Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Walmart’s Digital Strategy Continues to Pay Off
Image Shown: Walmart Inc continues to distribute its free cash flows back to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases. The retailing giant’s management team has a long track record of being shareholders friendly. However, we still view shares of WMT as generously valued as of this writing, given that the top end of our fair value estimate range sits at $133 per share though WMT is currently trading closer to ~$150 per share. Image Source: Walmart Inc – Third Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Earnings Presentation. On November 17, Walmart reported third quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended October 31, 2020) that beat consensus estimates on both the top- and bottom-lines. As we have noted in the past, the key driver behind Walmart’s financial outperformance of late has been its e-commerce operations. Whether that be to support home delivery services or curbside pick-up options, Walmart’s past digital investments better allowed the retailing giant to meet surging demand for consumer staples and other products in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic. The top end of our fair value estimate range sits at $133 per share of WMT, indicating Walmart is generously valued as of this writing as its shares are currently trading near $150. However, we still view Walmart’s business model as stellar and its cash flow profile as impressive. During the first nine months of fiscal 2021, Walmart generated over $16.4 billion in free cash flow. The firm spent $4.6 billion covering its dividend obligations and another $1.2 billion buying back its stock during this period, and both of these activities were fully covered by Walmart’s free cash flows and then some. Shares of WMT yield ~1.4% as of this writing.

Chevron’s Forward-Looking Dividend Coverage is Becoming Stressed
Image Shown: Chevron Corporation reduced its capital expenditure expectations a couple of times this year, though that still has not enabled the firm to generate meaningful free cash flows given the various headwinds facing its businesses. Image Source: Chevron Corporation – November 2020 IR Presentation. On October 30, Chevron Corp reported third quarter earnings for 2020. As expected, it was a brutal report from Chevron. The ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic decimated global energy demand and severely weakened raw energy resources pricing at a time when refining margins are quite weak. This double whammy saw Chevron post a $0.2 billion GAAP net loss in the third quarter of 2020 as its revenues tanked.

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.

Exxon Mobil’s Weak Forward-Looking Dividend Coverage is Very Concerning
Image Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation – Third Quarter of 2020 IR Earnings Presentation. Exxon Mobil Corp has contended with enormous headwinds so far in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, and that has put its dividend at risk. Over the past couple of years, the company has come nowhere close to generating enough free cash flow to cover its dividend obligations. Exxon Mobil’s forward-looking dividend coverage appears quite weak and the company is currently leaning heavily on debt markets to keep making good on those obligations. As of this writing, shares of XOM yield ~9.7% as investors are increasingly pricing in the chance for a meaningful payout cut.

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).

Seeking High Success Rates on Individual Ideas? Consider the Exclusive Publication, a Valuentum Securities Offering.
We wanted to update our membership on the stats of ideas that we have highlighted in the Exclusive publication thus far for the past 52 months. For those that aren't aware of this publication, it is an add-on publication to the regular membership where we highlight three ideas in full thesis form each month -- an income idea, a capital appreciation idea, and a short idea consideration. For capital appreciation ideas, the success rates* have been 86.5% -- meaning that 86.5% of capital appreciation ideas that we've highlighted have advanced from their highlight price to their close or current price (including dividends). It's a pretty striking sight to see. For short idea considerations, the success rates have been 92.3% -- meaning that 92.3% of short idea considerations that we've highlighted have fallen from their highlight price to their close or current price (including dividends). This is even more remarkable than the capital appreciation success rates.

Our Fair Value Estimate for Cisco Remains Unchanged at $51 Per Share
Image Shown: Cisco Systems Inc continues to focus on rewarding shareholders by deploying its sizable free cash flows towards dividend payments and share repurchases. We are big fans of the tech giant. Image Source: Cisco Systems Inc – First Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Earnings Presentation.  On November 12, Cisco Systems reported first quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended October 24, 2020) after the market close that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Though its GAAP revenues and GAAP net income fell by 9% and 26% year-over-year, respectively, the market was assuming the worst given the headwinds Cisco is facing due to the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic. More importantly, Cisco’s fiscal second quarter guidance was decent, all things considered. We include shares of Cisco in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios. As of this writing, shares of CSCO yield a nice ~3.7%, and our fair value estimate for Cisco still stands at $51 per share.

Follow Up on Our Call on Ameresco
Image Shown: Since we highlighted Ameresco Inc back in August, shares of AMRC have continued to surge higher. We caution that recent trading activity has been quite volatile, due primarily to the ongoing election count process in the US. Back in August 2020, we published a note on Ameresco, which provides a comprehensive slate of energy services for its clients. Ameresco appears uniquely well-positioned to capitalize on rising demand from enterprises, government agencies, and other entities to appear “green” without breaking the bank. Given that the company’s core offerings involve reducing its customers' long-term operating costs (particularly O&M expenses) and improving its clients' cost structure, it appears Ameresco’s offerings should be quite appealing to a large range of customers. We will continue keeping an eye on Ameresco going forward.

UnitedHealth Remains on Our Radar for Dividend Growth Newsletter Portfolio
Image: On a price-only basis, from the beginning of 2008, UnitedHealth’s shares have advanced ~600%, while the S&P 500 has increased ~150%. The measurement period covers both the Obama and Trump administrations. UnitedHealth offers investors defensive characteristics, and the company has revealed considerable resiliency in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as through changes in healthcare laws during prior administrations. Strong earnings momentum (i.e. the recent guidance increase), solid and growing free cash flow generation, and a very healthy balance sheet are key components to its story. The company has put up sizable double-digit dividend increases in recent years, and we believe it has the capacity to continue to do so. Free cash flow generation during the first nine months of 2020 covered dividends paid by a factor of 4.2x. At 21x expected 2020 earnings, UnitedHealth isn’t too pricey in light of its free cash flow generation and balance sheet health, and its ~1.6% dividend yield isn’t too shabby, by any stretch either. We have exposure to the company via the Healthcare Select Sector SPDR ETF, but we’re keeping UnitedHealth on our radar for addition to the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio at the right price.

Our Thoughts on Magellan Midstream’s Latest Earnings
Image Shown: Keeping the many headwinds facing the energy infrastructure space in mind, Magellan Midstream Partners LP remains one of our favorite midstream master limited partnerships. Image Source: Magellan Midstream Partners LP – October 2020 IR Presentation. On October 30, Magellan Midstream Partners reported third quarter 2020 earnings that beat both top- and bottom-line consensus estimates. The midstream master limited partnership (‘MLP’) space has faced enormous headwinds due to the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, though the firm was still able to generate sizable free cash flows during the first nine months of 2020. Magellan Midstream is a modestly-weighted holding in the High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, and as of this writing, units of MMP yield ~11.1%. Though that yield is quite high, given that the firm’s free cash flows should grow significantly going forward, we are optimistic the firm will be able to continue making good on its payout obligations for the time being.