UBS Makes Big Changes to Quality Growth at a Reasonable Price Portfolio

In a new report, UBS jointed the crowd, making some changes and final tweaks to the firm’s very successful Quality Growth at a Reasonable Price (Q-GARP) portfolio. Year to date the portfolio is up on a total return basis 4.3% to S&P 500’s -0.5%.

Here we cover the new changes to the portfolio and highlight the three top dividend yield Q-GARP stocks.

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) makes its debut as a member of the Q-GARP portfolio. The company operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally through three segments: Turner, Home Box Office and Warner Bros. The Turner networks and related properties include TNT, TBS, Adult Swim, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Turner Sports, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, CNN and HLN. Shares closed on Tuesday at $72.79.

T. Rowe Price Group Inc. (NASDAQ: TROW) is a top money management firm, with a host of successful mutual fund offerings, but it was removed from the Q-GARP list. The UBS team has concerns over the Department of Labor’s proposed rule on fiduciary standards, which likely will increase regulatory costs and reduce assets under management (AUM) growth rates for asset managers with a high percentage of AUM in retirement accounts, such as T. Rowe Price. The shares close Tuesday at $69.15.

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Here are three of the top-yielding stocks to buy in the Q-GARP portfolio.

Colgate-Palmolive

This is the stock to buy in consumer staples. UBS thinks Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) continues to deliver solid execution and is one of the best-positioned companies in the consumer staples sector, given its strong brands in attractive categories, particularly oral care. Over half of total revenues (52%) are derived in faster-growth emerging economies, and the company maintains leading or near-leading market shares across the Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) regions. While those have slowed this year, a pickup in growth could be coming.

Colgate-Palmolive investors are paid a 2.3% dividend. UBS has a $69 price target for the stock. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target is $68.88. Shares close on Tuesday at $65.97.

Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK) is another stock favored at UBS, and another one of the industrials on the Q-GARP list. It is the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, and it operates in two massive segments: Architecture & Software and Control Products & Solutions. The company reported solid earnings at the end of January, but analysts noted that it did tighten the forward guidance some.

Rockwell Automation investors are paid a 2.5% dividend. UBS has a $135 price target, while the consensus price objective is at $113.05. The stock closed on Tuesday at $104.54.

United Technologies

This industrial giant provides high technology products and services to aerospace industries and building systems worldwide. United Technologies Corp.’s (NYSE: UTX) segments are UTC Climate, Otis, Controls & Security, UTC Aerospace Systems and Pratt & Whitney. The stock is also a member of the UBS Dividend Rulers portfolio.

United Technologies investors are paid a 2.7% dividend. UBS price objective is set at $118. The consensus price target is $109. The shares closed most recently at $94.28.

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The UBS focus on buying good stocks at a good value makes even more sense now than ever. After years of inflating risk assets with low interest rates, the market will focus much closer on valuations when interest rates start to rise. Although the increases should be very moderate, value will still count more in the coming years.