Member Articles

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending March 13

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending March 13. 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 Children’s Place Retail Stores (PLCE): now $0.15 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1325. Discover Financial Services (DFS): now $0.28 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS): now $0.375 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.325. Equity Residential (EQR): now $0.5525 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.50. General Mills (GIS): now $0.44 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.41. Goldman Sachs (GS): now $0.65 per share … Read more

The Apple Watch

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Apple (AAPL) hosted a special event Monday, March 9, to show off its latest products and developments. The headliner of the event was the brand new Apple Watch, one of the most talked about gadgets in recent memory. Other topics for the recent addition to the Dow Jones Industrial Average index included iPhone momentum, growth in China, Apple TV updates, and the new MacBook development. Apple’s new MacBook Pro with Retina display looks to improve on the already solid foundation of Apple’s MacBook line. With several innovations, the lightest MacBook model has received solid reviews thus far. Despite the PC market being under pressure, Mac notebooks continue to experience growth. Another popular Apple product receiving an upgrade was Apple TV. … Read more

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending February 27

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending February 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 Albemarle (ALB): now $0.29 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.275. Canadian Imperial Bank (CM): now C$1.06 per share quarterly dividend, was C$1.03. Chico’s FAS (CHS): now $0.0775 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.075. Chubb (CB): now $0.57 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.50. Cohen & Steers (CNS): now $0.25 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.22. Comcast (CMCSA): now $0.25 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.225. Cubic Corp (CUB): … Read more

When the Facts Change

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The most valuable quality of any portfolio manager is the ability to change his or her mind, and not look back. When the facts change, so should the thesis. And the facts have changed with Dividend Growth portfolio holding Chevron (CVX). A look at the oil giant’s fourth-quarter results revealed a balance sheet that we flat-out were hoping to avoid, particularly for a commodity-producing entity. What was once a healthy net cash position just a few quarters ago has now ballooned into a $15 billion net debt position and a $27 billion total debt position overall. The pace of change has been incredible, and Chevron continues add more leverage as we write. Just last week, it sold another $6 billion … Read more

Best Ideas Transaction Alert: Adding This Economic Castle

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We added a brand new 2% position to the Best Ideas portfolio today in highest-rated Economic Castle Priceline (PCLN) today. Specifically, we added 3 shares at the open price, $1,248.97.   The leader in global online hotel reservations is executing fantastically, and the firm’s valuation presents a material opportunity. Shares now register a 10 on the Valuentum Buying Index, and while we fully acknowledge the fundamental risks associated with an idea tied to cyclical end markets so late into the economic recovery, we think an adequate margin of safety exists.   The firm’s stock price is breaking through to the upside of its multi-month flagging pattern, and it now appears ripe for the picking. Investors should expect shares to be highly volatile in coming periods, … Read more

Thinking Out Loud

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I remember when I was fresh out of my undergraduate studies. I applied for a sell-side equity research position. I interviewed with a head sector analyst, and I remember the first question oh so well: What is a gross margin? It was strange. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. Of course I knew what a gross margin was, but was this a trick? The interview couldn’t be this easy, right? Well, after responding that a firm’s gross margin is revenue less cost of goods sold divided by revenue, let’s say that he was impressed. But I wasn’t sure why. To me, understanding what makes up a gross margin or operating margin or free cash flow margin or … Read more

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending February 20

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending February 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 Analog Devices (ADI):  $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.37. Argo Group (AGII): now $0.20 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.18. Autoliv (ALV): now $0.56 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.54. Coca-Cola (KO): now $0.33 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.305. Colgate-Palmolive (CL): now $0.38 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.36. Corrections Corporation of America (CXW): now $0.54 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.51. CVR Partners … Read more