7 Ex-Dividend Stocks With Buy Ratings

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The following stocks go ex-dividend Tuesday, meaning an investor must purchase the shares Monday to qualify for the next dividend payment: Microsoft(MSFT), Wynn Resorts(WYNN), Marathon Oil(MRO), Centerpoint Energy(CNP), Archer-Daniels-Midland(ADM), Black Hills(BKH) and MarketAxess(MKTX).

Each of the stocks gets a buy rating from TheStreet Ratings.

See the complete Dividend Calendar.

Microsoft

The software company last month posted better-than-expected second-quarter earnings, but missed on Windows 7 sales.

Microsoft posted an adjusted profit of 77 cents a share on sales of $19.95 billion, up from profit of 74 cents a share on sales of $19 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts were expecting EPS of 68 cents and revenue of $19.14 billion.

Microsoft's entertainment division saw 55% growth in the quarter thanks to holiday sales of the Kinect for Xbox 360, Xbox Live subscriptions and Xbox games.

Shares of Microsoft reached a 52-week high Thursday of $30.80.

"MSFT stock is more about upcoming Win 8 release and how the perception of the defensibility of the Win/Office franchise could change," Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts wrote in a report Friday. "At ~8x PE ex-cash and ~3% div yield, MSFT screens as top 3 defensive in uncertain macro. We reiterate Buy and $33 PO."

Forward Annual Dividend Yield: 2.6%

Rated "A- (Buy)" by TheStreet Ratings: The company's second-quarter gross profit margin was basically the same as the prior year.

Microsoft is extremely liquid. Its Quick Ratio is 2.58, which demonstrates that it can meet its short-term cash needs.

In the second quarter, stockholders' net worth increased 32.26% from the previous year.

TheStreet Ratings' price target is $34.59. The stock closed Friday at $30.50 and has risen 17.49% year to date.