Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Feb 9, 2024

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of February 9
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Nov 3, 2023

People Love Their Starbucks
Image: Starbucks remains a strong free cash flow generator. Operational efficiencies, sales leverage and pricing strength helped drive Starbucks' GAAP operating income growth of 42.7% and non-GAAP earnings per share to $1.06 in the quarter, up 31% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks ended its fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 with ~$3.95 billion in cash and short-term investments and short- and long-term debt of ~$15.4 billion, resulting in a net debt position on the books. Free cash flow generation remains robust at Starbucks, however, with the measure coming in at ~$3.7 billion for the fiscal year ending October 1, 2023. We’re reiterating the high end of our fair value estimate range of $120 for Starbucks’ shares.

Apr 26, 2023

Chipotle Hits All-Time High, Microsoft Doesn’t Disappoint in Calendar First-Quarter 2023
Image: Ideas in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio are doing great! Shares of Chipotle are up ~45% so far in 2023, while shares of large cap growth giant Microsoft (orange) are up more than 20% year-to-date. Microsoft’s shares soared during the trading session April 26 thanks to strong third-quarter fiscal 2023 performance for the period ending March 31 led by its Azure cloud business segment, while Chipotle’s first-quarter 2023 report only provides more support for a higher intrinsic value estimate for shares.

Apr 18, 2023

Brief Take: Chart of Best Ideas Newsletter Portfolio Idea Chipotle Looks Beautiful!
Image: Chipotle’s shares have surged to a 52-week high. We continue to like the company’s long-term market opportunity. Chipotle’s shares have surged past the high end of our fair value estimate range, but we expect to take another look at our valuation model to reflect greater confidence in an established restaurant concept that has plans to more than double its current store count in the longer run. Younger millennials and Generation Z (born 1997-2012) generally did not grow up when Yum Brands’ Taco Bell dominated Mexican cuisine, and many prefer Chipotle hands down. It’s probable, in our view, that Chipotle’s long-term target of 7,000 restaurants may also be conservative. Readers should expect us to increase our fair value estimate of Chipotle upon the next report update.

Feb 9, 2023

Chipotle’s Fourth Quarter 2022 Results Not Bad, Has Incredible Long-Term Unit Restaurant Potential
Image Source: Valuentum. Long term, Chipotle has plans to expand to 7,000 restaurants, up from nearly 3,200 restaurants at the end of 2022. The company still holds the wild card of expanding into the breakfast daypart, which we believe is a huge source of upside potential for the burrito maker, especially as it adds more drive-throughs across its restaurant portfolio. We continue to like shares.

Oct 27, 2022

McDonald’s, Chipotle’s Third-Quarter Results Were Solid, Strong Comp Performance
Image Source: Valuentum. We’re huge fans of McDonald’s positioning in the current inflationary environment, and we love Chipotle’s long-term unit growth potential. Global comparable store sales at McDonald’s were up 9.5% during the third quarter, while Chipotle expects to add 255-285 new restaurants in 2023, a pace we think is achievable given the momentum behind the brand and the adoption of Chipotlane’s that were kickstarted by COVID-19 protocols. The high end of our fair value estimate range for McDonald’s is $300 per share, while that mark stands at $1,765 per share for Chipotle. We like both firms as ideas in the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.

Oct 24, 2022

Chinese Stocks Bludgeoned!
Image: Large cap Chinese equities are now back to levels first reached more than 15 years ago on a price-only basis, to levels first attained in early 2006. The stakes have never been higher on the world stage as geopolitical uncertainty between the U.S. and China continues to escalate. Shares of Chinese equites have been bludgeoned, now back to levels first reached in early 2006, some 15 years ago. The fallout has taken some of the best investors with it, legends such as Charlie Munger, whose shares in BABA hover near all-time lows. We don’t see Chinese equities as “investable” these days, and we’re steering clear of direct exposure in the simulated newsletter portfolios at this time.

Aug 31, 2022

Valuentum: Outlook for Europe, China Is Bleak
Video: Valuentum's Associate Director of Research and Co-Portfolio Manager of the simulated newsletter portfolios, Callum Turcan, shares his thoughts about the global economy. Europe is facing considerable pressure from energy prices, while China may face a mortgage meltdown. Join Valuentum for this brief 6 minute video to get up to speed on the goings-on of the global economy and what troubles may be lurking ahead.

May 11, 2022

Domino’s Longer Term Growth Runway Intact, Chipotle's Free Cash Flow Remains Robust
Image Source: Domino’s Pizza Inc – 2022 ICR Conference Presentation. Domino’s Pizza is contending with serious inflationary pressures and headwinds from changing consumer spending habits as the worst of the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic fades. We continue to view the firm’s longer term outlook quite favorably and appreciate its franchise-heavy business model (~98% of its stores are franchised), which enables Domino’s to generate substantial free cash flows in almost any operating environment. Our fair value estimate for Domino’s sits at $517 per share, and we include shares of DPZ as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Shares of DPZ yield ~1.3% as of this writing, offering incremental income generation upside potential to its favorable capital appreciation risk-reward scenario, in our view. Another one of our favorite restaurants, Chipotle Mexican Grill posted 9.0% year-over-year comparable restaurant sales growth in the first quarter of 2022. During Chipotle’s latest earnings call, management noted that in-store sales surged 33% due to the economy opening back up and consumers resuming “normal” dining activities. The firm’s digital sales held up relatively well and represented 42% of Chipotle’s total sales last quarter. During the period, Chipotle reported 16% year-over-year GAAP revenue growth and 18% year-over-year GAAP operating income growth as the firm effectively took advantage of its pricing power to get ahead of inflationary pressures. As with Domino's, we continue to like Chipotle as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.

Apr 12, 2022

Best Idea Domino’s Is Incredibly Shareholder Friendly
Image Shown: Domino’s Pizza Inc is incredibly shareholder friendly. Image Source: Domino’s Pizza Inc – Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Earnings Presentation. Domino’s Pizza Inc is one of our favorite restaurant franchises. We include Domino’s as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio as we are huge fans of its asset-light business model, strong free cash flow generating abilities, bright growth outlook, and shareholder friendly management team. Our fair value estimate for Domino’s sits at $517 per share, substantially above where shares of DPZ are trading at as of this writing. Additionally, shares of DPZ yield a modest ~1.1% as of this writing, and its dividend program offers incremental upside to the potential return from capital appreciation.