Member Articles

Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics Partnership Update

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Image: Vertex Pharma is co-developing gene-based therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT). CTX001 may offer a potential cure for people that have SCD and TDT. By Callum Turcan We include shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and continue to view the biotech company quite favorably. Our capital appreciation thesis on Vertex Pharma is partially built upon the “call option” related to potential upside that various partnerships, including that with CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), could uncover. Even if such promising partnerships don’t pan out, however, Vertex Pharma’s free cash flow growth outlook underpins the higher end of its fair value estimate range, which currently sits at $321 per share (well above where … Read more

Banks Holding Up Well, Some Feel Pain from Archegos Capital Collapse

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Image Shown: Bank of America Corporation has an optimistic view towards the ongoing US economic recovery. Image Source: Bank of America Corporation – First Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan Earnings season is now underway! In this article, we cover the performance of two large US banks and the problems facing one major European bank in light of losses stemming from Archegos Capital Management blowing up. Large reserve releases last quarter–due to the US economy holding up better than expected–during the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic played an outsized role in bolstering the financial performance of key US banks after these institutions recorded large reserve builds in 2020. Net interest margins (‘NIM’) continue to face headwinds from the low … Read more

UnitedHealth Group Raises Guidance After Stellar Earnings Report

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Image Shown: We added UnitedHealth Group Inc to the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio back on November 27, 2020. Since then, shares of UNH have surged higher, though we are primarily interested in the company’s immense dividend growth potential. By Callum Turcan On April 15, health insurance and health care solutions provider UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH) reported first quarter 2021 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. In conjunction with the earnings update, management raised the company’s full-year adjusted (non-GAAP) EPS forecast for 2021 up to $18.10 – $18.60 versus $17.75 – $18.25 previously. At the midpoint of guidance, the company’s new forecast represents ~9% growth over its 2020 adjusted EPS of $16.88. UnitedHealth Group maintained its expectations for … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week April 16

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 16. 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 Agree Realty (ADC): now $0.217 per share monthly dividend, was $0.207. Aon (AON): now $0.51 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.46. AptarGroup (ATR): now $0.38 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.36. Artesian Resources (ARTNA): now $0.261 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.257. Banco Santander-Chile (BSAC): now $0.9285 per share annual dividend, was $0.4651. Cadence Bancorporation (CADE): now $1.25 per share special dividend, was $0.15. Costco (COST): … Read more

MPT Is Dead, Long Live Active Stock Management!

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By Valuentum Analysts Valuentum’s President of Investment Research Brian Nelson, CFA, explains the importance of active stock management for long-term investors. Active stock selection is achievable for individual investors, necessary for advisors to differentiate their practice and achieve client goals in a low-yield environment, and indispensable for pensions and large institutions that have indefinite lives. MPT is dead, long live active stock management!  Stocks for the long run. —– Valuentum members have access to our 16-page stock reports, Valuentum Buying Index ratings, Dividend Cushion ratios, fair value estimates and ranges, dividend reports and more. Not a member? Subscribe today. The first 14 days are free. Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, DIA, VOT, and IWM. Brian Nelson’s household owns … Read more

SPACs Are Good for Markets, Not SPAC-tacular for Investors

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Image: Performance of the Defiance NextGen SPAC IPO ETF (SPAK), where “a 60% weighting is applied to IPO companies derived from SPACs and 40% is allocated to common stock of newly listed Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”), ex-warrants” has been roughly flat since inception in October 2020.   By Brian Nelson, CFA What a time to be an investor…ehem, speculator! Cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and now the boom in Special Purchase Acquisition Companies, more commonly known as SPACs. First, the good: We like that SPACs will create more publicly listed companies to improve investor choice because the number of publicly traded companies has been dangerously shrinking in recent years…but that’s really all we like about them. A SPAC is just … Read more

How Many Stocks to Achieve Diversification?

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Image: GameStop’s shares are falling like a rock after hitting euphoric levels in the mid-$400s earlier this year. Our fair value estimate stands below $10 per share. By Brian Nelson, CFA GameStop (GME) will be trading in the double digits soon enough, in our opinion. The stock’s rise caught Wall Street by surprise, putting hedge fund Melvin Capital’s back against the wall. Earlier this year, the Reddit/Robinhood (r/WallStreetBets) community aggressively bought the quant factor “short interest as a percentage of float” to drive shares of GameStop, AMC Entertainment (AMC) and others like it into a relentless short squeeze. According to reports, Melvin Capital generated a 49% first-quarter loss, which for any institution should be an unfathomable possibility in a market … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week April 9

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 9. 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 American Tower (AMT): now $1.24 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.21. Caledonia Mining (CMCL): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.11. Constellation Brands (STZ): now $0.76 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.75. Constellation Brands (STZ.B): now $0.69 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.68. Eagle Point Income Company (EIC): now $0.085 per share monthly dividend, was $0.08. Ellington Financial (EFC): now $0.14 per share monthly dividend, … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week April 2

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 2. 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 OZK (OZK): now $0.28 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2775. Camden National (CAC): now $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.33. China Gold International Resources (JINFF): now $0.12 per share special dividend. China Petroleum & Chemical (SNP): now RMB 0.13 per share final dividend, was RMB 0.07. Dollarama (DLMAF): now CAD 0.0503 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.0470. Eagle Bancorp (EGBN): now $0.25 per … Read more