The S&P 500 took a late-day run at its record closing high of 1,565.15, but ended just two points away. The 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average has been setting record highs since last week, when it rallied on March 5 to initially surpass its previous lifetime closing peak set in October 2007. The question again for investors, especially those who have missed the big rally, is where do we go from here?
In a report out today, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) chief equity strategist Thomas Lee points out that there are two distinctive style attributes that will help stocks outperform after such an exhausting bull market run. The team at J.P. Morgan screen their universe of stocks and look for names that exhibit high free cash flow yields, and surprisingly, low dividend yields. The search produced 15 names investors can buy now. In the 11 market pullbacks since 2009, this group of 15 stocks outperformed S&P 500 eight times. We looked through the list for the 10 names with the best dividend yield and selected those.
Consumer and commercial food company ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) leads off the list, with its popular brands from Healthy Choice to Orville Redenbacher’s. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target is $37. The stock also pays a 2.90% dividend.
Technology leader International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) has become a service giant in the industry. The Wall St. consensus price target is $230. IBM pays a 1.60% dividend.
Automotive and industrial parts distributor Genuine Parts Co. (NYSE: GPC) makes the grade. Analysts on Wall St. have a $73.50 price target on the shares. The company also pays a 2.80% dividend.
St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) makes the J.P. Morgan list. The company makes consumer and commercial products used daily around the world, and the consensus estimate is $106. The dividend yield is 2.40%.
Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) provides outsourced payroll, human resources and benefits solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. The consensus price target is $34. Paychex pays a 3.90% dividend.
United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) provides technology products and services to the building systems and aerospace industries worldwide. The consensus price target for this Wall St. favorite is $99.50. The company pays investors a 2.30% dividend.
Serving restaurants with everything from food to utensils, Houston-based Sysco Corp. (NYSE: SYY) makes the J.P. Morgan top 15. The consensus price target is $30. Investors are paid a 3.30% dividend.
PPG Industries Inc. (NYSE: PPG) is a leading paint, coating and special products company. The consensus for this venerable Pittsburgh-based company is $155. The stock pays a 1.70% dividend.
Praxair Inc. (NYSE: PX) sells atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon; rare gases; process gases comprising carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen; electronic gases; specialty gases; and acetylene. The consensus price target is $125. The stock also pays a 2.10% dividend.
A transport stock that makes the J.P. Morgan list is Union Pacific Corp. (NYSE: UNP), which offers rail transportation services across North America. The consensus price target is $150. Investors also a capture a 2% dividend.
The other five stocks on the J.P. Morgan list include Fiserv Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), Sigma-Aldrich Corp. (NASDAQ: SIAL), DENTSPLY International Inc. (NASDAQ: XRAY), Loews Corp. (NYSE: L) and, rounding out the list, is entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS).
We have written at great length this week about what seems to be an overbought and toppy stock market. Investors are faced with a conundrum not faced in years. They face the risk of missing out if the market goes higher or getting caught in the inevitable correction. Our advice remains the same. If you have money to invest, consider scaling or dollar-cost averaging into the market. Having dry powder after a correction may be just the ticket.
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