Analyst Moves: Philip Morris, Marathon Oil, Whirlpool, More (PM, MRO, WHR, More)

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

Philip Morris International Upgraded to “Neutral”

Philip Morris International (PM ) has been upgraded from “Sell” to “Neutral” by Goldman Sachs as its underlying business trends are improving. PM has a dividend yield of 4.76%.

Marathon Oil Boosted to “Outperform”

Marathon Oil (MRO ) has been upgraded to “Outperform” at Wells Fargo. The firm also raised estimates on MRO as the company is cutting costs. MRO has a dividend yield of 2.90%.

RBC Capital Starts Coverage on Whirlpool

RBC Capital has started coverage on Whirlpool (WHR ) with an “Outperform” rating and a $210 price target. According to RBC Capital, demand and free cash flow is improving. WHR has a dividend yield of 1.97%.

Lennar Upgraded at Barclays

Lennar (LEN ) was upgraded from “Equal-Weight” to “Overweight” at Barclays. LEN has a dividend yield of 0.34%.

NVIDIA Corporation Downgraded to “Neutral”

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA ) has been cut to “Neutral” at Roth Capital as the company is facing weak PC demand and currency issues. NVDA has a dividend yield of 1.51%.

Choice Hotels International Upgraded at BofA/Merrill

Choice Hotels International (CHH ) was boosted to “Buy” from “Underperform” at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. CHH has a dividend yield of 1.34%.