Before Wednesday’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.
Exxon Mobil Upgraded at Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo has upgraded Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM ) from “Market Perform” to “Outperform.” XOM has a dividend yield of 3.03%.
Wal-Mart Stores Cut to “Equal-Weight”
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT ) has been cut from “Overweight” to “Equal-weight” at Morgan Stanley. WMT has a dividend yield of 2.21%.
Verizon Downgraded at Barclays
Barclays has downgraded Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ ) from “Overweight” to “Equal-weight.” The firm has also lowered its price target from $54 to $51, suggesting a 5% increase from the stock’s current price. VZ has a dividend yield of 4.57%.
Chevron Downgraded at Wells Fargo
Chevron Corporation (CVX ) has been cut to “Neutral” at Wells Fargo. The firm also lowered estimates on the company. CVX has a dividend yield of 4.02%.
Jefferies Cuts PT on Halliburton
Jefferies has lowered its price target on Halliburton Company (HAL ) to $47, suggesting a 17% upside. The firm has also cut estimates on the company through 2016 as the company could be hurt by lower upstream spending. HAL has a dividend yield of 1.81%.
Lowe’s Companies Upgraded at Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley has upgraded Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW ) from “Equal-weight” to “Overweight” and has given the company an $80 price target. This price target suggests a 20% upside from the stock’s current price. LOW has a dividend yield of 1.38%
J M Smucker Boosted to “Overweight”
J M Smucker Co (SJM ) has been upgraded from “Neutral” to “Overweight” at JP Morgan as analysts see the stock as attractively valued compared to its peers. SJM has a dividend yield of 2.46%.
Whole Foods Upgraded to “Buy”
Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFM) has been upgraded from “Neutral” to “Buy” at Sterne Agee and has been given a $60 price target, suggesting a 17% upside. The firm has also boosted estimates on the company as it is lowering prices to drive traffic. WFM has a dividend yield of 1.01%.
Hershey Downgraded at JP Morgan
JP Morgan has downgraded Hershey Co (HSY ) from “Overweight” to “Neutral” on a valuation call. HSY has a dividend yield of 1.94%.
