For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – April 28, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Univest Financial Corp. UVSP, ACNB Corp. ACNB and Qualcomm Inc. QCOM.

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

Buy These 3 Stocks That Declared Dividend Hikes Amid Market Volatility

U.S. stocks rebounded this week on optimism that trade tensions between the United States and China will ease in the coming days once the two trading partners initiate negotiations and reach a deal. However, the rebound came after Wall Street suffered weeks of turmoil that saw major indexes enter correction territory on fears of a large-scale trade war.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day halt on reciprocal tariffs, which brought some temporary relief to investors. However, concerns over the economy’s health are far from over and trade talks between the United States and its trading partners are at a nascent stage.

Volatility in the markets could thus continue for a longer period. Given this uncertainty, cautious investors looking for a steady income and ways to protect their capital may want to hold or buy dividend-paying stocks. Three such stocks are Univest Financial Corp., ACNB Corp. and Qualcomm Inc.

Uncertainty Over Economy’s Health Continues

Investor sentiment got a boost this week after both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that trade tensions could ease as the White House is ready to start negotiations with China. Both Trump and Bessent also said that the current 145% tariffs on Chinese goods would come down substantially once a trade deal is reached.

Also, investors’ worries flared up after Trump recently slammed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for not initiating interest rate cuts to help the economy from slipping into a recession. He even called for Powell’s firing, igniting fears among investors that the central bank could lose its autonomy. However, Trump assured investors on Tuesday that he has no plan to fire Powell.

Investors breathed a sigh of relief after this and markets have somewhat recovered. However, the recent surge comes after weeks of turmoil on Wall Street that saw the Nasdaq enter correction territory and the S&P 500 fall into bear market. The S&P 500 came out of the bear market on Wednesday but the crisis is far from over.

Story Continues

The halt in tariffs is temporary, and investors are still clueless about how the new tariffs will shape up after negotiations. Also, China has yet to show any interest in trade talks with Washington, and it’s unclear whether negotiations will start anytime soon. Also, despite a decline in inflation in March, the Federal Reserve is still undecided on when to resume rate cuts. This could keep markets volatile for a longer period.

3 Stocks That Recently Declared Dividend Hikes

Given the ongoing uncertainty, investing in stocks that pay dividends could be a wise decision. Such companies usually remain stable, consistently paying out dividends while sustaining profitability through strong business strategies. In a fluctuating market, companies that provide significant dividend payments often outperform those that do not.

Univest Financial

Univest Financial Corp. is a bank holding company. UVSP owns all of the capital stock of Union National Bank and Trust Company, Pennview Savings Bank, Univest Realty Corporation, Univest Leasing Corporation, Univest Delaware, Inc., Univest Financial Services Corporation, Univest Insurance Company, and Univest Electronic Services Corporation. Univest Financial Corporation sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

On April 23, Univest Financial announced that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.22 a share on May 21. UVSP has a dividend yield of 2.95%. Over the past five years, Univest Financial Corporation has increased its dividend two times, and its payout ratio presently sits at 34% of earnings. Check Univest Financial Corporation’s dividend history here.

ACNB

ACNB Corp. operates as a provider of banking and financial services to individuals and businesses. ACNB’s personal banking services include deposits, online banking, bill payment, telephone banking, debit cards, reorder checks and other services. Business banking services provided by ACNB Corporation include deposits, cash management, internet banking, business check cards, fast remote electronic deposits and merchant services. ACNB sports a Zacks Rank #1.

On April 23, ACNB declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.34 a share on June 12. ACNB has a dividend yield of 3.07%. Over the past five years, ACNB Corporation has increased its dividend six times, and its payout ratio at present sits at 34% of earnings. Check ACNB Corporation’s dividend history here.

Qualcomm

Qualcomm is a fabless semiconductor company. QCOM’s primary division, QTI (Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) designs high-performance, low-power chip designs for mobile devices, PCs, XR, automotive, embedded, wearable, robotics, connectivity, and AI use cases. Qualcomm has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

On April 21, Qualcomm announced that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $0.89 a share on June 26. QCOM has a dividend yield of 2.42%. Over the past five years, Qualcomm has increased its dividend six times, and its payout ratio at present sits at 38% of earnings. Check QUALCOMM’s dividend history here.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM):Free Stock Analysis Report

Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania (UVSP):Free Stock Analysis Report

ACNB Corporation (ACNB):Free Stock Analysis Report

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