Semiconductors Broadcom and Cree Push Forward in an Uncertain Environment
September 15, 2019
Image Source: Broadcom Inc – IR Presentation By Callum Turcan Broadcom (AVGO) posted third quarter earnings for its fiscal 2019 on September 12. The semiconductor and enterprise software giant reported GAAP revenues of $5.5 billion (up 9% year-over-year) and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $5.16 (up 4% year-over-year). The initial reaction from Wall Street was pessimistic on September 13 but shares of AVGO climbed later in the trading session to recover some of those initial losses. Reiterating FY2019 Outlook, FY2020 Outlook Uncertain Right off the bat, one thing we think is very important is that Broadcom reaffirmed revenue guidance for FY2019 calling for $22.5 billion in net sales ($17.5 billion from semiconductor solutions and $5.0 billion from infrastructure software sales). However,
Kroger Posts Solid Quarter, Issues Weak Guidance
September 13, 2019
Image Shown: Kroger Company – IR Presentation By Callum Turcan On September 12, food retailer Kroger Company (KR) reported second-quarter earnings for its fiscal 2019 that ended August 17. The company posted 2.2% year-over-year same-store sales growth, when excluding fuel sales (due to the volatile nature of petroleum product prices), and that was assisted by 31% year-over-year digital sales growth. Its FIFO gross margin contracted by almost 30 basis points according to management due to pressures at its pharmacy and specialty pharmacy business. However, corporate initiative Restock Kroger allowed for the retailer’s GAAP operating margin to climb marginally year-over-year as operating expenses were kept relatively contained. Shares of KR, after a volatile trading session, ended flat September 12. Restock Kroger
Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending September 13
September 13, 2019
Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending September 13. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund (AEF): now $0.045 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.04. BIOQUAL (BIOQ): now $0.70 per share annual dividend, was $0.60. BRT Apartments (BRT): now $0.22 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. CNB Community Bancorp (CNBB): now $0.26 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.25. Exantas Capital (XAN): now $0.25 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.225. First Farmers Financial (FFMR): now $0.31 per
Merck Shows Impressive Margin Expansion
September 12, 2019
Image Source: Merck & Co Inc – IR Presentation By Callum Turcan Pharmaceutical giant Merck (MRK) has performed well during the past few fiscal years by reducing operating costs while utilizing strong growth at some of its oncology drug offerings to drive sales higher. Shares of Merck yield 2.7% as of this writing and are trading at the upper half of our fair value estimate range after an impressive run up in Merck’s stock price began in April 2018. Management recently raised Merck’s full-year sales and non-GAAP EPS guidance for 2019, which we will cover in a moment. Enhancing Profitability Levels From 2016 to 2018, Merck cut its GAAP operating expenses from $35.1 billion to $33.6 billion (down over 4%)
Our Reports on Stocks in the Railroad Industry
September 12, 2019
Image Source: Dan O’Brien Structure of the Railroads Industry The railroad industry operates at a significant competitive advantage relative to motor transportation in that it can charge lower rates for long-haul bulk shipments (coal, grain, rock). Still, participants face competition from other railroads that operate parallel routes, from motor carriers that provide similar services, and from barges in routes close to inland and Gulf Coast waterways. Operating a railroad is a capital-intensive proposition, and participants face cost pressures from both union labor and fuel. Pricing and volume trends in commodity categories can be quite volatile from year to year. We like the group. We’ve optimized our industrials coverage. Our reports can be found here.
Economic Roundtable: “Value” Versus “Growth” Rotation
September 11, 2019
Tickerized for the DIA. “This kind of trading activity could be setting the stage for a big quant fund blow up, if the kind of leverage it takes to move the markets to this magnitude was applied. All it may take is for the B/M “value” factor to continue to suffer in the coming 12-18 months–it’s possible we could see a few quant firms go belly up. My guess is that market participants are paying very close attention to this activity, and if they “smell blood,” things could get ugly.” – Brian Nelson, CFA Earlier this week, the markets experienced significant internal “rotation,” as cyclicals and “value” stocks materially outperformed their defensive and “growth” counterparts, all the while the broader
Why We Like BIN Holding Visa So Much
September 11, 2019
Image Source: Visa Inc – 2018 Annual Report By Callum Turcan One of our favorite holdings in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio is Visa (V), which has been included in the portfolio since November 2011 (see BIN transaction log here). Visa’s growth story is straightforward. The company is a secular growth play on the emergence of a global cashless society, one that is increasingly relying on debit and credit cards for most transactions. We think there’s still an enormous amount of room left to go on this front, especially in emerging and developing markets. We assign Visa a fair value estimate of $182/share (updated in the middle of August) and the top end of our fair value estimate range sits
Apple Makes Its Big Push Into Services
September 11, 2019
Image Shown: Apple announced that Apple TV+ would launch November 1, 2019, during its big update event on September 10. This marks the beginning of Apple’s transition from a hardware and software company to a hardware, software, and services giant. By Callum Turcan On September 10, Apple Inc (AAPL) held its big hardware and software event but the real star of the show was services. Namely, Apple TV+ which will launch this upcoming November 1 at the relatively low price of just $4.99 per month. That’s below the starting price point offered by Apple’s (future) video streaming competitors including Netflix (NFLX), Walt Disney Company (DIS), and others. Apple is coming out swinging with star studded launches of its own exclusive
Consider This Blue Chip High Yield Dividend Play
September 10, 2019
Image Shown: Shares of AT&T moved higher on September 9 after hedge fund manager Elliott Management, run by multibillionaire activist investor Paul Singer, disclosed a $3.2 billion stake in the firm. The hedge fund has big plans for AT&T and is pushing for changes at the telecommunications, media, and entertainment company. By Callum Turcan High Yield Dividend Newsletter holding AT&T (T) was back in the news this Monday (September 9) as activist investor Paul Singer, founder of Elliott Management, announced that the hedge fund manager had acquired a $3.2 billion stake in the company. Through a four-point plan, dubbed “the Activating AT&T Plan” according to the letter Elliott Management sent AT&T pushing for change, Elliot Management thinks shares of T
DGN Holding Realty Income Continues Moving Higher
September 6, 2019
Image Shown: Shares of Realty Income Corporation (O) have been on an upward tear this year as excitement over a lower interest rate environment, courtesy of the Federal Reserve, is driving up interest in real estate investment trusts. By Callum Turcan A holding in our Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, Realty Income Corporation (O) invests in single-tenant properties both domestically and now abroad after expanding overseas for the first time earlier this year. The REIT pays out a monthly dividend and has done so for 590 consecutive months (as of early-September 2019), pushing through 102 payout increases since going public in 1994. Shares of the REIT yield 3.6% as of this writing. We like Realty Income’s “A” rated credit ratings (A3/A-),
