Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

Symbol Keyword

Dec 14, 2023

Brief Note: Just How Good Has Our Stock Selection Been?
Has anyone really done better than this? We hope you have benefited greatly!

Oct 27, 2023

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of October 27
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Sep 20, 2023

ICYMI: Questions for Valuentum’s Brian Nelson
Valuentum's President Brian Nelson, CFA, answers your questions.

Aug 17, 2023

3 High Dividend Yielders for Consideration
Image: Entities with large net cash positions and substantial free cash flow generation have outperformed not only the broader stock market, but also key high yield areas, including REITs, mortgage REITs and master limited partnerships during the past 10 years. Source: The respective ETF sponsors. The skills to successfully invest for long-term capital gains or long-term dividend growth are much different than those required for generating high yield dividend income. Income investing is a much different proposition. However, the skills do center on a similar equity evaluation process, but one that requires an acknowledgement and heightened awareness of considerably greater downside risks. Income investing, or high yield dividend income investing, should at times be considered among the riskiest forms of investing, as many high dividend-yielding securities tend to trade closer to the characteristics of junk-rated bonds than they do most net cash rich and free cash flow generating powerhouses that we like so much in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio.

Aug 9, 2023

Will Crude Oil Prices Hit $100 Again?
Image: US field production of crude oil is approaching record highs. Source: EIA. The next few weeks will likely see a rally in energy equities, but we note that U.S. field production of crude oil is approaching all-time highs and will likely eclipse all-time highs this year, given the pace of monthly year-over-year increases. With shale oil abundant and production still advancing nicely, the rise in crude oil prices this summer is largely of the speculative variety, in our view. We could see a run in black gold to the triple digits, but both supply and production remain healthy, and if crude oil prices reach the $100+ mark, we don’t see them staying there for long. We think investors are rotating out of this year’s big winners, a healthy consolidation, and we won’t be making any changes to the newsletter portfolios on account of what we believe is a temporary rotation into energy equities.

May 30, 2023

Phillips 66’s Stock May Be Volatile But Its Management Remains Very Shareholder Friendly
Image: Phillips 66’s shares have been quite volatile as refining margins ebb and flow, but shares are up nicely since the start of 2021 even as they’ve given up some ground so far in 2023. Phillips 66’s dividend yield stands at 4.4% at the time of its writing, and management remains committed to continuing to raise the payout, having done so as recently as its most recently reported quarter. Refining margins will continue to be volatile as feedstock costs fluctuate and prices at the pump vary, and while Phillips 66 retains a rather large total debt load, we think the risks are acceptable for this income generator. We continue to like shares as an idea in a well-diversified equity income portfolio.

Apr 28, 2023

The Energy Sector Has Had a Great Run
Image: The energy sector was the top-performing sector during 2022. Exxon Mobil's and Chevron's first-quarter 2023 results were strong but as expected. The energy sector may have another good year or two in the next five-to-seven years, but our favorite areas for long-term investors remain large cap growth and big cap tech. Let’s say the only thing you ever read about investing was the book Value Trap, and after reading it, you decided to go long large cap growth and stay away from small cap value. You would be dancing right now.

Jan 31, 2023

Phillips 66 Rounds Out Cash-Rich 2022; Dividend Remains Solid
Image Source: Phillips 66. 2022 was a fantastic year for Phillips 66. The company hauled in $10.81 billion in operating cash flow and spent $2.194 billion in capital expenditures and investments, resulting in free cash flow that was far greater than the shareholder distributions during the period. The strong free cash flow generation during the year allowed the company to pare down debt, while building its cash balance, to $6.1 billion. Its net-debt-to-capital ratio was 24% at the end of the year, and it put up 22% adjusted return on common equity for 2022. Shares yield ~3.9% at this time.

Dec 27, 2022

Exclusive Call: What To Expect From Valuentum in 2023
Video: 2022 was a successful year by almost every measure from the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and simulated Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio to the simulated High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio and Exclusive publication and beyond. There were some disappointments in 2022, of course, but the year showed the value of a Valuentum membership. Join President of Investment Research Brian Nelson on this year's Exclusive conference call to learn what to expect from Valuentum in 2023. Cheers!

Dec 9, 2022

We Win Some, We Lose Some: Best Idea Exxon Mobil Expects Huge Cash Flow Growth in Coming Years
Image: Exxon Mobil has been one of the biggest contributors of alpha to the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio during 2022. Image: Valuentum. It would have been difficult to sit out energy during 2022 and have a good year. Though the areas of dividend growth and high-yield dividend investing have held up better than more speculative areas, energy has been a key source of alpha across our newsletter suite this year. We added Exxon Mobil mid last year, in June 2021, to the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, and High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, and shares have rocketed more than 60% higher during 2022 alone. We continue to like shares of Exxon Mobil and peg a per-share fair value estimate of $122 on them.