Member Articles

Three Notable Pending FDA Approvals

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Image Source: Brandon Giesbrecht The final step of the drug approval process is the filing of a new drug application (NDA), when the FDA assesses trial results before deciding if the treatment warrants marketing approval. A delay or rejection can have a meaningful impact on the equity price, so let’s dig into a few notable upcoming decisions. By Alexander J. Poulos and Kris Rosemann Baricitinib Baricitinib is a Janus Kinase 1&2 inhibitor that is being studied for the treatment of a wide range of inflammatory diseases, and clinical trials for the indication of rheumatoid arthritis conclusively demonstrated superiority to placebo–and Humira. The superiority to Humira, in our view, is a key differentiator in the crowded inflammatory disease market, a direct result … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending April 7

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending April 7. 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 of the Ozarks (OZRK): now $0.175 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.17. BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (BPT): now $1.0983 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.9943. Carnival (CCL): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.35. Chico’s FAS (CHS): now $0.0825 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.08. Cisco (CSCO): now $0.29 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.26. Constellation Brands (STZ): now $0.52 per share quarterly … Read more

Panera Eaten Up; SeaDrill’s End, Cisco’s Dividend Hike and Much More

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Let’s go around the horn with recent investment-related news. Let’s say goodbye to Panera, talk about SeaDrill’s infamous demise, follow up on the Coach dividend saga, address Cisco’s payout strength and attractive valuation, update readers on Medtronic’s portfolio optimization initiatives, and try to reason through Tesla’s recent price surge.   By Kris Rosemann and Brian Nelson, CFA Goodbye Panera I think most of us were surprised a bit Wednesday morning, April 5, to see Panera Bread (PNRA) taken private by JAB Holding Company for $315 per share in cash. Shares of Panera started the year just above the $200 price tag, so the buyout is a nice payoff for investors that have been holding strong in the fast-casual concept. JAB … Read more

New Taxes? Trump’s Misstep and Seeming About-Face

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Image Source: FactSet and Valuentum estimates (2019, 2020) News that Trump was considering new taxes, his failure to repeal Obamacare, and the seeming about-face on for-profit education regulations have put the probability of corporate tax reform in jeopardy, from where we stand. If we’re right, the implications on the market could be considerable… and not in a good way. Let’s talk about this in the context of current market valuations. By Brian Nelson, CFA The shot across the bow has been fired. The news came and went, and many seemed to ignore its potential massive implications. What am I talking about? As you have read by now, Donald Trump’s first major move as President has resulted in failure–a divided Republican … Read more

Can Vertex Pharmaceuticals Dominate the Race to Treat Cystic Fibrosis?

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Tickerized for holdings in the XLV and IBB. Cystic Fibrosis is a rare disease that afflicts an estimated seventy-five thousand patients worldwide. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is the first to market with a combination treatment to treat a portion of the overall patient population. Will Vertex win the race to bring forth a triple therapy to treat the vast majority of those afflicted? By Alexander J. Poulos Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disorder. The patient that is afflicted will carry two copies of the cystic fibrosis conductance regulator protein (CFTR) gene. The CFTR gene allows the body to produce the CFTR protein, whose function is to remove chloride from the cells. Patients that have CF will suffer from a “thickening” … Read more

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending March 31

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending March 31. 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 Activision Blizzard (ATVI): now $0.30 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.26. Amdocs (DOX): now $0.22 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.195. Ares Commercial Real Estate (ACRE): now $0.27 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.26. Banner (BANR): now $0.25 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.23. City Holding (CHCO): now $0.44 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.43. CyrusOne (CONE): now $0.42 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.38. Elbit … Read more

First Quarter 2017 Comes To A Close

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“Be sure to continue to study the difference between price and value—just because a stock’s price has advanced doesn’t make it more expensive if the value of its enterprise has increased at a faster rate. If you understand this concept, you may be smarter than 99.9% of the investing population.” – Brian Nelson, CFA By Brian Nelson, CFA The first quarter of 2017 came and went. Including dividends, the S&P 500 (SPY) roared nearly 6% higher during the period thanks to solid gains from the land of technology, an area that we have liked for the longest time. The Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) advanced more than 10% during the period, and key technology holdings in the Dividend Growth Newsletter … Read more

Sanofi: The First Victim in the Great Insulin Price War

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The steady growth expected from Diabetes products has come to an abrupt halt. Is Sanofi adequately prepared to replace the revenue loss of its top-selling product? By Alexander J. Poulos and Kris Rosemann The diabetes pandemic continues to expand at a rapid pace. Diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to regulate the amount of sugar found in the blood correctly, and it is differentiated into two distinct types. Type one diabetes is defined as a condition where the body does not produce any insulin, thus requiring regular supplementation to maintain proper regulation. The second and more common version is Type 2 diabetes where the body loses the ability to produce an adequate amount of insulin to regulate … Read more

Who’s Driving Who: The Future of the Automakers

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Image Source: HimmelrichPR Let’s dig into some recent developments surrounding the auto market, and how technological and strategic innovation could reshape the future of the space. By Kris Rosemann There have been a number of interesting developments related to the auto space recently, from Theresa May and the UK government triggering Brexit to pressure on the US used vehicle and auto lending markets to the seemingly inevitable proliferation of autonomous vehicles. Such progressions should not come as a surprise; in fact, we outlined some potential concerns with the long-term health of the US auto market in July 2016, “Sharp Curves Ahead for US Auto Market?” The cyclical US auto market may be plateauing after multiple years of tremendous sales levels … Read more

Analyzing Amgen’s Sudden Fall

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Amgen’s share price has run up in anticipation of positive results from its key pipeline product Repatha. Now that the results are out, doubt has crept in concerning the overall viability of the product. Let’s examine. By Alexander J. Poulos Amgen (AMGN) remains a biotech bellwether, as the company continues to profit from its legacy product line. The established product line enhances the equity’s appeal as the cash flow generated is returned to shareholders in the form of a generous dividend. The company currently yields ~2.8%. For many conservative, income-seeking investors Amgen remains a top consideration in what many perceive as a “risky industry.” Amgen’s Dividend Cushion ratio >> That said, what many hopeful investors may not realize is that … Read more