Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Jun 18, 2024

Lennar Navigating Fluctuating Interest Rate Environment Well
Image: Lennar has been a strong performer since the beginning of 2023. We liked the quarterly update from Lennar, and while we won’t be adding this homebuilder to any newsletter portfolio, we’re interpreting its performance as another positive data point regarding the macroeconomic environment.

Apr 26, 2024

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of April 26
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Mar 31, 2024

Toll Brothers Notes Strong Start to Spring Selling Season
Toll Brothers raised its full-year fiscal 2024 guidance across key metrics, and the company noted that it has seen a "marked increase in demand coinciding with the start of the spring selling season." Though we don’t include any homebuilder in the simulated newsletter portfolios, it’s good to see things are progressing well at Toll Brothers.

Mar 13, 2024

Williams-Sonoma Beats in Fourth Quarter, Raises Dividend 26%
Image: Williams-Sonoma is facing revenue pressure, but free cash flow trends are robust. Image Source: Williams-Sonoma. On March 13, Williams-Sonoma surprised the Street to the upside with better-than-expected fourth quarter results, a huge dividend increase, and the launch of an incremental $1 billion in share repurchases. We expect to raise our fair value estimate as a result of the good news. Though the firm’s sales continue to face pressure due to a weakened housing market, its cash-based sources of intrinsic value are robust, and shares yield 1.6% on a forward estimated basis.

Feb 21, 2023

Home Depot’s Comps, Operating Income Fall in Q4; Hikes Dividend 10%
Image Source: Mike Mozart. On February 21, home improvement retailer Home Depot reported weak fourth quarter 2022 results that showed comparable store sales for the period falling 0.3% and operating income dropping 1.5% from the same period a year ago. Diluted earnings per share advanced 2.8% from last year’s quarter. The company is dealing with a weakened consumer spending environment and difficult comparisons from pandemic-driven demand of a year ago. Home Depot raised its dividend payout to 10%, to $2.09 per share, or $8.36 per share on an annualized basis. That translates into a forward estimated dividend yield of ~2.6%.

Sep 28, 2022

Things Are Bad Out There
The Bank of England’s intervention to stem what might have turned into a “run on the bank” dynamic for pension funds in the country amid a collapsing pound has given rise to the view that the Fed may start to slow its rate of increases amid global uncertainty. We think it’s too early to tell. From our perspective, the Fed remains committed to stomping out inflation, something that it may not truly be able to do, given that interest rate hikes may be too blunt of an instrument to stymie food cost inflation, which remains one of the the biggest inflationary headwinds that is hurting consumer budgets. What is happening on the global stage is quite concerning, and we remain bearish on the equity markets. The bull case may very well be a deep recession in the U.S., where dollar cost averaging in the U.S. markets could be had, followed by sharp interest rate cuts by the Fed, and a return to all-time highs. This is not a time to lose interest, but a time to pay even closer attention to your investments. What you do over the next couple years will have implications on your portfolio 5, 10, and 20 years forward. Let’s keep focused on preserving and building long-term wealth!

Sep 11, 2022

U.S. Housing Market Showing Signs of Weakness
Image Shown: The U.S. housing market is starting to show signs of weakness. Companies involved in the home building business in the U.S. are starting to feel the heat, with the iShares US Home Construction ETF down ~30% year-to-date as of early September 2022 on a price-only basis. The national U.S. housing market has been on fire during the past few years. Sharp increases in U.S. housing prices are now contending with rising mortgage rates, which is prompting the question, are U.S. housing prices heading for a crash? Affordability issues are rampant, with many households now priced out of the market, and signs of weakness are emerging in the U.S. housing market. We think the prospect for rising mortgage interest rates could send housing prices spiraling lower, but nothing like that of the housing crisis of 2007-2009.

Apr 29, 2022

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week April 29
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.

Jan 23, 2022

RH’s Financials, Long-Term Potential Great But Housing Market and Deteriorating Wealth Effect Pose Risks
Image Shown: Shares of RH have exploded higher since the news broke that Berkshire Hathaway Inc had taken a stake in the firm’s equity back in 2019, though shares of RH have shifted lower in recent months. RH is an innovative home furnishing company that pairs its products with interior/exterior design services to offer a comprehensive package. The company primarily targets affluent households in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. RH has tremendous pricing power and its margins have increased significantly in recent fiscal years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its net revenues are trending higher as well. The firm is expanding into the high-end hospitality industry and has several projects that are set to come online in 2022 and beyond. RH is a stellar free cash flow generator with a manageable net debt load. Though the company has been executing nicely of late, as witnessed by its stellar financial performance and recent guidance increases, shares of RH have sold off in recent months. In our view, the recent selloff is a function of broad based market weakness, but it also may be due to investors growing more concerned about the impact higher interest rates and a deteriorating wealth effect may have on housing and home furnishing demand and on its push into the hospitality space, respectively. We continue to view RH’s long-term capital appreciation upside potential favorably, however.

Dec 3, 2021

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week December 3
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.