A number of big-name dividend stocks were subject to analyst moves before today’s opening bell. We highlight the most important changes along with analyst commentary below.
1. Canadian National Railway Upgraded by BofA/Merrill Lynch
BofA/Merrill Lynch upgraded Canadian National Railway (CNI ) from Neutral to Buy, with a price target of $64.00. Shares of Canadian National Railway closed at $55.64 yesterday. CNI pays an annual payout of $1.25 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 2.25%.
2. Norfolk Southern Upgraded by BofA/Merrill Lynch
BofA/Merrill Lynch upgraded Norfolk Southern (NSC ) from Neutral to Buy, with a price target of $90.00. Shares of Norfolk Southern closed at $79.04 yesterday. The company offers an annual payout of $2.36 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 2.99%.
3. BP Upgraded by Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs upgraded BP (BP ) from Sell to Neutral. Shares of BP closed at $31.21 yesterday. The company offers an annual payout of $2.38 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 7.63%.
4. Motorola Solutions Downgraded by Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo downgraded Motorola Solutions Inc. (MSI ) from Market Perform to Underperform. Shares of Motorola closed at $69.09 yesterday. The company offers an annual payout of $1.36 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 1.97%.
5. Church & Dwight Co. Downgraded by UBS
UBS downgraded Church & Dwight Co. (CHD ) from Neutral to Sell. Shares of Church & Dwight Co. closed at $84.99 yesterday. CHD offers an annual payout of $1.34 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 1.58%.
