Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Aug 18, 2021

Dividend Growth Idea Home Depot Remains Rock-Solid
Image Shown: Shares of Home Depot Inc have moved significantly higher year-to-date and are up approximately 21% through the end of normal trading hours on August 17. On August 17, Home Depot reported second quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended August 1, 2021) that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Comparable sales were up 4.5% year-over-year last fiscal quarter though shares of HD slid lower during the trading session that day as investors were expecting even stronger performance. Shares of HD are up roughly 21% year-to-date as of the end of the normal trading session on August 17 (that includes the impact of the ~4% drop in shares of HD after its earnings report), and in our view, investors were locking in some profits. We liked what we saw in Home Depot’s latest earnings report and includes shares of HD as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio.

Jul 8, 2021

Still Bullish -- Stocks for the Long Run!
Image shown: The 10-year Treasury rate has fallen quite a bit since March of this year, suggesting that inflation expectations have come down in recent months. Image source: CNBC. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq continue to hover near all-time highs, and all appears well. We maintain our bullish take on the markets and believe that we are in the early innings of a long bull market that started following the washout March 2020 during the depths of the COVID-19 meltdown. Stock bull markets tend to average about 4.4 years in duration, with the last one enduring ~11 years, while bear markets are very abrupt, lasting only 11.3 months on average, the last one a very short 1.1 months, according to data from First Trust. We’re about 15 months into this new stock bull market, and we continue to believe increased equity exposure may better serve investors of all types going forward, through both the best of times and the worst of times.

May 20, 2021

Dividend Growth Opportunity Home Depot Posts a Solid Earnings Report
Image Source: Home Depot Inc – First Quarter of Fiscal 2021 Earnings Press Release. New home construction activity along with do-it-yourself (‘DIY’) and do-it-for-me (‘DIFM’) activities remains robust in the US, which is great news for Home Depot. On May 18, Home Depot reported first quarter fiscal 2021 earnings (period ended May 2, 2021) that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Home Depot’s GAAP revenues rose 33% year-over-year and its GAAP operating income grew 76% year-over-year as the home improvement and construction retailer reported strong demand from both its professional and retail customer base. We're huge fans of Home Depot and include the company as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. Shares of HD yield ~2.1% as of this writing.

Feb 8, 2021

Stock Market Outlook for 2021
2020 was one from the history books and a year that will live on in infamy. That said, we are excited for the future as global health authorities are steadily putting an end to the public health crisis created by COVID-19, aided by the quick discovery of safe and viable vaccines. Tech, fintech, and payment processing firms were all big winners in 2020, and we expect that to continue being the case in 2021. Digital advertising, cloud-computing, and e-commerce activities are set to continue dominating their respective fields. Cybersecurity demand is moving higher and the constant threats posed by both governments (usually nations that are hostile to Western interests) and non-state actors highlights how crucial these services are. Retailers with omni-channel selling capabilities are well-positioned to ride the global economic recovery upwards. Green energy firms will continue to grow at a brisk pace in 2021, though the oil & gas industry appears ready for a comeback. The adoption of 5G wireless technologies and smartphones will create immense growth opportunities for smartphone makers, semiconductor players and telecommunications giants. Video streaming services have become ubiquitous over the past decade with room to continue growing as households “cut the cord” and instead opt for several video streaming packages. We’re not too big of fans of old industrial names given their capital-intensive nature relative to capital-light technology or fintech, but there are select names that have appeal. Cryptocurrencies have taken the market by storm as we turn the calendar into 2021, but the traditional banking system remains healthy enough to withstand another shock should it be on the horizon. Our fair value estimate of the S&P 500 remains $3,530-$3,920, but we may still be on a roller coaster ride for the year. Here’s to a great 2021!

Jan 21, 2021

ICYMI: Valuentum's Brian Nelson on the Latest Howard Marks' Memo: "Something of Value"
Valuentum's President of Investment Research Brian Michael Nelson, CFA, explains why there are not really value and growth stocks, why most of the research in quantitative finance is spurious and needs to be redefined on a forward-looking basis, and why enterprise valuation (not the efficient markets hypothesis) should be the organizing principle of finance. Nelson explains his views about valuation, what it means to be a value investor, and investing in the context of Oaktree Capital Howard Marks' latest memo, "Something of Value," January 11, 2021.

Nov 16, 2020

Value Is Not Static and the Qualitative Overlay Is Vital to Our Process
With prudence and care, the Valuentum Buying Index process and its components are carried out. Our analyst team spends most of its time thinking about the intrinsic value of companies within the context of a discounted cash-flow model and evaluating the risk profile of a company's revenue model. We have checks and balances, too. First, we use a fair value range in our valuation approach as we embrace the very important concept that value is a range and not a point estimate. A relative value overlay as the second pillar helps to add conviction in the discounted cash-flow process, while a technical and momentum overlay seeks to provide confirmation in all of the valuation work. There's a lot happening behind the scenes even before a VBI rating is published, but it will always be just one factor to consider. Within any process, of course, we value the human, qualitative overlay, which captures a wealth of experience and common sense. We strive to surface our best ideas for members.

Nov 15, 2020

Zillow Continues to Disrupt Real Estate Market
Image Source: Zillow Group Inc – May 2020 IR Presentation. Record low interest rates for mortgages in the US, largely a product of the Fed’s monetary stimulus measures (quantitative easing and near-zero interest rates), has gone a long way in stimulating demand for homes. According to the US Census Bureau, the national homeownership rate stood at 67.4% in the second quarter of 2020, up ~260 basis points from the same period the prior year. For reference, the domestic homeownership rate has been steadily climbing higher since 2015-2016 (when homeownership rates were in the low-60s% range) according to data provided by the US Census Bureau. Homeownership rates peaked in 2005-2006 at the high-60s% level before sliding significantly lower over the next decade due in part due to the ramifications of the Great Financial Crisis (‘GFC’) and the tightening of mortgage lending standards (in large part due to Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was passed in 2010).

Jan 23, 2020

Resetting Your Mental Model
Image Source: affen ajlfe. Having the right mental model and using the right information can be the reason why you win or lose in investing.

Feb 27, 2019

News Roundup: Tesla’s Musk, Department Stores, Summit Midstream, Cracker Barrel, Home Depot, GE and More
No changes to simulated newsletter portfolios.

Dec 4, 2018

What’s Weighing on the Markets
Renewed concerns over the severity of trade tensions, a flattening yield curve, negative news out of the homebuilding space and other geopolitical uncertainties have investors feeling anxious. December 4 marked the worst day for the Dow Jones Industrial Average since October 10.