2023 Was a Fantastic Year! Are You Ready for 2024?

December 31, 2023

By Brian Nelson, CFA 2023 was a fantastic year by almost any measure, with the S&P 500 (SPY) advancing almost 25%. The markets bounced back from a very difficult 2022 and overcame a crisis in the regional bank sector and rising mortgage rates through the course of the year. The great promise of artificial intelligence [AI], easing inflation, and a dovish Fed pivot late in the year helped to propel the broader indices higher. As we look out into 2024, we think there are 12 reasons why investors should stay aggressive in this new bull market, “12 Reasons to Stay Aggressive in 2024.” Valuentum’s newsletter suite has delivered throughout the good times and bad times. 2023 numbers were great, but

Kinder Morgan’s ~6.4% Dividend Yield Is Much Stronger These Days

December 29, 2023

Image: Kinder Morgan is back on track. Image Source: Kinder Morgan. By Brian Nelson, CFA Early in December, Kinder Morgan (KMI) released financial expectations for 2024 that showed the midstream energy giant is back on track. Excluding its recent purchase of NextEra Energy Partners’ (NEP) STX Midstream assets, Kinder Morgan expects 5% expansion in adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow [DCF] in 2024 thanks to growth in its Natural Gas Pipelines and Energy Transition Ventures segments coupled with rate escalations across its operations. For 2024, management is targeting its 7th consecutive year of dividend increases with a projected annualized dividend of $1.15 in 2024. Net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA is targeted at 3.8x at the end of 2024, a level that is materially

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of December 29

December 29, 2023

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 29. 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                          AMCON Distributing (DIT): now $0.28 per share special dividend, was $0.18. Banco de Sabadell (BNDSY): now EUR 0.03 per share interim dividend. Bankinter, S.A. (BKNIY): now $0.1266 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1105. Borr Drilling (BORR): now $0.05 per share quarterly dividend. Cadiz Inc. 8.875% DEP PFD A (CDZIP): now $0.56 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.55. Crescent Capital BDC (CCAP): now $0.41 per

6%+ Dividend Yielder Cracker Barrel Needs to Raise Menu Prices More Aggressively

December 28, 2023

By Brian Nelson, CFA Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) is a high-yielding restaurant idea with a unique concept that has fallen on more difficult times of late. Our recent channel checks indicate that Cracker Barrel has a lot of room to raise prices versus peers, but the firm is having a hard time executing on this front as overall traffic trends remain challenged. Right now, Cracker Barrel yields ~6.3%, and if the company can turn things around, it might make for one of the most interesting income ideas on the market. The high end of our fair value estimate range of Cracker Barrel stands north of $100 (its shares are trading at ~$80 each), but investors should remain cautious

Dividend Aristocrat Enterprise Products Partners Boasts 7%+ Yield, Investment-Grade Marks

December 27, 2023

Image: Enterprise Products Partners continues to raise its distribution year after year. Source: Enterprise Products Partners. By Brian Nelson, CFA Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) represents rare exposure to the midstream energy pipeline space in the simulated High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, a key feature of the monthly High Yield Dividend Newsletter, released by email to its subscribers on the first of each month. The master limited partnership is one of the largest providers of midstream energy services of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and other refined products in North America. Units offer investors a distribution yield of ~7.6% at the time of this writing, one that is covered nicely by the firm’s distributable cash flow [DCF], not to

5 Questions Advisors Should Ask When Interviewing Fund Managers

December 26, 2023

Image Source: Investment Zen These are not your typical questions. These are the questions advisors should ask to help find the most analytical fund managers. The questions don’t cover strategy or market outlook, but instead hit upon the analytical foundation of the fund manager, which could be more important than anything else. Can you explain the difference between ROA, ROE, and ROIC? What you are looking for in the answer is a response that goes into the pitfalls of using return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) as a measure of a company’s ability to generate value for shareholders. Ideally, you’d want to hear a response that says ROA is muddied by the inclusion of non-operating cash in

12 Reasons to Stay Aggressive in 2024

December 23, 2023

By Brian Nelson, CFA 1. The Fed has signaled that rate cuts could start with inflation at a 2 handle (2 point something) and not at exactly 2.0%. That means that the Fed may become anticipatory to prevent overshooting to the downside with inflation. We see this as positive for long-duration equities, particularly those whose free cash flow generation is robust in the out-years, inclusive of big cap tech and the stylistic area of large cap growth. 2. Unemployment is at structural lows of 3.7%. Employers are working hard to keep talent on board, and with each paycheck, employees are pumping more and more money into the stock market via retirement accounts. This tailwind remains a stiff one and will

In the News: Google, McDonald’s, Costco, Apple

December 19, 2023

Image: McDonald’s has released a new beverage concept, and it looks to be a hit. Image Source: CosMcs. By Brian Nelson, CFA The market continues to ebb and flow with the latest Federal Reserve commentary, but we continue to be fans of the strong foundation that is the U.S. employment market and the great promise of artificial intelligence [AI] as key themes for 2024. As we outlined in our recent guest post on Seeking Alpha, we continue to be huge fans of the net-cash-rich, free cash flow generating, secular growth powerhouses found in big cap tech and the stylistic area of large cap growth (SCHG). We expect these two areas to continue to lead the markets higher, if not in

ICYMI — Video: Our Top Stocks for 2024

December 16, 2023

Video: Valuentum’s President of Investment Research Brian Nelson walks through the success of Valuentum’s newsletter suite, the state of the economy and markets, and offers his favorite idea for each sector. Tune into this must-watch video. ———- It’s Here!  The Second Edition of Value Trap! Order today!   —– Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, DIA, VOT, BITO, RSP, and IWM. Valuentum owns SPY, SCHG, QQQ, VOO, and DIA. Brian Nelson’s household owns shares in HON, DIS, HAS, NKE, DIA, RSP, SCHG, QQQ, and VOO. Some of the other securities written about in this article may be included in Valuentum’s simulated newsletter portfolios. Contact Valuentum for more information about its editorial policies.  Valuentum members have access to our 16-page stock

Brief Note: Just How Good Has Our Stock Selection Been?

December 14, 2023

By Brian Nelson, CFA I was taken aback by a recent report from UBS that outlined “the top contributors to the S&P 500 from about two years ago to today.” In a simulated securities portfolio, the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, of 18 ideas that also includes several ETFs, we’ve managed to hit the board 7 out of the 20, and 9 including Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX), the latter two we removed in March following their big runs last year. Here were the top 20 contributors, with simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holdings highlighted in red (XOM and CVX are highlighted in green): Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Eli Lilly (LLY), Broadcom (AVGO), Exxon Mobil, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B),

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About Our Name

But how, you will ask, does one decide what [stocks are] "attractive"? Most analysts feel they must choose between two approaches customarily thought to be in opposition: "value" and "growth,"...We view that as fuzzy thinking...Growth is always a component of value [and] the very term "value investing" is redundant.

                         -- Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway annual report, 1992

At Valuentum, we take Buffett's thoughts one step further. We think the best opportunities arise from an understanding of a variety of investing disciplines in order to identify the most attractive stocks at any given time. Valuentum therefore analyzes each stock across a wide spectrum of philosophies, from deep value through momentum investing. And a combination of the two approaches found on each side of the spectrum (value/momentum) in a name couldn't be more representative of what our analysts do here; hence, we're called Valuentum.



The High Yield Dividend Newsletter, Best Ideas Newsletter, Dividend Growth Newsletter, Valuentum Exclusive publication, ESG Newsletter, and any reports, data and content found on this website are for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Valuentum is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for results obtained from the use of its newsletters, reports, commentary, data or publications and accepts no liability for how readers may choose to utilize the content. Valuentum is not a money manager, is not a registered investment advisor, and does not offer brokerage or investment banking services. The sources of the data used on this website and reports are believed by Valuentum to be reliable, but the data’s accuracy, completeness or interpretation cannot be guaranteed. Valuentum, its employees, and independent contractors may have long, short or derivative positions in the securities mentioned on this website. The High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, ESG Newsletter portfolio, Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio are not real money portfolios. Performance, including that in the Valuentum Exclusive publication and additional options commentary feature, is hypothetical and does not represent actual trading. Actual results may differ from simulated information, results, or performance being presented. For more information about Valuentum and the products and services it offers, please contact us at info@valuentum.com.