The ongoing invasion waged by Russia on Ukraine, as well as the growing tensions that have accompanied it, have wreaked havoc on global stock and commodities markets. Investors are anxious because it is unclear to what extent the boycott of Russian commodities will affect inflation levels. There are also concerns about central banks’ responses to increased pricing pressure.
As a result, the U.S. market is likely to remain tumultuous at least for some time now.
In such an environment, TipRanks’ Smart Score System, which allows investors to do more in-depth research of a company before investing in it, may be useful.
This approach evaluates the stock on a scale of one to 10, with ten being the best, based on eight essential factors such as hedge fund and insider trading activity. We have chosen two dividend-paying stocks that got a “Perfect 10” using TipRanks’ Top Smart Score Stocks.
Valero Energy (VLO)
Valero Energy, a key player in the refined oil products industry, has reached a “Perfect 10” level just yesterday. Gasoline and kerosene, jet fuel, diesel oil, and lubricating oils, as well as non-fuel petroleum derivatives like asphalt, are among the company’s offerings.
The company recently reported outstanding fourth-quarter results, with revenues per share up on a year-over-year basis. Revenues surged 116% year-over-year to $35.9 billion, while adjusted earnings jumped to $2.47 per share, up from a loss of $1.06 per share in the year-ago quarter.
These impressive results bolstered the company’s dividend payment policy. The corporation paid out $401 million in dividends in the fourth quarter. The current dividend yield for the corporation is 4.56%.
Further, the majority of experts are optimistic about this firm. On TipRanks, Valero Energy stock commands a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 11 unanimous Buys. The average VLO price target is $98.09, representing 16.8% upside potential.
Also, the stock has generated a lot of excitement among investors. The investors tracking portfolios on TipRanks maintain a very positive outlook on VLO stock. According to the statistics, 14.3% of these investors boosted their VLO stock holdings in the last 30 days.
BlackRock (BLK)
Next up is BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management company that has received a “Perfect 10” over the past three days. Institutions, governments, high-net-worth individuals, and small-scale retail customers are among the clientele served by the business.
The company recently released its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2021. Its quarterly sales rose 14% year-over-year to $5.11 billion, while adjusted profit rose 2.4% year-over-year to $10.42 per share.
Furthermore, BlackRock has a long history of paying dividends. The corporation hiked its dividend by 18% to $4.88 per share during the quarter. This comes to an annualized dividend of $19.52, for a yield of 2.48%.
Analysts are upbeat about this stock, with 8 Buy ratings and 1 Hold rating. The shares are priced at $677.07 and the average BlackRock price target of $993.78 implies around 46.8% upside from current levels.
In addition, investors have been enthusiastic about the stock. It’s worth mentioning that investors recording their portfolios on TipRanks maintain a very positive outlook on BLK stock. The data shows that 16.3% of these investors have increased their holdings in BLK stock in the last 30 days.
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