MLP Debate: Not Over?
July 7, 2016
I’d like to apologize in advance, but we have to cover some well-traveled ground…again. We know many of you joined “midstream” our call on Kinder Morgan and the MLP space, perhaps in January or February 2016, and some may not have the entire story arc. This article really may be the difference between a life-long customer and someone that cancels today. By Brian Nelson, CFA In June 2015, Valuentum issued a report “5 Reasons Why We Expect Kinder Morgan’s (KMI) Shares to Collapse,” a piece that included our warning about the impending collapse in shares of Kinder Morgan and our major concerns across the MLP spectrum due to their insufficient free cash flow relative to distributions paid in light of
The Next Banking Crisis? No… Well, Not Yet.
July 5, 2016
Image Source: Berit Watkin “Washington Mutual customers withdrew $16.7 billion in cash from the thrift in the past nine days, a huge outflow that led to the largest bank failure in U.S. history, the institution’s regulator said Friday.” — MarketWatch, September 26, 2008 By Brian Nelson, CFA Let’s get this out of the way. We’re not sensationalistic or bombastic. We’re realistic, and we love focusing on the risks of investing because an investor that knows his downside risks is a much better investor than the one that is only looking at sunshine in the rear-view mirror. I’m going to put it bluntly. We’re starting to hear of some rather serious developments in the UK following Brexit. If the UK pound hitting
Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending July 1
July 4, 2016
Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending July 1. 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 Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK): now $0.16 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.155. Darden Restaurants (DRI): now $0.56 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.50. Empire Resources (ERS): now $0.04 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.025. General Mills (GIS): now $0.48 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.46. Global Water Resources (GWRS): now $0.022 per share monthly dividend, was $0.02. Worthington (WOR): now $0.20 per share quarterly dividend,
Distributing Truth on MLPs
July 1, 2016
By Kris Rosemann The recent merger break-up fiasco at Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) and Williams Companies (WMB) has put the master limited partnership (MLP) conversation back into the spotlight, after the two entities were unable to finalize a merger that had been announced in fall 2015 and would have created the largest pipeline company in the US. The deal between Energy Transfer Equity and Williams was officially terminated by Energy Transfer Equity June 29 after a court ruled that the firm was legally able to walk away from the agreement when it was unable to deliver an opinion on the tax treatment of the transaction that was required by June 28. Williams has since stated that it will seek monetary
Keep Calm and Carry On?
June 27, 2016
Image Source: War History Online, June 22 Brexit may or may not be a big problem. Time will tell. But what matters and eventually becomes its own catalyst, however, is valuation. The forward price-to-earnings multiple on S&P 500 companies (SPY) is currently ~16.5 times, above its 5-year (14.6) and 10-year averages (14.3). This is the real story. Assuming a reversion to the 10-year average multiple, for example, the S&P 500 can be considered “fairly valued” at $1,811, a drop of another 10% from ~2,000 levels. You don’t need us to tell you that the markets have practically gone straight up the past seven years from the March 2009 panic bottom through today, with the S&P 500 effectively tripling since that
Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending June 24
June 27, 2016
Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending June 24. 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 8point3 Energy Partners (CAFD): now $0.2325 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2246. Canadian Banc Corp. (CNDCF): now $0.08783 per share monthly dividend, was $0.08642. Cross Timbers Royalty Trust (CRT): now $0.060865 per share monthly dividend, was $0.047302. DTE Energy (DTE): now $0.77 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.73. Enduro Royalty Trust (NDRO): now $0.013353 per share monthly dividend, was $0.001016. Farmers Bankshares Inc. (FBVA): now $0.07
Yum!: Does One Plus One Equal More Than Two?
June 26, 2016
Image Source: Dave Proffer Yum! Brands (YUM) has a fantastic portfolio of restaurants including KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. It operates in more than 140 countries with nearly 43,000 restaurants, and despite the maturity of its three core concepts in the US, Yum! Brands continues to expand its store base at an incredible rate, particularly in Asia (in 2015 alone, it opened almost 2,400 new restaurants companywide, averaging ~6 new restaurants daily). Yum! Brands will be pursuing major changes in the near term, however, and is set to split into two publicly-traded, independent companies by the end of 2016: ‘Yum! China’ and ‘Yum! Brands.’ Though management says the split is “a classic example of ‘one plus one equaling more
Updating Our Reports on Firms in the Wholesale Drug Providers Industry
June 26, 2016
Structure of the Wholesale Drug Providers Industry The wholesale drug providers industry includes firms that distribute pharmaceuticals, medical products/services, and other healthcare technologies. The space is competitive and is littered with national, regional, and local full-line, short-line and specialty wholesalers as well as manufacturers engaged in direct distribution. Because of competition, participants face pricing pressure from both customers and suppliers. Many boast CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Wal-Mart as their largest customers, and collectively, these chains can generate more than half of a constituent’s revenue. We’re not fans of the group. Please click on a company name below to view the corresponding equity report: << Our Dividends Reports
Brexit: Secession Bells Are Ringing!
June 24, 2016
First Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C., where the first secession convention in the United States opened on Dec. 17, 1860. Source: Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 24 Jun. 2016. Global markets are plunging, and the implosion may still be in the early innings. Market valuations remain stretched among stagnant global economic growth, and “Brexit” may be the catalyst for a correction. In the paraphrased words of the well-known The Day of the Jackal author, Frederick Forsyth: the peasants have spoken. On June 23, the UK (EWU) held a referendum, in which anyone of voting age could take part, to decide whether the country should leave the European Union. The turnout was incredible at nearly 72%, and
Walmart Forms Alliance with Leading Chinese E-commerce Firm
June 23, 2016
Image Source: Bill L By Kris Rosemann As some US corporations are finding the Chinese market an increasingly difficult one in which to operate, “China (May 2016),” Walmart (WMT) is taking moves to strengthen its presence in the world’s second largest economy. On June 20, the retailing behemoth announced that it has entered into a partnership with JD.com (JD), one of China’s largest e-commerce companies, a move that will enhance offerings to consumers throughout China via a combination of JD.com’s e-commerce prowess and Walmart’s traditional retail operations. While Walmart continues to expand internationally, Target (TGT) continues to retreat from non-US markets, even having abandoning efforts in Canada recently. In the deal with JD.com, Walmart has agreed to sell its grocery-focused,
