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Best Idea Newsletter Portfolio Idea Dollar General Provides Key Update for Investors

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Image Source: Dollar General Corporation – Fiscal 2020 Annual Report By Callum Turcan On August 26, Dollar General Corporation (DG) reported second-quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended July 30, 2021) that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Dollar General updated its full fiscal year guidance in conjunction with its latest earnings report in a favorable manner, though investors were expecting more, and shares of DG fell moderately after the report was published. We continue to like Dollar General as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, however. Guidance Boost Dollar General’s updated guidance calls for net sales growth of 0.5%-1.5% (versus its previous guidance calling for flat net sales at the midpoint) and a decline in its … Read more

Dividend Growth Idea Dick’s Sporting Goods Announces Great News

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Image Shown: Dividend Growth Idea Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc has put up tremendous performance of late. By Callum Turcan On August 25, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc (DKS) reported second quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended July 31, 2021) that soared past consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Furthermore, Dick’s Sporting Goods raised its full-year guidance for fiscal 2021, doubled its minimum share buyback program to $0.4 billion for fiscal 2021, increased its regular quarterly dividend by 21% on a sequential basis to $0.4375 per share (bringing its annualized payout up to $1.75 per share), and announced a special dividend of $5.50 per share during its latest earnings update. We are incredibly pleased with the company’s performance of late. Dick’s Sporting … Read more

Kohl’s and Macy’s Bounce Back But Long Term Remains Ominous

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Image Source: Kohl’s Corporation – Second Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan In this article, we cover the recent earnings reports of two US department stores as the domestic economy steadily emerges from the worst of the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, keeping headwinds from the “delta” variant in mind. The department store business model continues to lose share from e-commerce and specialty retailers. Amazon (AMZN) is also considering opening large physical retail operations that would largely resemble department stores, starting with locations in California and Ohio. The long term remains ominous for department-store retail, in our view.  Kohl’s On August 19, Kohl’s Corporation (KSS) reported second quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended July 31, 2021) that easily … Read more

Cisco Systems Continues to Recover; Growth Outlook Quite Promising

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Image Source: Cisco Systems Inc – Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan On August 18, Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) reported fourth quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended July 31, 2021) that beat consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Cisco Systems also offered guidance for both the first quarter of fiscal 2022 along with full-year guidance for fiscal 2022, breaking with tradition (usually the company does not offer full fiscal year forecasts). Cisco Systems is included as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios. We continue to be huge fans of Cisco Systems, and shares of CSCO initially moved significantly higher during the morning trading hours on August 19. Pivot to … Read more

Dividend Growth Idea Home Depot Remains Rock-Solid

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Image Shown: Shares of Home Depot Inc have moved significantly higher year-to-date and are up approximately 21% through the end of normal trading hours on August 17. By Callum Turcan On August 17, Home Depot Inc (HD) reported second quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended August 1, 2021) that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Comparable sales were up 4.5% year-over-year last fiscal quarter though shares of HD slid lower during the trading session that day as investors were expecting even stronger performance. Shares of HD are up roughly 21% year-to-date as of the end of the normal trading session on August 17 (that includes the impact of the ~4% drop in shares of HD after its earnings … Read more

ExxonMobil Continues to Optimize Its Asset Base

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Image Source: ExxonMobil Corporation – Second Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan According to Reuters, ExxonMobil Corporation (XOM) is in the process of divesting its Fayetteville shale play position in Arkansas, which ExxonMobil’s spokeswoman Julie King confirmed according to the news outlet. This is an upstream asset focused on the extraction of natural gas from the ground via “fracking” techniques (combing horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to unlock raw energy resources from the ground). Divestment Overview The Fayetteville shale play was once touted as a major part of America’s way to become “energy independent” during the early days of the fracking boom. However, the play soon lost favor with energy firms large and small due to the … Read more

Best Idea Disney’s Video Streaming Business Booms

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Image Shown: The Walt Disney Company’s video streaming growth ambitions showed signs of significant progress last fiscal quarter. Image Source: The Walt Disney Company – Third Quarter of Fiscal 2021 Earnings Press Release By Callum Turcan On August 12, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) reported third quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended July 3, 2021) that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Disney’s video streaming services reported a sharp uptick in paid subscribers while the financial performance of the segment that includes its theme park and resort operations staged an immense rebound. We continue to be huge fans of Disney’s capital appreciation upside and include shares of DIS as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Operations … Read more

Dividend Growth Idea Realty Income Is on the Rebound

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Image Source: Realty Income Corporation – August 2021 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan Realty Income Corporation (O) is a real estate investment trust (‘REIT’) that is steadily recovering from the worst of the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic. For reference, Realty Income focuses on freestanding singe-tenant commercial properties in the US and the UK. The financial health of the portions of its tenant base that were hit particularly hard by the pandemic, such as movie theater operators, has improved considerably of late. Back during the second quarter of 2020, Realty Income collected 86.5% of its contractually owed rent across its entire portfolio as many of its movie theater and health & fitness tenants, and to a lesser extent its causal dinning tenants, … Read more

Dividend Growth Idea Republic Services Is a Stellar Enterprise

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Image Source: Republic Services Inc – August 2021 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan The waste management industry is an incredibly attractive one for investors seeking dividend growth opportunities. One of our favorite firms in the space is Republic Services Inc (RSG), which is included as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. Roughly 75% of Republic Services’ revenues come from its collection business and approximately 80% of its revenue has an annuity-type profile, highlighting the incredibly stable nature of its cash flow profile. On July 29, Republic Services posted second-quarter 2021 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates, and its strong performance enabled the firm to raise its full-year guidance (again) for 2021. Furthermore, Republic Services announced … Read more

Dividend Growth Idea Qualcomm Enters Bidding War to Bolster Automotive Growth Runway

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Image Source: Qualcomm Inc – March 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders Presentation By Callum Turcan One of our favorite semiconductor plays is Qualcomm Inc (QCOM). For those just getting familiar with the name, the company is about much more than just supplying components used in smartphones. While the rollout of 5G-capable smartphones will provide Qualcomm’s medium-term financial performance a large boost due to its Snapdragon mobile platform offerings, another key aspect of Qualcomm’s promising growth story is its exposure to the automotive industry. Background Information Historically, Qualcomm has focused on supplying components to the automotive industry in the realm of infotainment (such as enabling radio, TV, mapping, and navigation services), telematics (combining automotive technologies with telecommunications and other technologies), and … Read more