Before Thursday’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.
Wells Fargo Downgrades Dunkin Brands
Dunkin Brands (DNKN ) was downgraded to “Market Perform” at Wells Fargo, as the analyst firm believes DNKN’s price is already factoring in its modest growth for the year. DNKN has a yield of 2.03%.
FBR Downgrades Fifth Third Bancorp
Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB ) was downgraded to “Market Perform” from “Outperform” at FBR Capital Markets, as FBR believes that the bank will be hurt by lower interest rates. FBR has a price target of $20 on FITB, suggesting the stock will rise by 15%. FITB has a yield of 2.97%.
BofA/Merrill Lynch downgrades Fluor
Fluor Corp (FLR) was downgraded to “Underperform” from “Buy” at BofA/Merrill Lynch, as the company has high energy exposure. BofA/Merrill Lynch has a price target of $51 on FLR, suggesting the stock price will fall by 8.5%. FLR has a yield of 1.51%.
Two Firms Weigh-in on SanDisk
SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) was downgraded at Wedbush and had its numbers cut at Jefferies. Wedbush downgraded SNDK to “Neutral” from “Outperform” as SNDK is losing market share. Wedbush has a $67 price target on SanDisk, suggesting a 17% downside to the stock’s current price.
Jefferies cut its estimates on SanDisk, and lowered SNDK’s price target to $93. The new price target suggests a 16% upside to SNDK’s current price. SNDK has a yield of 1.49%.
Xilinx Gets Downgrade and Numbers Cut
Xilinx (XLNX ) was downgraded at Drexel and had its numbers cut at Piper Jaffray. Drexel downgraded XLNX to “Hold” from “Buy” due to the company’s lower guidance. Drexel has a price target of $40 on XLNX, suggesting a 4% downside to the stock’s current price.
Piper Jaffray lowered its estimates and PT on Xilinx. The PT was cut to $46, suggesting an 11% upside to the stock’s current price. XLNX has a yield of 2.79%.
Jefferies Cuts Numbers on American Express
American Express (AXP ) had its estimates and price target lowered at Jefferies, due to lower gas prices and the stronger U.S. dollar. Jefferies now has a PT of $90 on AXP, suggesting a 3% upside to the stock’s current price. AXP has a yield of 1.19%.
Cisco Gets PT Boost at Piper Jaffray
Cisco (CSCO ) had its price target raised to $33 at Piper Jaffray, suggesting a 19% upside to the stock’s current price. Piper made the raise because a recent survey suggested that CSCO will see higher customer demand. CSCO has a yield of 2.73%.
Credit Suisse Cuts Numbers on Discover
Discover Financial Services (DFS ) had its price target and estimates lowered at Credit Suisse, as DFS is seeing higher operating costs and lower spending volume. CS now has a PT of $71 on DFS, suggesting the stock will rise by 17%. DFS has a yield of 1.58%.
