Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Jan 8, 2020

Update: US and Iran Now De-escalating Tensions
On January 7, Iran retaliated against the US for the killing of Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani (leader of a group that the US has deemed a terror threat under the Trump administration) less than a week earlier by firing missiles from Iranian soil at bases in Iraq that contain US, Iraqi, and coalition troops. The Iranian government aggressively publicized the attack by providing Iranian media outlets with footage of missiles leaving Iran that were targeted towards Iraq. Fortunately, no US, Iraqi, or coalition casualties were reported. We are very thankful that nobody was hurt as a result of the Iranian missile strike.

Jan 7, 2020

Middle East Tensions on the Rise
Early Friday (Arabian Standard Time) on January 3 (the strike was carried out late Thursday evening Eastern Standard Time), under the orders of President Trump, the US took out major general Qasem Soleimani who was the leader of Iran’s Quds military group within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (‘IRGC’). Please note the US designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in April 2019, and that the justification for the strike was due to there being an immediate threat to US lives (namely soldiers and contractors stationed in the Middle East), according to the Pentagon. It’s important to note that the strike occurred on Iraqi soil. The Quds force is known to be Iran’s extraterritorial military outfit, an elite group thought to be deeply involved in ongoing wars in Syria (undergoing a civil war), Yemen (undergoing a civil war), and Iraq (ostensibly fighting the remnants of the ISIS terror group). Qasem Soleimani was in Iraq when the US took him out with an airstrike, along with others such as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was the deputy chief of the Popular Mobilization Units (‘PMF’) which is an umbrella group for various militias active in Iraq that have extensive ties with Iran. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was thought to be an adviser of Qasem Soleimani.

Jan 2, 2020

FLIR Systems Repositions Itself
Image Source: FLIR Systems Inc – November 2019 IR Presentation. US equity indexes continue to march upwards, and as of this writing, are at or near all-time highs. We couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of our Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios. Our team continues to sift through Valuentum’s coverage universe to find top quality investment opportunities, and we are taking a deeper look at the defense industry in light of its counter-cyclical and (somewhat) recession-resistant qualities.

Oct 25, 2019

Our Reports on Stocks in the Prime Aerospace & Defense Industry
Image Source: Robert Sullivan. We've optimized our industrials coverage.

Mar 19, 2019

Lockheed Martin May Be a FCF Cow But the Company Should Consider Debt Reduction Over Share Buybacks
Image Source: Lockheed MartinRebounding free cash flow generation makes dividend growth all the more likely going forward, even though Lockheed Martin’s large net debt load needs to be monitored at all times. If the company attempts to makes another splashy purchase, its balance sheet may take on more than it can chew if free cash flow isn’t swiftly allocated to bringing that burden back down. In 2017 and 2018, Lockheed Martin spent $3.5 billion repurchasing its stock. We argue that going forward, the company should start allocating free cash flow to debt repayment. As of this writing, Lockheed Martin trades decently above our fair value estimate, meaning the company would be buying back shares at what we consider premium prices.

Feb 7, 2019

Industrials Sector Ideas -- Examining the Fair Value Distribution
Image shown: Parker Hannifin's fair value distribution. The Red X marks the company's share price. The image corresponding to each company in our coverage universe can be found on page 6 of their respective stock reports. Let’s have a look at some recent reports from a few of our favorite businesses in the industrials sector: Danaher, Dover, Eaton, Emerson, Illinois Tool Works, Ingersoll-Rand, Lennox, Parker-Hannifin, and Roper.

Dec 31, 2018

Valuentum Stock Screeners
Brian Nelson provides members with an update on Valuentum's stock screeners and the significant number of forward-looking data we provide. This article was sent to members via email December 29.

Dec 20, 2018

Market Mayhem -- Alerts for Members
Dear members -- we released a number of emails today. Please read and let us know if you have any questions. We're here for you.

Oct 25, 2018

Valuentum's ETF Reports
Image Source: Got Credit. Within each ETF report, we provide in-depth analysis and offer insights to help investors stay on top of key trends impacting exchange traded funds and their underlying industries, companies, and commodities. From evaluating the real estate cycle in REIT-focused ETFs to assessing the business dynamics of top holdings within consumer discretionary ETFs, for example, we focus on relevance and leave nothing important to the investment decision-making process out. Our ETF reports and ratings are completely forward-looking and bring the data to life with easy-to-understand analytics.

Aug 14, 2018

The Inflating Index Fund Bubble
Image Source: Mac.Else von Berlin. The investment industry is changing fast, and we’re happy to be an instrument for change. We’ve been clamoring to make index funds free for a long time, and we’re glad to see it finally happen. Let’s cover the implications of indiscriminate buying regardless of price with the observation that the number of publicly-traded companies is vastly shrinking. How long will the inflating index fund bubble last?