6 Ex-Dividend Stocks With Buy Ratings: JNJ, B, GXP, KEY, MDP, NDSN

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The following stocks go ex-dividend Friday, meaning an investor must purchase the shares Thursday to qualify for the next dividend payment: Johnson & Johnson(JNJ) , Barnes Group(B) , Great Plains Energy(GXP) , KeyCorp(KEY) , Meredith(MDP) and Nordson(NDSN) .

Each of the stocks was rated a buy at TheStreet Ratings.

See the complete Dividend Calendar.

Johnson & Johnson

The consumer goods and pharmaceutical company announced Tuesday that Alex Gorsky will become CEO on April 26. Gorsky, the company's executive committee vice chairman, is replacing Bill Weldon who is retiring.

"The move comes a touch earlier than we expected, but JNJ has typically made these announcements in conjunction with the annual shareholders' meeting, and Mr. Gorsky has been one of two well known internal leaders being groomed to potentially succeed Mr. Weldon for over a year," Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts wrote in a report Tuesday. "The other internal candidate - Sheri S. McCoy - will continue on as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and will continue to lead JNJ's Pharma and Consumer Groups. From a stock picking perspective we view this move as more or less expected. The transition should be smooth and we would not expect any significant change in strategic direction for JNJ."

Forward Annual Dividend Yield: 3.5%

Rated "B (Buy)" at TheStreet Ratings: The company's fourth-quarter gross profit margin decreased from the prior year.