Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Sep 12, 2024

Kroger Raises Identical Sales Growth Outlook
Image: Kroger’s shares have been choppy during the past couple years. Looking to fiscal 2024, Kroger reaffirmed its guidance for adjusted FIFO operating profit in the range of $4.6-$4.8 billion, adjusted net earnings per diluted share in the range of $4.30-$4.50, and adjusted free cash flow of $2.5-$2.7 billion. It updated its identical sales growth without fuel forecast to 0.75%-1.75% for the year, which is up from the prior range of 0.25%-1.75%. Kroger continues to work toward closing its merger with Albertsons, the completion of which remains uncertain given criticism from the FTC. Our fair value estimate for Kroger stands at $55 per share.

Sep 9, 2024

Latest Report Updates
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Aug 9, 2024

Paper: Value and Momentum Within Stocks, Too
Abstract: This paper strives to advance the field of finance in four ways: 1) it extends the theory of the “The Arithmetic of Active Management” to the investor level; 2) it addresses certain data problems of factor-based methods, namely with respect to value and book-to-market ratios, while introducing price-to-fair-value ratios in a factor-based approach; 3) it may lay the foundation for academic literature regarding the Valuentum, the value-timing, and ultra-momentum factors; and 4) it walks through the potential relative outperformance that may be harvested at the intersection of relevant, unique and compensated factors within individual stocks.

Jun 28, 2024

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of June 28
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Jun 20, 2024

Kroger’s Identical Store Sales Beat Consensus
Image: Kroger’s shares have been choppy during the past couple years. Kroger reaffirmed its full-year 2024 guidance. The company expects identical-store without fuel of 0.25%-1.75%, adjusted FIFO operating profit of $4.6-$4.8 billion and adjusted net earnings per diluted share of $4.30-$4.50. Adjusted free cash flow is targeted in the range of $2.5-$2.7 billion on capital expenditures of $3.4-$3.6 billion for the year. Kroger ended the quarter with ~$12.2 billion in debt and $345 million in cash. All things considered, we liked Kroger’s report, but uncertainties regarding its deal with Albertsons coupled with a large net debt position leave us on the sidelines. Shares yield ~2.2% at the time of this writing. 

Jun 14, 2024

Latest Report Updates
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Jun 10, 2024

Update: Frequently Asked Questions About Valuentum Securities, Inc.
Valuentum (val∙u∙n∙tum) [val-yoo-en-tuh-m] Securities Inc. is an independent investment research publisher, offering premium equity reports and dividend reports, as well as commentary across all sectors/companies, a Best Ideas Newsletter (spanning market caps, asset classes), a Dividend Growth Newsletter, modeling tools/products, and more. Independence and integrity remain our core, and we strive to be a champion of the investor. Valuentum is based in the Chicagoland area. Valuentum is not a money manager, broker, or financial advisor. Valuentum is a publisher of financial information. We address a number of questions from both subscribers and visitors to our site.

Mar 21, 2024

Latest Report Updates
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Feb 25, 2024

We Remain Bullish; Is This 1995 – The Beginning of a Huge Stock Market Run?
Image: Large cap growth stocks have trounced the performance of the S&P 500, REITs, and bonds since the beginning of 2023. We expect continued outperformance in this area of the market. We’re now roughly four years past the depths of the COVID-19 meltdown, where equities collapsed in February and March of 2020. As the markets began to recover through 2020, our long-term conviction in equities only grew stronger. We think the biggest risk for long-term investors remains staying out of the market on the basis of what could be considered stretched valuation multiples. As we outlined heavily in the book Value Trap, valuation multiples hardly tell the complete story about a company and often omit key long-term earnings growth, cash flow dynamics, and balance sheet health considerations. We remain bullish on equities for the long haul, and we think the next couple years will be incredibly strong. Our best ideas can be found in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, ESG Newsletter portfolio, and via the Exclusive publication as well as options idea generation.

Feb 21, 2024

Walmart’s Free Cash Flow Remains Robust, Buys Vizio to Boost Advertising Business
Image: Walmart’s free cash flow generation during fiscal 2024 was superb and comfortably covers its cash dividends paid. Walmart is doing a fantastic job executing on its value proposition, and the company is in a sweet spot with respect to consumer trends given the step change in prices the past few years that is causing consumers to trade down to value offerings. The firm’s comp sales are coming in better than expected, and its free cash flow generation remains well in excess of its cash dividends paid, providing ample support for further dividend hikes. Walmart will execute a 3-for-1 stock split on February 23 and will begin trading on a post-split basis February 26. Though Walmart retains a massive net debt position, perhaps its only drawback from a financial standpoint, the company is a fantastic dividend grower and perhaps one of the best considerations within the retail space these days. Shares yield ~1.4% at the time of this writing.