Member Articles

Visa’s High Margin Business Reveals Consumer Spending Remains Resilient

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  Image: Visa has been a strong performer thus far in 2023.  By Brian Nelson, CFA On October 24, Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holding Visa (V) reported excellent fourth-quarter results for its fiscal 2023. Net revenues advanced 11% on a year-over-year basis, while non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per share leapt 18% and 21% year-over-year, respectively, in the period. For the fiscal year, Visa generated an impressive 64.4% operating margin. Payments volume increased 9% and cross-border volume advanced 16%, showcasing that the consumer remains very healthy thanks in part to low unemployment rates, despite concerns over higher mortgage costs, student loan repayments, and general economic uncertainty as savings accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic wane. We continue to be big … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of October 27

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending October 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                          AbbVie (ABBV): now $1.55 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.48. Adecoagro (AGRO): now $0.1649 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.1626. American Electric Power (AEP): now $0.88 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.83. Amphenol (APH): now $0.22 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.21. Associated Banc-Corp (ASB): now $0.22 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.21. Atlantic Union Bank (AUB): now $0.32 per share quarterly dividend, was … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of December 20

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 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                          AMCON Distributing (DIT): Now $0.28 per share special dividend, was $0.18. Ameris Bancorp (ABCB): now $0.20 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.15. Apartment Investment (AIV): now $0.60 per share special dividend, was $0.02. ARC Resources (ARX:CA): now CAD 0.19 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.17. Blue Owl Capital III (OBDE): now $0.52 per share special dividend, was $0.06. CenterPoint (CNP): now $0.22 per … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of May 9

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending May 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                          Annaly Capital Management, Inc. PFD SER G (NLY.PR.G): now $0.5518 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.5476. Annaly Capital Management, Inc. PFD STK I 6.75% (NLY.PR.I): now $0.6034 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.5987. Artesian Resources Corporation (ARTNB): now $0.3074 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.3014. Ashland (ASH): now $0.415 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.405. Azelis Group NV (AZLGF): now EUR 0.23 per share … Read more

GE, Honeywell Fourth-Quarter Results Solid

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General Electric (GE) and Honeywell (HON) are tied to the energy markets, and we had thought the fourth quarter would be challenging for the industrial conglomerates in light of declining crude oil prices and general weakness in commodity prices, almost across the board. The reality, however, is that both GE and Honeywell navigated the tumultuous energy and commodity-price environment extremely well, registering solid fourth-quarter results January 23. We plan to continue to hold GE in the newsletter portfolios for the foreseeable future. Revenue and industrial segment profit in GE’s fourth quarter jumped 4% and 9%, respectively, with 6 of its 7 business segments growing earnings in the period. Industrial segment organic revenue leapt an impressive 9%, which is strong for … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending January 22

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending January 22. 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 Alaska Air (ALK): now $0.275 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. Alexanders Inc. (ALX): now $4.00 share quarterly dividend, was $3.50. ALLETE (ALE): now $0.52 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.505. Bar Harbor Bankshares (BHB): now $0.265 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.26. Cardinal Financial (CFNL): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.11. CenterPoint (CNP): now $0.2575 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2475. Chicopee Bancorp … Read more

Department Stores Limp Across Finish Line In 2016

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By Kris Rosemann Department stores continue to drag the broader retail space (XRT) lower in early 2017. Poor sales updates from popular general merchandise stores in the 2016 holiday season are weighing on the majority of the sector, from luxury names down to discount chains. Online retail continues to plunder traffic from traditional brick and mortar retailers as the ‘bricks-to-clicks’ movement has never been more apparent. The drop in mall foot traffic in the fourth quarter of 2016 was the largest such drop in the history of the mall as mall shoppers visited half the number of stores they did in the same period five years ago. Traditional retailers have turned to aggressive discounting, only to see their margins fade … Read more