Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

Symbol Keyword

Mar 10, 2021

Dividend Growth Portfolio Idea Dick’s Sporting Goods Raises Dividend 16%!
Image Source: Mike Mozart. Dick's Sporting Goods put up its best same-store-sales growth rate in history during 2020. We continue to like shares of the sporting goods retailer in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. Dick’s Sporting Goods showcased the strength of its business model during 2020, and while it may not be able to duplicate the results in 2021, we think the future is bright. Free cash flow generation trends are solid, its balance sheet is healthy, and dividend coverage is sound. As more and more consumers choose healthier lifestyles, Dick’s Sporting Goods remains in a sweet spot to capture continued demand. With a solid 2% dividend yield, the company remains a holding in the simulated Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. We expect continued strong dividend growth for years to come.

Mar 10, 2021

Chipotle Improving Its Digital Menu to Support Its E-commerce Growth Runway
Image Shown: Over the past year, shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc have been on an upward tear, supported by the restaurant’s improving omni-channel selling capabilities. Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill surged higher during normal trading hours March 9 after the firm announced it was adding customizable quesadilla offerings to its digital menu in the US and Canada starting March 11. This offering is only available for customers ordering while using Chipotle’s digital platforms (potentially due to the longer preparation times) and will likely require new cooking equipment at the company’s restaurants. The company offers both home delivery and curbside/drive-thru pickup services (including its order ahead and pickup services) through its digital platform. We continue to be huge fans of Chipotle and include the company as an idea in our Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.

Mar 10, 2021

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine Gets the Green Light
Image Shown: We include Johnson & Johnson as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios. The health care giant is home to over two dozen ‘platforms/products’ that generate $1.0+ billion in annual sales, as you can see in the above graphic. Recently, Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine received emergency use authorization from the US CDC, which will provide public health authorities with another arrow in their quiver as it relates to bringing an end to the public health crisis. Image Source: Johnson & Johnson – Fourth Quarter of 2020 IR Earnings Presentation. At the end of February 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (‘CDC’) gave emergency use authorization for the single-shot vaccine developed by Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, to inoculate patients aged 18 years and older from the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’). We have been covering this story for some time and are delighted to see that Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine crossed the finish line. Having another safe and viable COVID-19 vaccine at their disposal should go a long way in assisting global health authorities in eventually bringing the pandemic under control. We covered the interim safety and efficacy data from Johnson & Johnson’s Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial previously. Johnson & Johnson is included as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios, and we continue to like exposure to the name. The top end of our fair value estimate for JNJ sits at $172 per share, and we are big fans of its promising dividend growth trajectory. Shares of JNJ yield ~2.6% as of this writing.

Mar 5, 2021

Our Thoughts on Berkshire Hathaway’s Latest Annual Report
Image Shown: Shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B stock have been on an upward climb since June 2020 with room for additional capital appreciation upside. The top end of our fair value estimate range for BRK.B sits at $275 per share. We continue to like exposure to Berkshire Class B stock in our Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. The top end of our fair value estimate range sits at $275 per share of BRK.B, indicating the company has room for additional capital appreciation upside as of this writing even after moving higher over the past several months. Just like any investor, Mr. Buffett will not always get it right, but we appreciate his candor when he gets something wrong. Bigger picture, the outlook for the US economy appears strong as public health authorities are utilizing COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts to help bring an end to the crisis. Mr. Buffett, in his letter, was very upbeat about the US economy. We will end with this comment from the Oracle of Omaha: “Our unwavering conclusion: Never bet against America.”

Mar 5, 2021

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week March 5
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.

Mar 3, 2021

French Conglomerate Bolloré Is Intriguing
Image Source: Bolloré SE – 2019 Business Report. We are intrigued by the extensive reach of Bolloré and the very diversified nature of its asset base. The French conglomerate’s ability to generate meaningful free cash flows during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the resilience of its business model and cash flow profile. However, we caution that the Bolloré family will continue to exert an outsized level of influence on the trajectory of the conglomerate going forward. Nonetheless, this is one for the radar.

Mar 2, 2021

Aon and Willis Towers Watson to Join Forces
Image Source: Aon Plc – Willis Towers Watson Plc Merger IR Presentation March 2020. Two global professional services firms, Aon and Willis Towers Watson, are in the process of merging through an all-stock deal. Should the transaction proceed as envisioned, the pro forma company should be able to unlock material synergies within a few years after the deal closes. We would want to see how the combined company performs first before updating our opinion on the pro forma entity, though we view the merger quite favorably given the expected free cash flow uplift.

Feb 28, 2021

Earnings Roundup: BYND, DASH, DPZ, NVDA
Image Shown: Shares of DoorDash Inc tumbled after the food delivery service reported its latest earnings report near the end of February 2021. In this article, we've highlighted four companies that just reported their latest results. Domestic and international economic activities continued to face major headwinds from the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic near the end of last year and into the beginning of this year, though corporates are now starting to plan for a world when “pre-pandemic” activities (such as going to eat indoors at a restaurant) can resume in earnest. Global health authorities are working to put an end to the public health crisis via ongoing COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts. In alphabetical order by ticker: BYND, DASH, DPZ, NVDA.

Feb 26, 2021

The Invisible Hand Will Sink These Markets
Image: Nan Fry. Markets have bounced right off the high end of our fair value estimate range on the S&P 500, and we’ve raised cash. The violins are playing on the Titanic. The “unsinkable” ship we call the price discovery mechanism of the markets can sink. Let us not be fools to think otherwise. There will be an epilogue to Value Trap, and you and I both know that I don't want to write it. Let's keep playing the violin for now.

Feb 26, 2021

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week February 26
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.