Before today’s opening bell, a number of big-name dividend stocks were the subject of analyst moves. Below we highlight the most important analyst commentary for investors.
1. Morgan Stanley Upgraded by RBC Capital
RBC Capital upgraded Morgan Stanley (MS ) from Sector Perform to Outperform, with a price target of $39. Shares of Morgan Stanley closed at $32.36 yesterday. The company pays an annual dividend of 60 cents (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 1.85%.
2. Abbott Labs Upgraded by Barclays
Barclays upgraded Abbott Labs (ABT ) from Equalweight to Overweight, with a price target of $52. Shares of Abbott Labs closed at $39.89 yesterday. The company pays an annual dividend of 96 cents (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 2.41%.
3. BHP Billiton Upgraded by Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley upgraded BHP Billiton (BHP ) from Equalweight to Overweight. Shares of BHP Billiton closed at $34.25 yesterday. The company pays an annual dividend of $2.48 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 7.24%.
4. Phillips 66 Downgraded by Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank downgraded Phillips 66 (PSX ) to Hold. Shares of Phillips 66 closed at $82.58 yesterday. The company pays an annual dividend of $2.24 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 2.71%.
5. Potash Corp. Downgraded by HSBC
HSBC downgraded Potash Corp. (POT) from Buy to Hold. Shares of Potash Corp. closed at $21.20 yesterday. The company pays an annual dividend of $1.52 (paid quarterly) and has a yield of 7.17%.
