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FBR Capital Reiterates “Outperform” Rating on Consol Energy (CNX)

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:56:04 +0000

Electric power producer Consol Energy ( CNX ) on Monday saw its “Outperform” rating reaffirmed by analysts at FBR Capital, following a recent tour of the company’s Baltimore marine terminal. The firm also backed its $59 price target on CNX, which implies a healthy 18% upside to the stock’s Friday closing price of $49.81. An FBR analyst commented, “We toured the CONSOL Energy’s marine terminal at Baltimore port and also spent time with executives and port operating management to provide a marketing and export overview. The key takeaway from the tour is that the port is extremely strategic to CONSOL Energy and maximizes its met coal production as well as provides the ammunition to drive steam coal realizations higher in a $4/Mcf to $6/Mcf natural gas world. We expect export volumes to increase from about 6.8 MTs in 2010 to 8 MTs to 10 MTs in 2011, driven from rising steam and crossover met tons. We also got a birds-eye and detailed view of the necessary expansion tasks to increase CONSOL’s Baltimore port capacity from about 14 MTs to over 16 MTs, expanding its export capacity from 22 MTs to 24 MTs in 2012.” Consol Energy shares rose 19 cents, or +0.4%, in premarket trading Monday. The Bottom Line Shares of Consol Energy ( CNX ) have a .80% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $49.81. The stock has technical support in the $45 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $54-$55 price levels. Consol Energy ( CNX ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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FBR Capital Reiterates “Outperform” Rating on Consol Energy (CNX)

Procter & Gamble Downgraded to “Market Perform” at BMO Capital (PG)

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:45:16 +0000

Consumer products maker The Procter & Gamble Company ( PG ) on Monday caught a downgrade from analysts at BMO Capital. The firm said it cut its rating on PG from “Outperform” to “Market Perform,” and lowered its price target from $74 to $70. That new target still implies an 11% upside over the stock’s Friday closing price of $62.84. Last month, PG reported fiscal second quarter earnings that were roughly in-line with analyst estimates. Procter & Gamble shares were mostly flat in premarket trading Monday. The Bottom Line We have been recommending shares of Procter & Gamble ( PG ) since Sept.1, 2009, when the stock was trading at $54.11. The company has a 3.07% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $62.84. The Procter & Gamble Company ( PG ) is a “Recommended” dividend stock, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Procter & Gamble Downgraded to “Market Perform” at BMO Capital (PG)

Dividend Stock Leaders for the Week of Feb.22-25 (HPQ, WMT, CHK, FDX, CMI, more)

admin — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:12:48 +0000

Here are some of the biggest dividend stock winners and losers from the week that just ended. Company Fri. Close Weekly % Change Dividend Yield Duncan Energy Partners L.P. ( DEP ) $40.54 +23.86% 4.49% Chesapeake Energy Corporation ( CHK ) $35.37 +16.23% 0.85% Herbalife Ltd. ( HLF ) $78.20 +12.45% 1.28% V.F. Corporation ( VFC ) $95.98 +6.88% 2.63% Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ( WMT ) $51.75 -6.55% 2.34% Cummins Inc. ( CMI ) $102.33 -7.01% 1.03% J.C. Penney ( JCP ) $34.16 -7.73% 2.34% FedEx ( FDX ) $89.88 -8.58% 0.53% Hewlett-Packard ( HPQ ) $42.68 -12.31% 0.75% Expeditors International of Washington Inc. ( EXPD ) $47.67 -13.06% 0.84% InterDigital Inc. ( IDCC ) $48.37 -16.79% 0.83% NutriSystem Inc ( NTRI ) $13.89 -36.55% 5.04% Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Dividend Stock Leaders for the Week of Feb.22-25 (HPQ, WMT, CHK, FDX, CMI, more)

J.C. Penney’s Q4 Profit Surges 36%, Beating Estimates (JCP)

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:56:24 +0000

Department store operator J.C. Penney Company, Inc. ( JCP ) on Friday said its fourth quarter profit jumped 36% from last year on higher sales and lower costs, beating analyst estimates. The Plano, TX-based company reported fourth quarter net income of $271 million, or $1.13 per share, compared with $200 million, or 84 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, adjusted profit was $1.23 per share. Sales rose almost 3% from last year to $5.7 billion. On average, Wall Street analysts expected a much smaller profit of $1.11 per share for the quarter. Looking ahead, the company forecast full-year 2011 profit to range from $2 to $2.10 per share, excluding items, which would easily surpass analysts’ current estimate of $1.82 per share for the year. JCP also announced a new $900 million share buyback plan. J.C. Penney shares rose 76 cents, or +2.1%, in premarket trading Friday. The Bottom Line Shares of J.C. Penney ( JCP ) have a 2.19% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $36.55. The stock has technical support in the $32 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $40 price level. J.C. Penney Company, Inc. ( JCP ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.3 out

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J.C. Penney’s Q4 Profit Surges 36%, Beating Estimates (JCP)

The Gap’s Q4 Earnings Beat View; Dividend Boost, Share Buyback Planned (GPS)

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:49:35 +0000

Apparel retailer The Gap Inc. ( GPS ) on Friday said its fourth quarter profit rose 4% from last year, beating analyst estimates. The San Francisco-based company reported fourth quarter net income of $365 million, or 60 cents per share, compared with $352 million, or 51 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 3% from last year to $4.36 billion. On average, Wall Street analysts expected a smaller profit of 57 cents per share, on slightly lower revenue of $4.34 billion. Looking ahead, The Gap forecast full-year 2011 profit to range from $1.88 to $1.93 per share, which would miss analyst estimates for $1.94 per share. The company also said it would buy back an additional $2 billion worth of its own shares, and would boost its quarterly dividend payout to 11.25 cents per share from a previous 10 cents. The Gap shares rose 26 cents, or +1.2%, in premarket trading Friday. The Bottom Line Shares of Gap Inc. ( GPS ) will now have a 2.00% dividend yield, based on the higher dividend payout and last night’s closing stock price of $22.49. The stock has technical support in the $19 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $23-$24 price levels. The Gap Inc. ( GPS ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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The Gap’s Q4 Earnings Beat View; Dividend Boost, Share Buyback Planned (GPS)

Market Wrap-Up for Feb.24 (XOM, MRO, SLB, KSS, TGT, NEM, more)

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 04:11:25 +0000

The manic pundits are back in full effect this week. One minute the market is overvalued, then the next minute it’s time to start buying with the indices down 1%. Huh? Then the market begins to give back part of the afternoon’s gains, and we go back to “overvalued” territory. This is the kind of stuff we get on a daily basis from business media and the pundits they line up to feed the adrenaline of traders that are watching. Notice I said traders, and not investors. The markets are geared toward the “fast and the furious” when it comes to TV ratings. Now you know what I am getting at with today’s subject line — step away from the ledge! Dividend investors that are looking for income should not be distracted by the headline grabbers and instead should look for opportunities in companies that are currently on our Best Dividend Stocks List . If you are trading these names, then you may not be interested in what the aim of our site is. We do feature some growth-related dividend plays for those looking to be aggressive, but not for day-trading types. Our main focus is on quality dividend names with attractive yields, and this should be the focus for all those that are hoping to build income for the long-term. We will continue to parse through our data to make sure the names we like best remain on our recommended list. If we take off higher-yield names, it is not a “sell” call (unless we explicitly say it is, which is very rare). We just want to have the best names from a risk/reward standpoint on our recommended list for new money at all times. Investors should however utilize a sell strategy in the event a company you own drops 25% from its 52-week high and there are company-specific problems that could cause significant underperformance for that particular stock. It was a back and forth afternoon as we gave up the early gains to end the day mixed. I was seeing some giveback in the energy plays after a huge run for the sector. The pullback was led by Exxon Mobil ( XOM ), Marathon Oil ( MRO ), and Schlumberger ( SLB ) just to name a few. Earnings news helped lift retailers Target ( TGT ) and Kohl’s ( KSS ), which just initiated a dividend this morning. H.J. Heinz ( HNZ ) was up after reaffirming earnings estimates. Gold-mining giant Newmont Mining ( NEM ) closed down over 7% after the company reported its quarterly results. We are definitely seeing some of our favorite names getting a bit of extra company during the recent sell-off as investors scramble for places to park money before heading back into the momentum forest. It certainly doesn’t hurt our portfolios, but some stocks are getting a bit ahead of …

Market Wrap-Up for Feb.23 (HPQ, MRO, DEP, CVX, COP, EPD, more)

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:08:15 +0000

Sky-high oil prices are continuing to impact the markets more than some pundits have previously predicted. Too many in the media were painting too easy a picture of the Middle East situation, and you can see how quickly things can escalate, especially when it comes to the spike in oil costs. We removed a few more names from our “Best Dividend Stocks” list today so please be sure to check out the link below if you did not read the e-mail alert we sent out earlier. Elsewhere, earnings reactions to Hewlett Packard ( HPQ ) did not go well, with shares closing down nearly 10%. Other earnings-related selling occurred in names like Fluor Corp ( FLR ), Washington Post ( WPO ), and Eaton Vance ( EV ). Not surprising that energy names were pushing higher once again, on the back of higher oil prices. We saw big gains for Marathon Oil ( MRO ), ConocoPhillips ( COP ) and Chevron ( CVX ). It was also a good day for Duncan Energy Partners ( DEP ) on the news Enterprise Products Partners ( EPD ) was making a bid for the company. There was a great piece on CBS Moneywatch yesterday that highlighted individuals making $100K or more, as broken down by an American Savings Education Council survey. The focus was on savings and retirement. Here were some of the main points: * 81 percent have a savings plan with specific goals. * 39 percent have no consumer debt. * 43 percent are able to save more than 10 percent of their income. * 59 percent have automated savings set up outside of their workplace retirement plan. * 68 percent save – rather than spend – at least part of a windfall such as a bonus or tax refund. * 74 percent are saving enough for retirement. Everyone knows I am a big fan of automating. Automating your saving and investing is one of the best ways you can get yourself and others you are hoping to teach about money in the right direction from day one. What you don’t …

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Market Wrap-Up for Feb.23 (HPQ, MRO, DEP, CVX, COP, EPD, more)

Dillard’s Q4 Profit Surges 38% on Higher Sales (DDS)

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:08:33 +0000

Apparel and home furnishings retailer Dillard’s, Inc. ( DDS ) late Tuesday said its fourth quarter profit jumped 38% from last year on higher sales, beating analyst estimates. The Little Rock, AR-based company reported forth quarter net income of $109.6 million, or $1.75 per share, compared with $79.5 million, or $1.08 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding special items, adjusted profit was $1.55 per share. On average, Wall Street analysts expected a smaller profit of $1.38 per share. Dillard’s also said that quarterly revenue rose more than 5% from last year to $1.98 billion, while same-store sales jumped 7%. Same-store sales are a key indicator of a retailer’s health, since they measure the performance of stores open at least one year. Dillard’s shares rose $2.05, or +5.1%, in premarket trading Wednesday. The Bottom Line Shares of Dillard’s ( DDS ) have a .40% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $40.45. The stock has technical support in the $35 price area. If the shares can build on today’s news, we see overhead resistance around the $42-$45 price levels. Dillard’s, Inc. ( DDS ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Dillard’s Q4 Profit Surges 38% on Higher Sales (DDS)

Enterprise Products Makes Offer to Buy Duncan Energy (EPD, DEP)

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:54:47 +0000

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. ( EPD ) on Wednesday offered to buy the remaining stake in fellow pipeline Duncan Energy Partners L.P. ( DEP ). Enterprise, which is based in Houston, said it offered $42 per common DEP share, a 29% premium over the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $32.56. The company already owns about 58% of Duncan’s outstanding common shares. Duncan’s management said it would review the buyout offer. Enterprise CEO Michael Creel commented, “Public unitholders of Duncan Energy Partners would receive a substantial premium over the current trading price, a substantial distribution increase and a more liquid security.” Duncan Energy shares rocketed up more than 35% in premarket trading Wednesday, while Enterprise shares fell slightly. The Bottom Line Shares of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. ( EPD ) have a 5.40% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $43.70. Shares of Duncan Energy Partners L.P. ( DEP ) have a 5.59% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $32.56. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. ( EPD ) is a “Recommended” dividend stock, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. Duncan Energy Partners L.

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Enterprise Products Makes Offer to Buy Duncan Energy (EPD, DEP)

Barnes & Noble Suspends Dividend as Q3 Earnings Badly Miss (BKS)

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:09:37 +0000

Embattled book retailer Barnes & Noble, Inc. ( BKS ) on Tuesday posted much worse-than-expected fiscal third quarter earnings and suspended its dividend payouts, sending its shares reeling in premarket trading. The New York-based company reported fiscal third quarter net income of $1, which badly missed analyst estimates for $1.13 per share. Its revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter also fell short of analyst estimates of $2.38 billion. In a huge bit a news, the company also said it would suspend its dividend payout, amid rising difficulties in the book retail sector. Barnes & Noble’s chief brick-and-mortar rival, Borders, announced last week it would shutter 30% of its stores and enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Barnes & Noble shares fell $1.01, or -5.4%, in premarket trading Tuesday. The Bottom Line If you remember, we have been repeatedly warning investors the company’s near 7% dividend yield was unsustainable. We hope investors heeded our advice to stay away. Barnes & Noble, Inc. ( BKS ) no longer pays a dividend. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Barnes & Noble Suspends Dividend as Q3 Earnings Badly Miss (BKS)

Macy’s Q4 Profit Surges 50%, Beating View (M)

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:30:24 +0000

Department store operator Macy’s, Inc. ( M ) on Tuesday posted a 50% gain in fourth quarter profit, aided by higher sales, and issued a solid 2011 forecast. The New York-based company reported fourth quarter net income of $667 million, or $1.55 per share, compared with $445 million, or $1.05 per share, in the year-ago period. Sales rose 5% from last year to $8.27 billion. On average, Wall Street analysts expected a smaller profit of $1.51 per share for the quarter. Looking ahead, the company forecast 2011 full-year profit to range from $2.25 to $2.30 per share, while analysts expect $2.27 per share for the year. Macy’s shares rose 25 cents, or +1.1%, in premarket trading Tuesday. The Bottom Line Shares of Macy’s ( M ) have a .84% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $23.75. The stock has technical support in the $21-$22 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $26 price level. Macy’s, Inc. ( M ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Macy’s Q4 Profit Surges 50%, Beating View (M)

V.F. Corp Q4 Profit Rises on Higher Sales, Beating View (VFC)

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:26:53 +0000

Apparel maker V.F. Corporation ( VFC ) on Tuesday said its fourth quarter profit rose from last year on higher sales, beating anlayst estimates. The Greensboro, NC-based company reported fourth quarter adjusted net income of $196.1 million, or $1.78 per share, compared with $181.3 million, or $1.62 per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue jumped 11% from last year to $2.13 billion. On average, Wall Street analysts expected a much lower profit of $1.65 per share, on smaller revenue of $2.03 billion. V.F. Corp shares rose $2.20, or +2.5%, in premarket trading Tuesday. The Bottom Line We have been recommending shares of V.F. Corp ( VFC ) since Dec.17, 2010, when the stock was trading at $88.16. Shares of VFC have a 2.81% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $89.80. V.F. Corporation ( VFC ) is a “Recommended” dividend stock, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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V.F. Corp Q4 Profit Rises on Higher Sales, Beating View (VFC)