4 Top Dividend Stocks To Watch In The Stock Market Now
As we kick off another trading week, dividend stocks could be coming into focus in the stock market. By and large, this would be the case as investors look ahead towards a flurry of data linked to the economy. On one hand, we have some of the biggest banks in the country reporting their earnings later this week. On the other hand, the latest print on the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) is due later on Tuesday. Worth considering, consensus estimates point towards the CPI gaining by a substantial 8.4% year-over-year increase. This would mark the largest leap since 1982.
How might all this impact dividend stocks might you ask? Well, simply put, with inflation running rampant, many are expecting the Fed to ramp up its interest rate hiking plans. In turn, this could see investors rotating out of high-growth stocks towards more defensive areas. After all, dividend stocks can offer more consistent returns in a volatile market. Namely, this is where longstanding companies such as Dover (NYSE: DOV) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) shine.
Not to mention, some of the top dividend stocks in the stock market today remain hard at work as well. Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) for example is receiving a 700,000-unit order for its Paxlovid COVID-19 drug from Taiwan. With all this in mind, here are four dividend stocks to consider in the stock market today.
Dividend Stocks To Buy [Or Sell] This Week
- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T)
- Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO)
- 3M Company (NYSE: MMM)
- Merck & Company Inc. (NYSE: MRK)
AT&T Inc.
Starting us off today, we have AT&T, a dividend company that connects more than 100 million customers in the U.S. The company continues to innovate to improve lives, offering 5G wireless and multi-gig Internet offerings. This is especially in a world that is rapidly being transformed with data and connectivity. In fact, the company also continues to be a leader in 5G and Fiber and takes pride in the fact that it offers the nation’s most reliable 5G, reaching more than 255 million people across more than 16,000 cities and towns in the U.S. The company also recently announced a dividend of $0.2775 per common share.
Today, the company announced that they have closed their transaction to combine its WarnerMedia business with Discovery. The combination creates a premier standalone global media and entertainment company, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., which will begin trading on the Nasdaq with the start of trading on Monday, April 11, under the new ticker symbol WBD. Furthermore, JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) says that AT&T is now a buy and is trading at a discount after the telecom company completed the deal. All things considered, is T stock worth investing in right now?
Altria Group Inc.
Following that, we have Altria, one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products. In essence, it also holds diversified positions across tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments in other companies, it seeks to provide category-leading choices to adult consumers, while returning maximum value to shareholders through dividends and growth. In February, the company announced a regular quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share, payable on April 29, 2022, to shareholders as of March 25, 2022.
On April 5, 2022, Altria also announced that it has signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for energy produced by a new wind farm project in Haskell and Throckmorton Counties, Texas. Altria’s contracted portion of the Inertia Wind Energy Center is intended to address the emissions from 100 percent of Altria’s annual purchased electricity demand across all U.S. facilities. With that in mind, is MO stock a buy?
3M Company
3M is a multinational conglomerate corporation that operates in the fields of industry, worker safety, and health care. It uses science to improve lives and help solve the world’s toughest challenges. The company continues to execute its plan to deliver exceptional value for its customers and also provide premium returns to its shareholders. In February, the company declared a dividend of $1.49 per common share for the first quarter of 2022.
The company says that it is well-positioned for long-term sustainable growth and value creation in its 2022 guidance. Diving in, the company expects total sales growth of 1% to 4% and an earnings per share of $10.15 to $10.65 in 2022. “3M is powered by purpose, unlocking the power of people, ideas, and science, to re-imagine what’s possible and create what’s next,” said 3M chairman and CEO Mike Roman. “We are well-positioned for 2022 and beyond because of our customer-inspired innovation, industry-leading businesses, fundamental strengths, and world-class capabilities enabling us to win in fast-growing markets.” Given this piece of news, is MMM stock a top dividend stock to consider adding to your portfolio?
[Read More] Top Stock Market News For Today April 11, 2022
Merck & Co. Inc.
Last but not least, we have Merck, a multinational pharmaceutical company. It has been a leader in the industry for over 130 years and has brought many life-saving medicines and vaccines to millions of people. It also continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten both people and animals. This would include cancer, infectious diseases, and emerging animal diseases. On January 25, 2022, the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.69 per common stock.
Last week, in its investor’s meeting, it provided a detailed overview of its broad and growing cardiopulmonary pipeline and portfolio at a virtual meeting. This comes at a time when cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality globally. Accordingly, emerging science is presenting new opportunities to address these unmet medical needs. Merck has been developing a promising cardiovascular pipeline with the potential to build on its proud legacy in this important field of research. It also announced the expansion of its Elkton manufacturing facility to further increase its HPV vaccine supply. For these reasons, is MRK stock worth buying?
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