Just last month, we were being warned that interest rates were ready to move meaningfully higher as inflation and the Federal Reserve were teaming up to end the massive low interest rate paradigm we have been stuck in for years. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, rates have dived lower, with the 10-year Treasury trading at a 1.32% yield, down from near 1.70% at the end of May. The benchmark 30-year Treasury bond is back at the 1.94% level. These are the lowest interest rate levels since last winter.
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For income investors, this is another setback in what has become over a ten-year problem. While rates certainly could rise again, one thing seems certain: the Federal Reserve will not raise rates until it is positive the economy is back at full strength. The only move the Fed looks poised to make in the near term is the beginning of the tapering of the $120 billion per month purchase of Treasury and mortgage debt.

We screened the BofA Securities research universe looking for blue chip stocks rated Buy that paid at least a 4% dividend. We found five that are very appealing now to growth and income investors. While all are rated Buy, it is important to remember that no single analyst report should be used as a sole basis for any buying or selling decision.

Altria

This maker of tobacco products offers value investors a great entry point now and was hit recently as cigarette sales have slowed. Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) is the parent company of Philip Morris USA (cigarettes), UST (smokeless), John Middleton (cigars), Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Philip Morris Capital. PMUSA enjoys a 51% share of the U.S. cigarette market, led by its top cigarette brand Marlboro.

Altria also owns over 10% of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer. In March 2008, it spun off its international cigarette business to shareholders. In December 2018, the company acquired 35% of Juul Labs, and it has purchased a 45% stake in cannabis company Cronus for $1.8 billion.

BofA Securities is very favorable toward the company’s plans for the future:

Management presented at CAGNY (Consumer Analyst Group of New York) where it discussed a new corporate focus on ESG, additional details on its IQOS plans and its “Moving beyond smoking” 10-yr plan. Smokeables (cigarettes/cigars) will remain an important part of its strategy, providing funding behind its long-term growth and shareholder returns. Over the last 5-yrs, smokeable and other comprehensive income grew at a 5.5% compounded annual growth rate despite volume declines.

Shareholders receive a 7.35% dividend. The analyst has a $58 target price on the shares, while the consensus target is lower at $53.89. Altria stock closed on Wednesday at $46.79 per share.

This energy giant is a solid way for investors who are more conservative to be positioned in the sector. Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is a U.S.-based integrated oil and gas company, with worldwide operations in exploration and production, refining and marketing, transportation and petrochemicals. The company sports a sizable dividend and has a solid place in the sector when it comes to natural gas and liquefied natural gas.
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With the strongest financial base of the majors, coupled with an attractive relative asset base, many on Wall Street feel that Chevron offers the most straightforwardly positive risk/reward. Although current conditions do not warrant a large focus on production growth, Chevron possesses numerous medium-term drivers (Noble integration, Permian, TCO/WPMP expansion, Gulf of Mexico exploration, Vaca Muerta, and so on) that should support production levels in the coming years.

Shareholders receive a 5.21% dividend, which analysts feel comfortable will remain at current levels. The BofA Securities price target is $125, which compares to a $122.48 consensus target and the last Chevron stock trade on Wednesday at $102.93 a share.

IBM

This old-school tech giant still offers investors a very solid entry point. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is a leading provider of enterprise solutions, offering a broad portfolio of information technology (IT) hardware, business and IT services, and a full suite of software solutions.

The company integrates its hardware products with its software and services offerings in order to provide high-value solutions. Analysts have cited the company’s potential in the public cloud as a reason for their positive outlook going forward.

CEO Ginni Rommety, who had been in the position since 2012, stepped down in January, and the stock market greeted the news in a very positive manner. Arvind Krishna, who has led the company’s cloud computing business, became the new chief executive. Rometty will remain as executive board chair until the end of the year.

Holders of IBM stock receive a 4.69% dividend. The $175 BofA Securities price target is well above the $144.14 consensus figure. The shares closed at $139.82 on Wednesday.

This top chemical company with a sterling balance sheet is another solid play for conservative investors. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE: LYB) manufactures chemicals and polymers, refines crude oil, produces gasoline blending components and develops and licenses technologies for production of polymers.
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Over half of earnings are generated in the company’s Olefins and Polyolefins Americas segment, where costs are linked to the price of cheap natural gas in the United States, while selling prices are correlated with the price of oil. The company has pursued a strategy of low-cost, high return on invested capital debottlenecks coupled with cash returns to shareholders.

Note that debottlenecking is the process of identifying specific areas or equipment in oil and gas facilities that limit the flow of product (known as bottlenecks) and optimizing them so that overall capacity in the plant can be increased.

The company offers a 4.50% dividend. BofA Securities has set a $117 price target. The consensus target is $118.41, and LyondellBasell stock ended Wednesday at $100.40 a share.

Verizon

Shares of this top telecommunications company offer tremendous value at current levels. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) is one of the largest U.S. telecom companies. It provides wireless and wireline service to retail, enterprise and wholesale customers.

The company’s wireless network serves approximately 120 million mobile connections with 115 million postpaid subscribers. Verizon’s wireline business has undergone a period of secular decline due to wireless substitution and cable competition.

Verizon acquired AOL and Yahoo to create the Oath digital content platform, which the company recently sold at a sizable loss to Apollo Global Management for $5 billion. The sale allows Verizon to offload properties from the former internet empires, though it will keep a 10% stake in the company and it will be rebranded to just Yahoo.

Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and it delivers integrated business solutions to customers worldwide.

Investors are paid a 4.44% dividend. The BofA Securities price objective is $64. The consensus price target is just $60.32, and Verizon stock closed on Wednesday at $56.53.

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The bottom line by any measure is that the stock market is overbought, expensive and long due for a breather. That probably means more than a one- or two-day 3% decline. With that noted, there are very few alternatives for those that need some growth and, most importantly, consistent income. These five stocks all supply both and make sense for growth and income investors.

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