Brian Nelson

Coal Industry Update

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In July of last year, Valuentum offered its comprehensive outlook for the coal and railroad industries (click here). Since that time, Union Pacific (UNP), our favorite railroad idea, has surged to $185 per share from $155 per share, while some of our biggest concerns regarding the coal miners have come to fruition. James River Coal (JRCC), one of the most indebted miners in the industry, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Tuesday, a process that will likely result in the complete eradication of shareholders’ equity as the firm restructures: James River intends to use the Chapter 11 process to continue implementing a comprehensive turnaround plan aimed at addressing its challenges in the changing coal mining industry. James River expects its mining … Read more

eBay’s Same-Store Sales Are Accelerating

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No longer is eBay (EBAY) a simple auction website. With PayPal, eBay has become an Internet commerce powerhouse and an impressive, hard-to-duplicate payment platform. If this weren’t enough to get investors excited about the company’s stranglehold on the Internet, Carl Icahn is taking some major steps to coerce the market to recognize eBay’s true intrinsic value. The activist guru is encouraging management to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) of PayPal, a move that we think will unlock shareholder value. We’ve seen companies spin off subsidiaries many a time before, the most recent planned offering is Yahoo (YHOO) and Alibaba, for example. Yahoo has performed wonderfully in light of the monetization and increased liquidity of its investment in Alibaba, and … Read more

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending April 4

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 4. 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 Ameriana Bancorp (ASBI): now $0.02 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.01. Artesian Resources Corporation (ARTNA): now $0.2119 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2088. Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK): now $0.23 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.22. PNC Financial Services Group (PNC): now $0.48 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.44. Select Income REIT (SIR): now $0.48 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.46. TJX Companies (TJX): now $0.175 per … Read more

Focus on a Rules-Based Process Not on Short-term Outcomes

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By Brian Nelson, CFA …you should be skeptical of what investment advice you use and who your sources are. (Investment gurus) give…seemingly solid advice in (their) columns, but (as) it turns out (their) stock picking skills don’t translate so well into the mutual fund industry… …Part of the problem is that you have no idea what they’re actual track record is or the conviction they hold on each recommendation they put out there. The talking heads have no idea what your risk profile and time horizon are. There’s a huge disconnect between financial predictions you read about or see on TV and your personal circumstances. That’s why it’s so important to focus on a rules-based process instead of short-term outcomes. It … Read more

Our Notes from Buffalo Wild Wings’ 2014 Analyst Day

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Notes Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) has been a great growth story. (1) Substantial unit growth opportunities remain across the US and Canada. The company’s vision is to be a growth enterprise of restaurant brands, with more than 3,000 restaurants worldwide. The firm’s growth strategy includes creating the ultimate guest experience in the US and Canada, growing Buffalo Wild Wings into an international, globally-connected brand, and building an enduring, diversified portfolio of brands, including PizzaRev. (2) Challenges: slow economic growth projections, consumer demands for more robust flavors and authenticity, and governmental pressures (minimum wages, tipped wages, and healthcare). (3) 2014 financial outlook: 2014 net earnings growth of 20%; relatively flat commodity costs (excluding traditional chicken wings); labor deleveraging, strong net earnings … Read more

Best Ideas Portfolio Holding Ford Puts Up Fantastic March Sales Numbers; Best in 8 Years!

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It seems like yesterday that we were “pounding the table” on scooping up shares of Best Ideas portfolio holding Ford (F). Of course, looking back, the transaction email alert was in May 2012 at just over $10 per share. Though that doesn’t mean much for new members, we think Ford is still a fantastic idea to gain exposure to pent-up demand related to the domestic auto recovery and global demand for auto adoption, especially in emerging markets. The speculative money is flowing into Tesla (TSLA), which to the firm’s credit is turning a lot of heads, but we think the “smart” money continues to be in Ford. Shares of Tesla are just too risky for even the most risk-seeking investor, and … Read more

Intuitive Surgical Soars!

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…A few years ago, I decided I wasn’t going to take on any more unreasonable, dangerous clients. I had too much responsibility to the households I was taking care of to allow a handful of lunatics distract me or goad me into investing behavior that I knew for a fact was stupid. Anyone who’s been in my line of work has likely reached a similar moment of clarity at some point. Or, at least, they will. A small but vocal minority of wealthy people in this world believe that because they’ve been successful in their career, this success ought to automatically translate to any endeavor they get involved with (think about a retired major league baseball player opening a fine … Read more

General Electric and Johnson & Johnson Shed Assets

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When dividend growth companies shed assets, the proceeds can be used for further dividend expansion. We like this quite a bit. General Electric (GE), a holding in both the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, continues to streamline and optimize its portfolio of businesses. We’ve long held the belief that General Electric needs to simplify its business focus, a view that has been supported by its dividend cut in 2009. Global economic conditions and the credit crunch threatened GE Capital (GECC) at the time, and management’s moves since then have been to diversify away from its financial subsidiary. The industrial and finance conglomerate is far healthier than it was at the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, and the … Read more

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending March 28

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending March 28. 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 Air Industries (AIRI): now $0.15 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.125. Banner Corp (BANR): now $0.18 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.15. City Holding Company (CHCO): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.37. DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH): now $0.1025 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.085 JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.38. Kayne Anderson Energy (KED): now $0.51 per share … Read more