Prior to the opening bell today, a few big-name dividend stocks were subject to analyst moves. The most important shifts of the day are highlighted below.
1. Discover Financial Upgraded by Bernstein
Bernstein upgraded Discover Financial (DFS ) from Market Perform to Outperform, with a price target of $69. Shares of Discover Financial closed at $52.17 on Friday. The company pays an annual dividend of $1.12 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 2.15%.
2. Nucor Corporation Upgraded by Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank upgraded Nucor (NUE ) from Hold to Buy, with a price target of $52. Shares of Nucor closed at $38 on Friday. The company pays an annual dividend of $1.49 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 3.92%.
3. Dr Pepper Snapple Upgraded by Evercore ISI
Evercore ISI upgraded Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) from Hold to Buy, with a price target of $92. Shares of Dr Pepper Snapple closed at $79.57 on Friday. The company pays an annual dividend of $1.92 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 2.41%.
4. Lam Research Downgraded by RBC Capital
RBC Capital downgraded Lam Research (LRCX ) from Sector Perform to Underperform, with a price target of $52 (from $76). Shares of Lam Research closed at $65.68 on Friday. The company pays an annual dividend of $1.20 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 1.83%.
5. Applied Materials Downgraded by RBC Capital
RBC Capital downgraded Applied Materials (AMAT ) from Sector Perform to Underperform, with a price target of $12 (from $16). Shares of Applied Materials closed at $14.94 on Friday. The company pays an annual dividend of 40 cents (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 2.68%.
