.04. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 66,862 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,012,801.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Read more …

Director Eric L. Mattson also sold 11,112 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.34, for a total transaction of $503,818.08. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 66,862 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,031,523.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

National-Oilwell Varco stock traded up $0.47 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $46.41. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,809,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,079,906. The company has a market cap of $17.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -110.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 43.90 and a beta of 0.87. National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.93 and a 12 month high of $49.08. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Read more …

Realty Income Corp (NYSE:O) Director A. Larry Chapman sold 9,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.56, for a total transaction of $527,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 18,757 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,098,409.92. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Shares of Realty Income stock opened at $59.07 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $17.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 0.16. Realty Income Corp has a 1-year low of $47.25 and a 1-year high of $60.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.28. Read more …

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of August 27, 2018

Upgrades:

Citigroup upgraded shares of GAP (NYSE:GPS) from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $28.00 target price on the apparel retailer’s stock. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call. Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of GAP from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $33.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 31st. MKM Partners cut their target price on shares of GAP to $32.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 29th. ValuEngine raised shares of GAP from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 24th. Telsey Advisory Group raised shares of GAP from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $39.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank dropped their price objective on shares of GAP from $34.00 to $33.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 25th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. GAP has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $33.74. Read more …

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) was upgraded by Canaccord Genuity from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday. Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on BMO. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Bank of Montreal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 16th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Bank of Montreal to a “$78.97” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Bank of Montreal from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $120.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 18th. National Bank Financial raised shares of Bank of Montreal from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 31st. Finally, ValuEngine cut shares of Bank of Montreal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $101.00. Read more …

Kansas City Southern (NYSE:KSU) was upgraded by Cowen from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The firm presently has a $138.00 target price on the transportation company’s stock, up from their prior target price of $124.00. Cowen’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 16.59% from the stock’s previous close. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Loop Capital raised their price target on Kansas City Southern to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Kansas City Southern from $106.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a “$111.08” rating in a report on Monday, July 23rd. Zacks Investment Research raised Kansas City Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 25th. Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on Kansas City Southern from $125.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a “$111.08” rating in a report on Monday, July 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Kansas City Southern in a report on Thursday, May 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $130.00 price target for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $121.83. Read more …

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Deutsche Bank to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday. The firm currently has a $146.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank’s price target indicates a potential upside of 21.51% from the company’s current price. A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 8th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $138.00 to $136.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 17th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $153.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 24th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $130.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 5th. Finally, ValuEngine raised shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 19th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $139.07. Read more …

Downgrades:

Wedbush cut shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a report released on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has $445.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock, down from their prior price objective of $450.00. Wedbush also issued estimates for Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Q4 2018 earnings at $1.64 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $8.64 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $2.62 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $2.67 EPS, FY2019 earnings at $11.43 EPS, Q1 2020 earnings at $3.16 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $4.45 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $14.00 EPS. A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on CMG. Citigroup increased their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $506.00 to $573.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 15th. William Blair reiterated a hold rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday, August 23rd. Morgan Stanley upgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the stock from $413.00 to $600.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 15th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $325.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $350.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Friday, July 27th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $417.73. Read more …

Canaccord Genuity cut shares of Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Several other brokerages have also weighed in on BNS. Zacks Investment Research raised Bank of Nova Scotia from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $65.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 8th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Bank of Nova Scotia from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Monday, June 11th. Bank of America downgraded Bank of Nova Scotia from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 5th. Desjardins reiterated a buy rating on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in a research note on Friday, June 8th. Finally, National Bank Financial downgraded Bank of Nova Scotia from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, June 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $84.33. Read more …

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