Member Articles

Alibaba Pops; Kinder Morgan Drops; Chipotle Flops

by

A discounted cash-flow process is your best friend. Not only does it allow you to identify the substance of a company’s balance sheet, what it owns (similar to what you have in your own savings account less all debt), but it also encourages a focus on the future free cash flow stream of the entity (much like your salary after expenses, for example). Intrinsic value estimation provides the backbone behind the conviction that an investor gains in either sticking with an idea or throwing in the cards. You can perform discounted cash flow analysis, too.   Let’s walk through a few examples to help explain this concept. In mid-September, shares of Alibaba (BABA) had been in a tailspin, with investors … Read more

Future Free Cash Flow to Drive Medtronic’s Dividend

by

Medtronic (MDT), a core holding in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, reported strong results in its fiscal second quarter, performance released December 3. All of its segments delivered revenue growth in the quarter on a comparable, constant-currency basis, which includes comparable results from Covidien’s businesses. Total revenue grew 6% on a comparable, constant-currency basis, to $7.1 billion, which is a 62% increase from Medtronic’s reported results in the prior-year period. Medtronic posted strong growth in the US and non-US developed countries across the world of 4% and 6%, respectively, as well as 11% growth in emerging markets. The Greater China, the Middle East & Africa, Latin America, India, and Southeast Asia regions all grew revenue at a double-digit pace on … Read more

Creed, Apple, and the Fitbit

by

By Brian Nelson, CFA Hanging out in malls on Thanksgiving isn’t really our thing at Valuentum, but what we’re hearing thus far is that “Thanksgiving shopping was a bust.” It even felt as though tourism was down a bit as traditional near-impassable auto traffic was surprisingly absent in at least one key family destination, the gateway to the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and maybe keeping travelers from commuting through the city of Chicago was the potential for riots following the release of the dash cam video allegedly showing a police officer shooting a youth 16 times in November of last year. My trip from northern Illinois to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and back was rather uneventful, not that I am complaining about … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 27

by

Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending November 27. 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 Becton, Dickinson (BDX): now $0.66 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.60. Capital City Bank (CCBG): now $0.04 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.03. Citizens Community Bank (CZYB): now $0.07 per share annual dividend, was $0.05. Ferrellgas Partners (FGP): now $0.5125 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.51. Hormel Foods (HRL): now $0.29 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.25. Laclede Group, Inc. (LG): now $0.49 per share quarterly … Read more

Reading and Videos for the Thanksgiving Holiday

by

Must read: Understanding the CFA Designation Must watch: Explaining the Valuentum Buying Index Must read: Why Valuentum Buying Index Ratings Matter Must watch: A Glimpse Into Valuentum’s DCF Valuation Process Must watch: Do You Know What You Don’t Know? Must read: The Best Way to Use the Valuentum Process Must read: Best Ideas Portfolio Performance Audit Must read: Focus on a Rules-Based Process Must read: What Causes Fair Value Estimates to Change? Must read: Resetting Your Mental Model Must read: Introducing the Economic Castle Rating Must read: Deriving Forecasts in Valuation and Dividends Must read: Investing’s Odd Couple: Value and Momentum Must watch: The Crash of 1929 Must read: How Members Use Valuentum’s Investment Services Image Source: Art4TheGlryOfGod

Value Opportunities Not To Be Found In Footwear Market

by

Athleisure, a term used to describe athletic-inspired leisure apparel, has been a source of strength for retailers in recent quarters and has found a solid niche in the heart of consumers. Athletic-casual wear has become a popular style choice and continues to be more accepted in a wide variety of social situations. The footwear market is following a similar trend. The dominant player in athletic footwear in the US is Nike (NKE); there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The Nike Free franchise–that’s only one of its running shoe franchises–recently eclipsed the $1 billion annual sales rate, which makes it bigger than 7 of the 10 largest shoe brands in the US. With well over $18 billion in … Read more

Discuss: Taxes and the Future of American Business

by

Image Source: Montgomery County Tax inversion deals are back on. And in a big way! Pharma giant Pfizer (PFE) and Allergan (AGN) announced the largest one, creating the biggest drug maker by revenue in the combination, one that will headquarter in Ireland for tax purposes. Do US tax holders truly believe they own the companies? Or are tax inversions a part of American freedom, championed on a global stage? What do you think? Comment below.

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 20

by

Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending November 20. 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 Acme United (ACU): now $0.10 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.09. Agilent (A): now $0.115 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.10. American Equity (AEL): now $0.22 per share annual dividend, was $0.20. American National Bankshares (AMNB): now $0.24 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.23. Bob Evans Farms (BOBE): now $0.34 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.31. Brown-Forman (BF.A): now $0.34 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.315. … Read more

Same Stories Prevail at Walmart and Target

by

When consumers think of retail, Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are probably two of the biggest companies that come to mind. After all, the two big box retail giants have taken the US by storm throughout much of the 1990s and 2000s. But the shift to e-commerce with the proliferation of Amazon (AMZN) and eBay (EBAY) coupled with broad-based consumer backlash with respect to worker wages and credit card breaches, respectively, have created a whirlwind of negative public perception at the two giants as of late. Will worker unrest and Target’s failed attempt to expand beyond the borders of the US mark the generational stock price peaks at the two giants, respectively? Are both past their prime? The likelihood of … Read more