3 Ex-Dividend Stocks With Buy Ratings

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The following stocks go ex-dividend Thursday, meaning an investor must purchase the shares Wednesday to qualify for the next dividend payment: Graco (GGG), EOG Resources (EOG) and Werner Enterprises (WERN).

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

Graco

The fluid equipment maker is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings on April 24. Analysts, on average, anticipate earnings of 61 cents a share on revenue of $235.59 million.

"Graco Inc. (GGG-NYSE) announced that it has reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission that will allow it to close its previously halted acquisition of ITW's Finishing Businesses (FB), with the closing date currently scheduled for April 2, 2012," KeyBanc Capital Markets analysts wrote in a March 27 report. "Under the agreement, GGG is allowed to integrate the Gema Powder Finishing business (which has cleared the FTC review process) into its operating structure, but must hold the Liquid Finishing assets (i.e., Binks, DeVilbiss, Ransburg and BGK) as a separate entity while the FTC reviews the Company's settlement proposal. The terms of GGG's settlement proposal were not disclosed. After the deal is finalized on April 2, ITW's Liquid Finishing businesses will be wholly-owned by GGG but will operate independently under existing management subject to supervision of a trustee who will report directly to the FTC. Following the completion of its review, the FTC will then make a final decision that will identify the liquid finishing products, businesses and/or assets that GGG will be required to divest within 180 days of notice."

Forward Annual Dividend Yield: 1.7%

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

Graco is very liquid. Its Quick Ratio is 3.46, which shows the company can meet its short-term cash needs.

In the fourth quarter, stockholders' net worth increased 22.19% from the prior year.

TheStreet Ratings' price target is $62.57.

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