8 Ex-Dividend Stocks With Buy Ratings

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The following stocks go ex-dividend Wednesday, meaning an investor must purchase the shares Tuesday to qualify for the next dividend payment: Staples (SPLS), InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Coventry Health Care (CVH), Advance Auto Parts (AAP), Piedmont Natural Gas (PNY), Heartland Express (HTLD), World Fuel Services (INT) and Iron Mountain (IRM).

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

Staples

The office retailer raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 11 cents a share. The dividend is payable on April 12.

"Shares have run up on a better labor outlook only to retreat each time," Jefferies analysts wrote in a March 1 report. "The stock is stuck in a range until we see a few changes, including a stabilization of international sales and margin, clearer signs of underlying improvement in NA beyond weather and improvement in labor. Staples remains challenged by a low growth environment, secular headwinds and excess capacity with occasional irrational behavior from competitors."

Forward Annual Dividend Yield: 2.7%

Rated "B (Buy)" by TheStreet Ratings: The company's fourth-quarter gross profit margin was about the same as last year.

Staples has weak liquidity. Its Quick Ratio is 0.81, which demonstrates a lack of ability to meet its short-term cash needs.

In the fourth quarter, stockholders' net worth increased 1.02% from the prior year.

TheStreet Ratings' price target is $19.05. The stock closed Monday at $16.46 and has risen 18.5% year to date.

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