Best Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:RTN,LFUS,PAYX,LH,COP,

We're still in the wake of calendar 2017's first earnings season. So it wasn't surprising to see a raft of dividend raises last week, especially considering that this year has already been stuffed with lifts from every conceivable type of company.

Here are three notables out of last week's crop.

Image source: Getty Images.

Qualcomm

Following through on an earlier commitment, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) has formally declared a new payout of $0.57 per share, an amount nearly 8% higher than its predecessor.

Qualcomm's most recently reported quarterly results show that its business is still robust, despite several tough legal battles�and a looming acquisition. The company's revenue continued to rise, increasing by almost 4% on a year-over-year basis to $6.0 billion. Adjusted earnings zoomed ahead by 23%, landing at $1.8 billion. That, by the way, shakes out in a very healthy net margin of 30%.

Best Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Raytheon Company(RTN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Raytheon Co. (RTN) is well positioned to capitalize on missile orders given it has the highest exposure to missile defense and tactical missile sales to the Middle East, Bernstein said. Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) also stands to benefit in this light. 

• [By ]

  Cramer and the AAP team say that the president's moves on behalf of Boeing (BA) signal good times for defense names, including Raytheon (RTN) . Find out what they're telling their investment club members and get in on the conversation with a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS.

• [By ]

  As I wrote yesterday, Lockheed' s older F-16 jet is considered a front runner in the Indian Air Force's potential $15 billion order for 110 fighter aircraft. Lockheed also produces the more modern (and stealth capable) F-22, and F-35 fighters. Both of these fighters are professionally thought to be effective against Russia's S-400 long range air defense missile system. That system is currently deployed in western Syria. Last week, Lockheed also won a $247 million contract from NASA to design and build an experimental aircraft that could operate without creating a traditional sonic boom. My price target: $375.

  Raytheon (RTN)

  First off, should the president decide to strike Syria without the use of American pilots, guess who produces the Tomahawk missile? That's right. These guys. On top of that, you might have noticed that two weeks ago, Poland agreed to spend $4.75 billion on RTN's Patriot missile defense system. By the way, this is the largest weapons deal in the history of Poland. Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula has not been lost on this former Warsaw Pact nation.

• [By ]

  And it’s not like there aren’t plenty of catalysts in the wind that could derail the whole thing. For one, there are plenty of big earnings reports this morning that could mess things up, especially in some currently out-of-favor sectors like staples (MO, HSY) and defense (RTN).

• [By ]

  Raytheon (RTN) : "I think Raytheon is one of the best defense names."

  Tallgrass Energy Partners (TEP) : "That dividend is a red flag. That group has become a house of pain and I'm not going there."

Best Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Littelfuse Inc.(LFUS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS) Director John E. Major sold 1,648 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.86, for a total value of $355,737.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,254 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,667,188.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday morning.

  Several other equities analysts have also commented on LFUS. ValuEngine raised Littelfuse from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. Barrington Research reissued a hold rating on shares of Littelfuse in a report on Tuesday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Investment Research lowered Littelfuse from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, April 4th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Littelfuse has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $212.75.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS) was upgraded by stock analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Littelfuse (NASDAQ: LFUS) and ABB Group (NYSE:ABB) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and earnings.

Best Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Paychex Inc.(PAYX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  "For many other stocks, such as gaming (EA, TTWO) and IT services ( (PAYX) , (GPN) ), regulatory risks for Facebook may not necessarily pose a risk to their core business models," writes Goldman Sachs strategist David Kostin. "We expect correlations for these stocks would likely revert to historical averages and present potential buying opportunities given their underperformance since March."

• [By Max Byerly]

  GW&K Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 15.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 509,839 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 89,891 shares during the quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned 0.14% of Paychex worth $31,401,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI trimmed its holdings in shares of Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 2.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 203,575 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 6,098 shares during the quarter. Paychex accounts for approximately 1.9% of Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings in Paychex were worth $12,538,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By ]

  In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Paychex (PAYX) , Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) and XPO Logistics (XPO) .

  Cramer was bearish on 3M (MMM) , Fitbit (FIT) and Granite Construction (GVA) .

Best Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(LH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  MUFG Americas Holdings Corp trimmed its stake in LabCorp (NYSE:LH) by 55.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,683 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 13,073 shares during the quarter. MUFG Americas Holdings Corp’s holdings in LabCorp were worth $1,728,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Here are some of the headlines that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s rankings:

  Get Laboratory Corp. of America alerts: Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Laboratory Corp. of America Put Options (LH) (americanbankingnews.com) Credit Suisse Group Lowers Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) to Hold (americanbankingnews.com) Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday (americanbankingnews.com) Can LaunchPad Aid LabCorp's (LH) Covance Arm in Q1 Earnings? (finance.yahoo.com) As Laboratory Corp Of America Holdings (LH) Shares Rose, Shareholder Veritas Investment Management Llp … (djzplanet.com)

  LH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and set a $204.00 price target (up from $180.00) on shares of Laboratory Corp. of America in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Laboratory Corp. of America from $182.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Laboratory Corp. of America from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Mizuho set a $178.00 target price on Laboratory Corp. of America and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $183.00 target price on Laboratory Corp. of America and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.19.

Best Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: ConocoPhillips(COP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

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  Three Stocks to Watch Today: COP, HD, HSBC ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) has seized assets from the Venezuelan-owned firm PDVSA in the Caribbean. The company won a court case that will allow it to take over assets owned by the Venezuelan government. The court enabled the seizures as part of a broader plan to allow the firm to recoup roughly $2 billion following the 2007 nationalization of its assets in Venezuela by the huge Castro-led government. Monday will be a quiet day on the earnings front. Investors are looking to Tuesday's calendar, when The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) reports earnings. Tomorrow, Wall Street analysts expect that Home Depot will report earnings per share of $2.07 on top of $25.2 billion in revenue. Investors will be hoping that the company reports strong profits thanks to an improving U.S. economy and the recent tax reform law. Expect a lot of chatter today about blockchain technology. That's because ING Bank and HSBC Holdings Plc.�(NYSE: HSBC) announced over the weekend that they engaged in their first trade ever using blockchain technology. The two engaged in a trade on behalf of Cargill to finance a shipment of soybeans from Argentina to Malaysia. Today, look for earnings reports from Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A), Itron Inc.�(Nasdaq: ITRI), Vipshop Holdings Ltd.�(Nasdaq: VIPS), Amyris Biotechnologies Inc. (Nasdaq: AMRS), Sky Solar Holdings Ltd.�(Nasdaq: SKYS), Mazor Robotics Ltd.�(Nasdaq: MZOR), China Lodging Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: HTHT), and Mimecast Ltd.�(Nasdaq: MIME).

  Follow�Money Morning��on��Facebook,�Twitter, and�LinkedIn.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  ConocoPhillips' (NYSE:COP) management team has worked tirelessly in recent years to transform the oil company into one that could thrive on lower prices. As a result, it�cashed in during the first quarter�when crude was well above its baseline plan. That strong showing sets the company up for continued success in the coming year -- a key theme running through management's comments on the accompanying conference call, which detailed recent achievements and how they frame what lies ahead.�

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Before markets open Friday, the two energy producers among the 30 Dow Jones industrial stocks will be reporting first-quarter results. Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) and Chevron Corp. (NYSE: COP) are both expected to show higher revenues and profits, largely as a result of higher commodity prices. But there are other issues at play as well.