Investing

4 UBS Large Cap Top Pick Dividend Growth Stocks to Buy Now

Lee Jackson

Published: April 25, 2017 8:30 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 12:41 pm

One of the disturbing trends about the ongoing market rally is that a small number of huge stocks are responsible for much of the gains, and that is reminiscent of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s. A good rule of thumb for investors looking to add to portfolios now is to seek growth stocks with upside potential that also pay good dividends, and importantly, continue to grow those dividends.

We screened the UBS large cap Top Pick growth stocks for those that also pay dividends, and we found four that look very attractive now. They are best suited for accounts with a slightly higher degree of risk tolerance.

Allergan

This stock has had a very strong run off lows printed in December. Allergan Inc. (NYSE: AGN) develops, manufactures and markets branded pharmaceutical products. Its growth has been driven largely by acquisitions supported by internal growth, with significant acquisitions of the “old” Allergan, Forest and Warner-Chilcott.

Allergan markets a portfolio of best-in-class products that provide valuable treatments for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics, gastroenterology, women’s health, urology, cardiovascular and anti-infective therapeutic categories, and it operates the world’s third-largest global generics business, providing patients around the globe with increased access to affordable, high-quality medicines.

Allergan is an industry leader in research and development, with one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry and a leading position in the submission of generic product applications globally.

Shareholders receive a 1.2% dividend. The UBS price target for the stock is $275. The Wall Street consensus price objective is $268.67. Shares closed Monday at $236.98.

Mondelez

This sector giant also makes good sense for conservative accounts. Mondelez International Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ) manufactures and markets snack food and beverage products worldwide. The company offers biscuits, including cookies, crackers and salted snacks; chocolates, and gums and candies; powdered beverages and coffee; and cheese and grocery products. The company’s primary brand portfolio includes LU, Nabisco and Oreo biscuits; Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolates; Trident gum; Jacobs Kaffee; and Tang powdered beverages.

Mondelez sells its products to supermarket chains, wholesalers, supercenters, club stores, mass merchandisers, distributors, convenience stores, gasoline stations, drug stores, value stores and other retail food outlets through direct store delivery, company-owned and satellite warehouses, distribution centers and other facilities, as well as through independent sales offices and agents.

Shareholders receive a 1.7% dividend. UBS has a $50 price target, while consensus target is $48.69. The shares closed Monday $45.39.

Disney

This is a top consumer media company with multiple streams of income to push revenue. Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) stock continues outperforming on a near-term and long-term basis. With the movie studio business poised to improve, as with accelerating theme park business, the network programming continues to drive viewership with extensive sports programming. Combining that revenue growth with the company’s solid media networks and interactive presence, and 2017 revenue estimates could be conservative.

The Disney Media Networks segment operates broadcast and cable television networks, domestic television stations, and radio networks and stations, and it is involved in the television production and television distribution operations. Its cable networks include ESPN, Disney channels and ABC Family, as well as UTV/Bindass and Hungama. This segment also owns eight domestic television stations. Disney is also one of 24/7 Wall St. top 10 stocks to own for the next decade.

Shareholders receive a 1.36% dividend. The $130 UBS price target compares with the consensus price objective of $118.70. Shares closed Monday at $113.70.

Visa

This top credit card issuer is becoming a huge leader in digital pay. Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. The company operates one of the world’s most advanced processing networks, VisaNet, that is capable of handling more than 56,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants.

Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead of time with prepaid or pay later with credit products.

The company posted solid earnings and the guidance was effectively raised to the high-end of the range.

Shareholders receive a 0.72% dividend. The UBS price target was raised to $102 from $97. The consensus target is $98.48, and shares closed Monday at $91.85.

These four top companies either reported good earnings and guidance or had a catalyst hit that bodes well for the future. They make good sense for accounts looking to add stocks that are not inflated or overbought.