Analyst Moves: Caterpillar, Barclays, SYSCO, More (CAT, BCS, SYY, More)

Before Tuesday’s opening bell, a number of big name dividend stocks were the subject of analyst moves. Below, we highlight the important analyst commentary for investors.

Caterpillar Downgraded at Argus

Caterpillar (CAT ) has been cut from “Buy” to “Hold” at Argus due to the company’s lower guidance and lack of near-term catalysts. CAT has a dividend yield of 3.46%.

Barclays Upgraded to “Overweight”

Barclays (BCS ) has been upgraded from “Equal-weight” to “Overweight” at Morgan Stanley. BCS has a dividend yield of 3.44%.

SYSCO Upgraded to “Buy”

SYSCO (SYY ) has been upgraded from “Hold” to “Buy” at Deutsche Bank on a valuation call, based on the firm’s $50 price target. SYY has a dividend yield of 3.12%.

See SYY’s Q2 earnings results here.

Freeport-McMoRan Downgraded at BofA/Merrill

Bank of America/Merrill Lynch has downgraded Freeport-McMoRan (FCX ) from “Buy” to “Neutral” as the company lacks near-term catalysts and may cut its dividend if commodity prices remain low. The firm has a $19 price target on FCX, suggesting an 8% upside. FCX has a dividend yield of 7.16%.

Jefferies Raises Estimates on Kohl’s

Jefferies has boosted its price target on Kohl’s (KSS ) to $71, suggesting a 15% upside. The firm has also raised estimates on KSS as the company is expected to post higher sales. KSS has a dividend yield of 2.54%.

Credit Suisse Raises PT on Avery Dennison

Credit Suisse has raised its price target on Avery Dennison (AVY ) to $56, suggesting a 9% upside. The firm has also boosted estimates on AVY as the company is seeing lower costs for raw materials. AVY has a dividend yield of 2.73%.