Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of October 1, 2018

Disposals:

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) SVP Sharon J. Bracken sold 1,732 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.35, for a total value of $127,042.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,877,447.15. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Read more …

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) insider Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 5,000 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.39, for a total value of $366,950.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 93,321 shares in the company, valued at $6,848,828.19. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Shares of NYSE:ABT opened at $71.82 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.70 billion, a PE ratio of 28.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.58. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $53.61 and a 1 year high of $74.15. Read more …

Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 1,340 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.37, for a total transaction of $232,315.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Read more …

Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) COO Johan Deblaere sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.43, for a total transaction of $867,150.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Read more ...

Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) CEO Pierre Nanterme sold 30,117 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.45, for a total transaction of $5,223,793.65. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Shares of ACN opened at $173.15 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $114.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.98. Accenture Plc has a twelve month low of $133.66 and a twelve month high of $175.64. Read more …

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Director John W. Meisenbach sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.81, for a total transaction of $707,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,654 shares in the company, valued at $2,040,699.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Costco Wholesale stock opened at $236.35 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $103.00 billion, a PE ratio of 40.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.95. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1 year low of $154.11 and a 1 year high of $245.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Read more …

NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE) Director Rudy E. Schupp sold 1,600 shares of NextEra Energy stock in a transaction on Monday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.00, for a total transaction of $267,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 21,300 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,557,100. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Shares of NEE stock opened at $169.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.26, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.20. NextEra Energy Inc has a fifty-two week low of $145.10 and a fifty-two week high of $175.65. Read more …

Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY) CFO Corie S. Barry sold 2,982 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.35, for a total transaction of $233,639.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 72,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,706,857.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Best Buy stock traded down $0.19 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $75.01. The company had a trading volume of 3,264,600 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,430,214. The stock has a market cap of $21.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Best Buy Co Inc has a one year low of $52.92 and a one year high of $84.37. Read more …

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) SVP Angela J. Ahrendts sold 25,000 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.66, for a total value of $5,816,500.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 105,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,554,471.08. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Read more …

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) COO Jeffrey E. Williams sold 61,998 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.33, for a total transaction of $14,403,995.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 124,695 shares in the company, valued at $28,970,389.35. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Read more …

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) insider Luca Maestri sold 100,245 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.56, for a total value of $22,911,997.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 91,665 shares in the company, valued at $20,950,952.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.  

Shares of AAPL traded down $3.70 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $224.29. 33,526,300 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 31,253,883. The stock has a market cap of $1,109.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.36. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $150.24 and a 12 month high of $233.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.31. Read more …

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) CEO Laxman Narasimhan sold 5,500 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.79, for a total value of $587,345.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 130,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,897,116.65. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. NASDAQ PEP traded down $0.12 on Friday, hitting $106.49. 3,438,200 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,018,508. The company has a market capitalization of $158.12 billion, a PE ratio of 20.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.00, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.24. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.94 and a 52-week high of $122.51. Read more …

Acquisitions:

Nothing to mention.

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Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of October 1, 2018

Upgrades:

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) was upgraded by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has a $128.00 price target on the transportation company’s stock. BMO Capital Markets’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 9.41% from the stock’s previous close. Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. KeyCorp began coverage on United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday, September 27th. They set a “sector weight” rating for the company. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Berenberg Bank began coverage on United Parcel Service in a research note on Friday, September 21st. They set a “hold” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Loop Capital increased their target price on United Parcel Service to $145.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, September 14th. Goldman Sachs Group set a $150.00 target price on United Parcel Service and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 10th. Finally, Raymond James upgraded United Parcel Service from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $125.41. Read more …

Chevron (NYSE:CVX) was upgraded by Goldman Sachs Group from a “buy” rating to a “conviction-buy” rating in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. CVX has been the topic of several other reports. Zacks Investment Research raised Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $137.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada set a $150.00 price objective on Chevron and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 20th. HSBC raised Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 11th. Berenberg Bank began coverage on Chevron in a research note on Tuesday, September 11th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $135.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Bank of America lowered Chevron from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $150.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Chevron has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $137.92. Read more …

Wolfe Research upgraded shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $16.00 price objective on the conglomerate’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $15.00. Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $11.00 price target on General Electric and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Monday, July 23rd. Gabelli restated a buy rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of General Electric in a research note on Monday, September 24th. Morningstar set a $15.70 price target on General Electric and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 13th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded General Electric from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Monday, September 24th. Finally, Bank of America set a $16.00 price target on General Electric and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, September 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $16.50. Read more …

Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $82.00 price target on the business services provider’s stock. A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on PAYX. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Paychex from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. ValuEngine raised Paychex from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 2nd. BidaskClub cut Paychex from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Paychex from $66.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Paychex from $64.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $69.69. Read more …

Occidental Petroleum Could Return 10% Per Year From Today’s Starting Point

Peter Lynch is one of the best professional portfolio managers of all time. During his tenure as portfolio manager of the Fidelity Magellan Fund between 1977 and 1990, his fund generated annual returns of 29.2%. To put this into perspective, a 29.2% annual return over 13 years would have turned a $10,000 investment into nearly $280,000. One of Lynch’s core investing principles is to do your research, meaning investors should always conduct thorough due diligence before buying individual stocks. This includes valuation analysis as an important part of the research process.

The price-to-earnings growth ratio, or PEG ratio for short, can be a helpful valuation tool for investors to find undervalued stocks. Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) currently has a PEG ratio of just 0.24, based on its expected earnings growth over the next five years. This low of a PEG ratio means the stock could be significantly undervalued. In addition, the stock has a high dividend yield of 4%. As a result, Occidental Petroleum could be an attractive stock for value and income investors..

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AT&T: Another Big Dividend Coming November 1st

Dividend stocks are appealing investments for many reasons. First, regular dividend payments are real cash that investors can spend on anything they want. Dividends can be used to help pay for various expenses, or investors can reinvest their dividends into more shares of stock. In turn, this results in even more dividends, which can be used to buy even more shares of stock over time.

In addition, dividends can boost returns during down markets. The past 10 years have been characterized by a nearly uninterrupted bull market. But another recession could happen at any time. Dividends help protect portfolios when stock prices are falling.

AT&T (T) has a 6% yield, and will pay its next quarterly dividend on November 1st, with an ex-dividend date of October 9th. AT&T’s dividend is highly secure, as the company generates more than enough cash flow to sustain the dividend payout. And, AT&T’s major acquisitions will pave the way for annual dividend increases in the years ahead. AT&T is an attractive high-yield stock for income investors.

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This 90-Year-Old Company Still Churns Out Record-High Profits and Dividends

A Dividend-Growth Stock You Likely Haven’t Thought Of

Income investors love established companies with large market capitalizations. This is because, in order to become a large-cap stock, a company usually has to build a strong presence in its operating market. And as a result, many large-cap stocks also have the ability to pay stable dividends.

The problem is, though, as a company captures the bulk of its target market, growth could slow down. That’s why despite their elite status in the dividend world, large-cap names are not exactly known as the fastest-growing ones. To investors, they are known more as income stocks rather than growth stocks.

And that, my dear reader, is why Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) stands out. The automotive replacement parts distributor started its business in 1928. Today, it is one of the biggest players in the business with approximately 6,000 Napa Auto Parts stores in the U.S., 700 wholesalers in Canada, 41 stores in Mexico, and more than 2,500 locations in Europe and Australia.

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Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of September 24, 2018

Disposals:

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) insider James S. Brown sold 15,989 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.53, for a total value of $648,034.17. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Shares of HAL stock traded up $0.35 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $41.06. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,406,300 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,873,424. Halliburton has a 52 week low of $35.75 and a 52 week high of $57.86. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $35.82 billion, a PE ratio of 33.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.01. Read more …

T-Mobile Us Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS) CFO J Braxton Carter II sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.93, for a total value of $1,033,950.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Shares of T-Mobile Us stock opened at $68.79 on Thursday. T-Mobile Us Inc has a 52 week low of $54.60 and a 52 week high of $69.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.39 billion, a PE ratio of 30.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. Read more …

T-Mobile Us Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS) EVP David A. Miller sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total transaction of $350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 117,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,226,610. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

David A. Miller also recently made the following trade(s):

On Thursday, July 5th, David A. Miller sold 5,000 shares of T-Mobile Us stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $300,000.00.

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Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRL) VP Nicholas V. Flanagan sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.81, for a total transaction of $874,860.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 18,784 shares in the company, valued at $2,738,895.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Shares of CBRL stock opened at $145.26 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. has a 1 year low of $141.63 and a 1 year high of $179.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.59. Read more …

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of September 24, 2018

Upgrades:

Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP) was upgraded by equities research analysts at B. Riley from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has a $83.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $68.00. B. Riley’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 20.85% from the company’s current price. A number of other research firms have also issued reports on HP. ValuEngine lowered shares of Helmerich & Payne from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 16th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Helmerich & Payne from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Helmerich & Payne from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $49.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Friday, September 14th. Cowen set a $57.00 price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 30th. Finally, Piper Jaffray Companies set a $67.00 price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Helmerich & Payne currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $68.93. Read more …

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on CLX. Atlantic Securities started coverage on Clorox in a research report on Thursday, September 20th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $151.00 target price on the stock. ValuEngine upgraded Clorox from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 26th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “buy” rating and issued a $153.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, August 3rd. Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Clorox from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $127.00 to $112.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 17th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on Clorox from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $131.79. Read more …

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) was upgraded by Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $100.00 target price on the transportation company’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 11.69% from the company’s current price. A number of other brokerages have also commented on CNI. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $101.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Canadian National Railway from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 5th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $98.00 target price on shares of Canadian National Railway in a report on Wednesday, July 25th. Loop Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Canadian National Railway in a report on Wednesday, July 25th. Finally, Macquarie raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 20th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Canadian National Railway currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $91.71. Read more …

B. Riley upgraded shares of Viacom (NASDAQ:VIAB) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has $39.00 price objective on the stock, up from their previous price objective of $34.00. B. Riley also issued estimates for Viacom’s FY2019 earnings at $4.47 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $4.51 EPS. VIAB has been the topic of several other research reports. BidaskClub lowered shares of Viacom from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Friday, July 20th. Macquarie upgraded shares of Viacom from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 20th. Barrington Research reiterated a hold rating on shares of Viacom in a research note on Wednesday, August 15th. Pivotal Research upgraded shares of Viacom from a hold rating to a buy rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 31st. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, Cfra reiterated a hold rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Viacom in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Viacom currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $34.38. Read more …

15 Safe Dividend Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2018

Dividend stocks offer some much-needed stability for your portfolio

In early June of this year, J.P. Morgan strategist Marko Kolanovic made a startling statement. Since March, President Donald Trump’s tough stance on fair trade practices have evaporated more than $1 trillion in market value. Such a drastic impact exponentially raises interest in safe dividend stocks to buy.

Of course, since Kolanovic’s analysis went public, the markets have reasserted themselves. Since the start of the year, the Dow Jones index is up 7%. However, that still doesn’t take away from investor uneasiness with the White House’s economic policies.

Grabbing the spotlight, of course, is our ongoing trade war with China. Neither side shows any indication that the conflict will resolve anytime soon. Love him or hate him, we can all agree that Trump doesn’t have a conciliatory personality. And China can’t afford to look weak, not when their people are openly expressing dissent.

If only that were the sole problem we faced! Along with other geopolitical hotspots, our domestic standing has turned into shambles. Honestly, I cannot keep track of all the accusations and indictments flying around.

Trump recently claimed that if he were ever impeached, the markets will fall off the rails. I can’t say one way or another. What I do know for sure is that the markets prefer reasonable predictability. Right now, we’re experiencing anything but that. To better protect your portfolio, consider these 15 safe dividend stocks to buy:

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Starbucks Has Nowhere To Go But Grow

This week I'm seeking a prestigious and long-term dividend-paying stock from the consumer cyclical sector.

That cyclicals sector includes twenty-eight industries ranging from Advertising Agencies to Apparel, Autos, Broadcasting, Department Stores, Gambling, Leisure, Lodging, Packaging, Personal Services, Shoes, Restaurants, Rubber, Recreational Vehicles, Plastics, Textiles, and all such consumer aimed enterprises.

Today I'm reviewing a large-cap restaurant firm named Starbucks Corporation. Its trading ticker symbol is SBUX.

Starbucks Corp is the roaster, marketer and retailer of specialty coffee. Operating globally, it sells a variety of coffee and tea products. It sells goods and services under brands including Teavana, Tazo, and Seattle's Best Coffee.

The company operates in four segments: Americas; China/Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole bean and ground coffees, single-serve and ready-to-drink coffee and tea products, and food and snacks.

The company also licenses its trademarks through licensed stores, and grocery and foodservice accounts. It offers its products under the Starbucks, Teavana, Tazo, Seattle's Best Coffee, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange, Ethos, Frappuccino, Starbucks Doubleshot, Starbucks Refreshers, premium Tazo, and Starbucks VIA brand names.

As of July 26, 2018, the company operated 28,720 stores.

Starbucks Corporation was founded in 1971 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

I use three key data points to gauge the value of any dividend equity or fund like Starbucks Corporation (SBUX):

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Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of September 17, 2018

Disposals:

UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) CEO Steven H. Nelson sold 8,142 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.00, for a total transaction of $2,157,630.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,496 shares in the company, valued at $5,961,440. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Steven H. Nelson also recently made the following trade(s):

On Friday, September 7th, Steven H. Nelson sold 26,033 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.65, for a total transaction of $7,045,831.45.

Shares of UNH opened at $265.33 on Thursday. UnitedHealth Group Inc has a 52 week low of $186.00 and a 52 week high of $271.16. The company has a market cap of $255.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Read more …

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) Chairman Charles Robbins sold 217,420 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.28, for a total transaction of $10,279,617.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Read more …

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) EVP David Goeckeler sold 63,050 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.57, for a total value of $2,999,288.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 547,019 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,021,693.83. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

David Goeckeler also recently made the following trade(s):

On Friday, June 22nd, David Goeckeler sold 35,000 shares of Cisco Systems stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.27, for a total value of $1,514,450.00.

Shares of Cisco Systems stock traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $48.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 634,881 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,422,581. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a twelve month low of $32.50 and a twelve month high of $48.06. The firm has a market cap of $227.77 billion, a PE ratio of 20.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Read more …

Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) insider Erin S. Sharp sold 25,314 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.00, for a total transaction of $734,106.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. KR stock traded up $0.11 on Thursday, hitting $28.99. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 379,713 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,620,930. Kroger Co has a 1 year low of $19.69 and a 1 year high of $32.74. The company has a market cap of $23.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.26. Read more …

SYSCO Co. (NYSE:SYY) Director Richard G. Tilghman sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.71, for a total transaction of $368,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 61,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,506,408.27. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Shares of SYY stock traded up $0.50 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $73.42. 40,727 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,849,978. SYSCO Co. has a fifty-two week low of $52.30 and a fifty-two week high of $75.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.01. The company has a market capitalization of $37.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.21, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.54. Read more …

International Paper Co (NYSE:IP) insider Jeanmichel Ribieras sold 10,000 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.20, for a total transaction of $542,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Read more …

International Paper Co (NYSE:IP) SVP John V. Sims sold 4,725 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.35, for a total transaction of $256,803.75. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. IP stock traded up $0.36 during trading on Thursday, reaching $54.58. 1,948,600 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,652,479. The company has a market cap of $21.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.50. International Paper Co has a 52-week low of $50.00 and a 52-week high of $66.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. Read more …

Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM) VP Bradley W. Corson sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.02, for a total value of $1,260,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 214,774 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,045,311.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Shares of XOM stock traded up $0.34 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $85.16. The stock had a trading volume of 160,857 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,539,025. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Exxon Mobil Co. has a one year low of $72.15 and a one year high of $89.30. The company has a market capitalization of $358.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.86. Read more …

Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY) insider Michele Buck sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.82, for a total transaction of $154,230.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 172,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,725,551.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Michele Buck also recently made the following trade(s):

On Monday, August 20th, Michele Buck sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.90, for a total transaction of $152,850.00.

On Friday, July 20th, Michele Buck sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.26, for a total transaction of $138,390.00.

Hershey stock traded up $0.24 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $103.69. The stock had a trading volume of 22,691 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,015,264. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.32. Hershey Co has a 52-week low of $89.10 and a 52-week high of $115.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.05. Read more …

Acquisitions:

Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP) CFO Thomas E. Long purchased 10,000 shares of Energy Transfer Partners stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $22.33 per share, for a total transaction of $223,300.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Shares of ETP stock traded down $0.22 during trading on Monday, reaching $22.05. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,052,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,665,760. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.28. Energy Transfer Partners LP has a 1-year low of $15.06 and a 1-year high of $24.38. Read more …

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Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of September 17, 2018

Upgrades:

Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) was upgraded by investment analysts at Nomura from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $300.00 price target on the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock, up from their prior price target of $225.00. Nomura’s target price suggests a potential upside of 25.14% from the company’s previous close. Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Longbow Research lowered Broadcom from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 12th. BidaskClub lowered Broadcom from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 28th. B. Riley lowered Broadcom from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $308.00 to $245.00 in a report on Thursday, July 12th. BMO Capital Markets lowered Broadcom from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Friday, July 13th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group cut Broadcom from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $300.00 to $220.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and twenty-nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Broadcom currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $290.71. Read more …

Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Mastercard (NYSE:MA) from a buy rating to a conviction-buy rating in a research report report published on Monday, The Fly reports. Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Bank of America increased their price target on Mastercard from $210.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 17th. Cowen reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $207.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Friday, July 20th. Buckingham Research increased their price target on Mastercard from $194.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Co reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, May 30th. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price target on Mastercard to $232.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 27th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $208.56. Read more …

Edward Jones upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Macquarie downgraded Wells Fargo & Co from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, September 7th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Wells Fargo & Co from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 16th. Susquehanna Bancshares set a $63.00 target price on Wells Fargo & Co and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, July 13th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Wells Fargo & Co from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, July 30th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Wells Fargo & Co from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and upped their target price for the stock from $57.00 to $63.00 in a research note on Sunday, July 15th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Wells Fargo & Co currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $63.28. Read more …

Raymond James upgraded shares of Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) from an underperform rating to a market perform rating in a report issued on Monday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. BBBY has been the topic of several other research reports. Zacks Investment Research raised Bed Bath & Beyond from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Co reaffirmed a sell rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Bed Bath & Beyond in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. BidaskClub raised Bed Bath & Beyond from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 28th. Wedbush set a $18.00 price target on Bed Bath & Beyond and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, September 13th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $20.00 price target on Bed Bath & Beyond and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, June 29th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $20.00. Read more …

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report released on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. Robert W. Baird currently has $158.00 target price on the industrial products company’s stock. Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. ValuEngine downgraded Caterpillar from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, June 1st. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, August 17th. Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Caterpillar from a conviction-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 16th. UBS Group set a $185.00 price objective on Caterpillar and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank set a $177.00 price target on Caterpillar and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 5th. Twelve investment 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 company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $172.35. Read more…

20 Best Recession Proof Dividend Stocks

Preserving capital and generating safe income are core goals in retirement. So not surprisingly, conservative investors often worry about when the next recession will occur and how it will affect their portfolios.

Safe dividend-paying stocks can be an appealing choice for retirees who desire a predictable income stream that can hold its ground regardless of economic conditions and short-term stock price fluctuations.

In fact, over 240 dividend-paying stocks in our database maintained or increased their dividends each year during the financial crisis while also outperforming the S&P 500's 55% peak-to-trough plunge by more than 20%.

In other words, there were some excellent recession proof investments a risk averse income investor could have owned prior to the last downturn. But what about the next recession?

In this article, we analyzed 20 of the best recession proof dividend growth stocks. These companies have dividend yields near 3% or higher, stable business models, solid balance sheets, and proven commitments to maintaining and growing their dividends in all manner of economic, industry, and interest rate conditions. Each stock also meaningfully outperformed the S&P 500 during the financial crisis.

Simply put, these dividend growth stocks are worthy candidates to consider as part of a diversified portfolio to help you sleep well at night during the next recession, confident that your passive income is as safe as it can be and likely to keep growing your wealth over time.

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