Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Sep 15, 2020

Oracle Appears to Be Front-Runner for TikTok’s US Assets, Though There Are Caveats
Image Shown: Shares of Dividend Growth Newsletter holding Oracle Corporation jumped higher on September 14 as the tech giant is reportedly getting closer to acquiring TikTok’s operations in the US and potentially elsewhere, though there are a lot of unknowns at this point. Reportedly, Oracle Corp has submitted a proposal to become the “trusted technology partner” of the popular yet controversial social media app TikTok, particularly at TikTok’s US operations (and possibility some other countries as well). TikTok is currently owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. We will likely know more about a potential deal sooner rather than later, though there are a lot of unknowns at this point as it does not appear Oracle’s proposal is a straightforward acquisition.

Sep 8, 2020

Macy’s Is Treading Water for Now
Image Shown: Shares of Macy’s Inc have flatlined since crashing during the first three months of calendar year 2020 as investors await signs of the embattled retailer’s turnaround strategy taking hold. On September 2, embattled retailer Macy’s reported second quarter fiscal 2020 earnings (period ended August 1, 2020) that saw the firm’s comparable sales drop 34.7% year-over-year at stores owned by Macy’s due primarily to physical store closures brought on by the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic. The year-over-year decline in comparable sales deepened to 35.1% when including stores owned and licensed by Macy’s. Digital sales offered some reprieve as those were up 53% year-over-year last fiscal quarter, with digital sales as a percentage of the retailer’s total sales at its owned stores coming in at 54%.

Sep 3, 2020

3 Lessons in Portfolio Management Over 10 Years
Image Source: http://www.epictop10.com/. "When I left as director in the equity and credit department at Morningstar in 2011, I thought I knew a whole heck of a lot about investing. I felt like I was one in the top 5-10 in the world as it relates to the category of practical knowledge of enterprise valuation (maybe include Koller at McKinsey, Mauboussin at Counterpoint, and Damadoran at Stern on this list). After all, I oversaw the valuation infrastructure of a department that used the process extensively, and the firm was among just a few that used enterprise valuation systematically. Then, at Valuentum, our small team would go on to build/update 20,000+ more enterprise valuation models. There can always be someone else out there, of course, but I don't think anybody has worked within the DCF model as much as I have across so many different companies. That said, through the past near-10 years managing Valuentum's simulated newsletter portfolios, I've also learned a number of things to become an even better portfolio manager." -- Brian Nelson, CFA

Sep 1, 2020

Valuentum Website Overview
Overview of the key features of www.valuentum.com (03:55). Valuentum (val∙u∙n∙tum) [val-yoo-en-tuh-m] Securities Inc. is an independent investment research publisher, offering premium equity reports, dividend reports, and ETF reports, as well as commentary across all sectors/companies, a Best Ideas Newsletter (spanning market caps, asset classes), a Dividend Growth Newsletter, modeling tools/products, and more. Independence and integrity remain our core, and we strive to be a champion of the investor. Valuentum is based in the Chicagoland area. Valuentum is not a money manager, broker, or financial advisor. Valuentum is a publisher of financial information.

Aug 28, 2020

TikTok Up for Grabs
Image Shown: ByteDance may be forced to sell the US operations of TikTok, and there are plenty of potential suitors out there with deep pockets. On August 27, Walmart announced it was in discussions with Microsoft Corp about acquiring the US operations of popular short-video-oriented social firm TikTok from Beijing-based ByteDance. Given that Microsoft noted back on August 2 it was continuing discussions concerning a potential deal for TikTok’s US, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian operations, it is likely Walmart would be interested in acquiring an economic interest in those assets as well. Additionally, a consortium led by Oracle Corp has reportedly made a $20.0 billion bid for TikTok according to The Wrap, with $10.0 billion made up in cash and $10.0 billion of Oracle stock along with a provision that would see Oracle give ByteDance 50% of the annual profits from TikTok over a two-year period. Please note that none of this is for certain, though we are intrigued by the news. Oracle is reportedly joined by General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital, two venture capital firms that are also investors in ByteDance.

Aug 27, 2020

Earnings Brief: BOX, CRM, WMT, TOL, HD/LOW
Image Source: Toll Brothers. Iron Oak at Alamo Creek, Danville, CA. Let's cover some trends that may emerge out of the COVID-19 pandemic, including accelerated e-commerce proliferation and its impact on brick-and-mortar giants, as well as an increased likelihood of suburban sprawl that may propel some names while leaving others behind.

Aug 24, 2020

Target Posts Stellar Comparable Store Growth, Digital Investments Lead the Way
Image Source: Target Corporation – May 2013 IR Presentation. Elevated demand for consumers staples products and rebounding consumer discretionary sales helped Target Corp report record comparable store sales growth in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 (period ended August 1, 2020), which were up 24.3% year-over-year. Digital comparable sales were up a whopping 195% year-over-year as same-day delivery services grew by 273%, with Target citing strength at its curbside pickup, order online/pickup in-store and home delivery options. Please note Target generates virtually all of its revenues in the US.

Aug 19, 2020

Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Race
Image Source: Johnson & Johnson – Second Quarter of Fiscal 2020 IR Earnings Presentation. The ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic has devasted the global economy (though things are starting to improve) and has fundamentally altered daily human life. According to a draft report from the World Health Organization (‘WHO’), there were 29 COVID-19 vaccine candidates undergoing clinical trials as of August 13 along with 138 other candidates undergoing preclinical evaluation. It is a race against the clock. Unfortunately, as of this writing on August 18, there have been ~170,000 COVID-19-related deaths in the US alone according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (‘CDC’). We are optimistic that one of the many “shots on goal” will end up proving successful. The US launched Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, which involves providing funding to companies with promising vaccine candidates. Furthermore, please note that major economies around the world have adjusted their rules and procedures to allow for multiple phases of clinical trials to be conducted concurrently. Before getting into some of the most promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates, we hope everyone, their loved ones, and their family members are staying safe out there as we ride out the pandemic.

Aug 12, 2020

Amazon Secures Big Win in the Online Grocery Market
Image Shown: Shares of Amazon have surged over the past year. Compared to their March 2020 lows, shares of AMZN have almost doubled as of this writing on August 10, 2020. On July 30, Amazon reported second-quarter earnings for 2020 that beat consensus top- and bottom-line estimates by a mile. As of this writing, shares of AMZN have almost doubled since hitting their March 2020 lows as Amazon’s lines of business were well-prepared to ride out the storm created by the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, assisted by the firm’s pristine balance sheet.

Jul 30, 2020

McDonald’s Improving But Serious Hurdles Remain
Image Shown: Shares of McDonald’s Corporation are richly valued as of this writing, especially when considering the headwinds facing its business in the near-term and its hefty net debt load. On July 28, McDonald’s Corp reported second quarter 2020 earnings that beat consensus top-line estimates but fell short of consensus bottom-line estimates. As expected, the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic took a large bite out of its performance last quarter with global comparable sales down 23.9% versus the same period a year-ago. McDonald’s reported that its global comparable store sales trajectory improved throughout the second quarter as the decline shrank from -39.0% (negative 39.0%) in April 2020 to -12.3% (negative 12.3%) by June 2020. Shares of MCD sold off modestly during normal trading hours on July 28, and we caution that McDonald’s still appears to be generously valued as of this writing.