Member Articles

Upadacitinib Posts Impressive Data for AbbVie

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Image Source: AbbVie In the pharmaceutical realm, the productivity of the clinical pipeline is essential to replace the loss of revenue due to an expiration of the patent life of a product. AbbVie is facing the monumental task of having to diversify away from the top-selling pharmaceutical product in the world with little in the way of assurances the transition will be a success. We are pleased with the recent data release on Upadacitinib as we view the molecule as AbbVie’s top R&D product. By Alexander J. Poulos Upadacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis AbbVie (ABBV) believes it can successfully transition its portfolio from top-selling product Humira over to its next-generation treatment. AbbVie’s Upadacitinib belongs to the novel class of JAK-1 inhibitors, … Read more

Earnings Snapshot: Cracker Barrel’s Hidden 5%+ Dividend Yield

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Cracker Barrel is holding its share-price uptrend nicely. The company is one of our favorite restaurants thanks in part to its differentiated niche and country store concept. Special dividend payouts make it a hidden income gem, in our view. By Brian Nelson, CFA Here’s what we wrote last May, “Cracker Barrel Hits the Trifecta!:” Cracker Barrel’s (CBRL) store-within-a-restaurant concept is one of the best revenue-generators per square foot around, and it is run by a management team that knows the importance of the dividend to income investors. We continue to believe it is a great fit for the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio and an often overlooked one in light of its preponderance of special dividends that often fly under the … Read more

Target, Kroger Launch Counterattack on Amazon-Whole Foods; Industry Earnings to Shrink

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Image Source: Valuentum The pricing war has begun, but it may take years before we see the final effects. Only the strongest may come out ahead, and only those already focusing on giving customers the very best value proposition at the lowest prices may retain share. By Brian Nelson, CFA The grocery store business is now on a path of significant change in the wake of news that Amazon (AMZN) would acquire upscale organic grocer Whole Foods (WFM). The online retailing giant has wasted little time in resetting the product pricing environment at Whole Foods, and we expect that other grocers will have to follow. The group had already been on high alert given recent language from Kroger (KR), suggesting … Read more

Canakinumab Posts Some Impressive Data For Novartis

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We remain impressed with the depth of the clinical pipeline that is currently being brought out to market by the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio idea Novartis. We closely follow the data delivered from clinical trials to gauge the potential for the pipeline; in the case of Novartis, we feel the strength of the emerging pipeline bodes very well for continued dividend growth over the next few years. In this piece, we will detail the clinical results for Canakinumab, as we feel the molecule will nicely complement Novartis’ burgeoning cardiovascular unit. By Alexander J. Poulos Canakinumab   Image source: Novartis Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) remains one the largest areas of need based on the sheer number of patients afflicted with some form … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending September 8

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending September 8. 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 Anthem (ANTM): now $0.70 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.65. BHP Billiton (BHP): now $0.86 per ADS semi-annual dividend, was $0.80. BIOQUAL (BIOQ): now $0.60 per share annual dividend, was $0.45. Blue Hills Bancorp (BHBK): now $0.15 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.05. Brady (BRC): now $0.2075 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.205. Brinker (EAT): now $0.38 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.34. Clough Global Allocation … Read more

Fair Value Estimates of Stocks In Our Coverage Universe

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Use the download below to view the fair value estimates of companies in our coverage universe. How to filter data in Excel? Click here. Download the screener or build your own screener here (xls). Important Note: The data and rankings are updated frequently and are current as of the date of this download. Valuentum may have updated the stock and dividend reports of companies after the published date of this download. Members should view the rankings in this download as a starting point for further research and always access the individual stock page of each desired company on our website for its most recent ratings, metrics, and valuation information. If you have any questions about our services, please contact us at info@valuentum.com. Note on … Read more

Rank Our Coverage Universe By Valuentum Buying Index Rating

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  Please select the image below to download our latest study on the Valuentum Buying Index. << The Seven Most Important Considerations of the Valuentum Buying Index << Why Portfolio Holdings Can Sometimes Have Low VBI Ratings << The Best Way to Use the Valuentum Process ——————– Use the download below to rank our coverage universe by Valuentum Buying Index rating. How to filter data in Excel? Click here. Download the screener or build your own screener here (xls). Important Note: The data and rankings are updated frequently and are current as of the date of this download. Valuentum may have updated the stock and dividend reports of companies after the published date of this download. Members should view the rankings in … Read more

The Wisdom of Oaktree’s Howard Marks

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Image Source: emmolos The latest memo from Oaktree’s Howard Marks here should be read and then read again. The section on passive investing is an absolute treasure. “Passive investing is done in vehicles that make no judgments about the soundness of companies and the fairness of prices.  More than $1 billion is flowing daily to “passive managers” (there’s an oxymoron for you) who buy regardless of price.  I’ve always viewed index funds as “freeloaders” who make use of the consensus decisions of active investors for free.  How comfortable can investors be these days, now that fewer and fewer active decisions are being made?” — Howard Marks, Oaktree Capital Financial Tech Services: ACIW, EPAY, FDC, FIS, FISV, FLT, GPN, MA, MELI, … Read more

Adviser Fees on Indexed Assets Can Eat Up Your Nest Egg?

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Indexing sounds like an easy way to track the market’s performance, but if your indexed assets are held in financial advisors’ accounts, it can come with a big cost: significant underperformance. Over 20 years, we estimate in this hypothetical example that the cumulative cost as a result of a 1% annual financial advisor fee on indexed assets can amount to as much as 66% of a saver’s initial investment — just for holding an index fund. Please be careful out there!

Why Won’t GM Break Out Already?

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What is it going to take for General Motors to catapult to new heights? By Brian Nelson, CFA August was a busy month for the auto makers. Following General Motors’ (GM) fantastic second-quarter results in late July, we thought shares of the auto giant would have surged higher, but they have been stuck in neutral, despite what we consider to be a very, very attractive valuation and an equally attractive dividend yield. Read why we think “General Motors May Offer an Incredible Opportunity (July 2017).” Where Tesla (TSLA) and Ferrari (RACE) are trading at rather high valuation multiples, poor GM can’t even get a double-digit multiple on current-year earnings, despite what we consider to be a solid balance sheet. What … Read more