One good way to proceed in September, and perhaps the rest of the year, is to stick with the top large-cap blue chip names. That is particularly true of those companies that pay solid dividends and can be counted on continuing to do so.
In a new research report from the UBS CIO Wealth Management Research team, they continue to have a very favorable view on the U.S. equity market despite recent global geopolitical unease. It now seems that almost any way you slice it, the markets have become at least a bit pricey now. This implies that value investors may look to dividends for a safety net.
The UBS Equity Focus list for September is dominated by stocks that in many cases are leaders in their respective sector. We screened for the top yielding names on the list.
Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and the biggest shareholder is Warren Buffett. The company raised its dividend by 9% this year, its 52nd annual dividend increase. While sales growth has been sluggish recently, UBS believes the company is taking the right strategic action to reinvigorate revenue growth.
Investors are paid a solid 3.1% dividend. Coca-Cola’s price target at UBS is $45, and the Thomson/First Call consensus target for the stock is $45.38. Coke closed Friday before the long weekend at $41.72 a share.
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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), like most of the top money center banks, may finally be nearing the end of a very long stretch of losses and penalty payouts. Between mortgage settlements and trading gaffes, the company has taken a PR beating and has still held up well. The latest headline overhang was a cyberattack on the bank reported last week.
J.P. Morgan said that it had not seen unusual fraud activity, but officials briefed on the attack said there had been multiple, very sophisticated intrusions. The mega-cap bank is expected to benefit from commercial loan growth and an upturn in capital spending. Investors are paid a respectable 2.7% dividend. The UBS price target is $68, and the consensus target is $66.70. Shares closed Friday at $59.45.
Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR) is a top stock to buy that the UBS analysts feel will be a beneficiary of the expected upturn in capital spending in the second half of this year. The company boasts a solid balance sheet, with a tiny 0.5 debt-to-equity ratio. Plus the dividend is well covered and was recently increased.
Emerson investors receive a 2.7% dividend. The UBS price target for the stock is $75. The consensus target is $78.89. Emerson closed Friday at $64.02.
Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ) was a new addition to the UBS equity focus list in August and had an outstanding month, rising 8.5% as the overall equity markets gained smartly. The financial services company has strong positions in both equity exchange traded funds (ETFs) and actively managed equity funds, and it is well-positioned to capitalize on inflows into both segments as well as higher asset prices.
Invesco’s investors are paid a 2.6% dividend. The UBS price target is $41. The consensus target is set at $43.53. The shares closed last Friday at $40.84.
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Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) has enjoyed an outstanding year for investors, with shares up more than 20%. It remains a solid health care name on the UBS equity focus list. Next year earnings per share are expected to jump 4.55%. For the next five years, earnings per share gains for Merck are expected to be at almost 4%, a huge jump over the dismal performance in recent years.
The pharmaceutical giant pays shareholders a very solid 2.92% dividend. UBS has a $68 price target, and the consensus target is $61.83. Merck shares closed Friday at $60.11.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is a top technology stock rated Outperform at UBS that offers investors solid growth and income. While posting strong earnings for the second quarter, Microsoft also announced huge layoffs of up to 17,000 employees as a result of the Nokia handset purchase.
Microsoft continues to evolve away from its core Office suite of products and is focused on multiple areas of growth. Investors are paid a respectable 2.45% dividend. The UBS price target is $48, and the consensus target is at $47.35. Microsoft closed Friday at $45.43.
United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) was down almost 15% this summer before starting to bounce back in early August. The stock is still down more than 10% from its June highs and may be offering investors a very attractive entry point. This top industrial stock provides high technology products and services to aerospace industries and building systems worldwide.
United Tech’s segments are UTC Climate, Otis, Controls & Security, UTC Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky. Investors receive a 2.18% dividend. The UBS target price is $129, and the consensus price objective is $128.31. United Technologies closed Friday at $107.98.
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