Before Friday’s opening bell, a number of big name dividend stocks were the subject of analyst moves. Below, we highlight the important analyst commentary for investors.
BofA/Merrill Lynch Downgrades AbbVie
AbbVie (ABBV ) was downgraded to “Neutral” at BofA/Merrill Lynch, based on a valuation call and a $70 price target. The $70 PT suggests a 3.5% upside to the stock’s current price. ABBV has a dividend yield of 2.9%.
Telsey Upgrades American Eagle
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO ) was upgraded to “Market Perform” from “Underperform” at Telsey, due to AEO’s expanding margins and higher sales. Telsey has a price target of $15 on AEO, suggesting a 7.6% upside from its current price. AEO has a yield of 3.59%.
BofA/Merrill Lynch Upgrades Booz Allen
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (BAH ) was upgraded to “Outperform” from “Market Perform” at BofA/Merrill Lynch, as BAH should see higher demand for its cyber security services and products. BAH has of 1.6%.
Credit Suisse Downgrades Foot Locker
Foot Locker (FL) was downgraded to “Neutral” from “Outperform” at Credit Suisse, based on a valuation call and price target of $57. The PT on FL suggests the stock will stay flat at its current price. FL has a yield of 1.53%.
JP Morgan Downgrades Starwood
Starwood Hotels (HOT) was downgraded to “Neutral” from “Overweight” at JP Morgan, based on a valuation call and an $84 price target. JP Morgan’s price target suggests an 8% upside to HOT’s current stock price. HOT has a yield of 1.8%.
BofA/Merrill Lynch Downgrades Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly (LLY ) was downgraded to “Neutral” at BofA/Merrill Lynch, based on a valuation call and a $74 price target. The $74 price target on LLY suggests a 4% upside to the stock’s current price. LLY has a yield of 2.82%.
Credit Suisse Upgrades Pier 1
Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (PIR ) was upgraded to “Outperform” from “Neutral” at Credit Suisse, as CS believes PIR can leverage its online investments. Credit Suisse has a price target of $21 on PIR, suggesting a 25% upside to the stock’s current price. PIR has a yield of 1.44%.
Ralph Lauren Downgraded at Janney
Janney downgraded Ralph Lauren (RL ) to “Neutral” from “Buy” due to macro headwinds and RL investing more in its business. Janney has a PT of $187 on RL, suggesting a 4.7% upside. RL has a yield of 1.01%.
William Blair Ups Estimates on Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT ) had its estimates raised at William Blair, as lower gas prices should increase retail demand. WMT has a yield of 2.12%.
Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.
