Eli Lilly’s Shares Have More Than Doubled During the Past 52 Weeks

Image: Eli Lilly’s shares have been on a tear these past few years. By Brian Nelson, CFA On February 6, Eli Lilly (LLY) reported excellent fourth-quarter results that showed revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share coming in better than expectations. The company’s fourth-quarter results were bolstered by sales of diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro, which saw sales in the quarter leap to ~$2.2 billion from ~$279 million in the year ago period. We continue to be in awe of the sales momentum behind GLP-1 receptor agonists, and the opportunity continues to be robust, despite already rapid sales acceleration. Though Eli Lilly trades at a premium to the high end of our fair value estimate range, we may be low in … Read more

Earnings Roundup: ABBV, CVX, NYCB, XOM

By Brian Nelson, CFA AbbVie (ABBV) Facing Pressure on Humira Sales But Companywide Revenue Outlook Remains Robust On February 2, pharma giant AbbVie reported mixed fourth-quarter results with revenue coming in ahead of expectations, but non-GAAP earnings per share coming in slightly lower than the consensus forecast. In the quarter, worldwide net revenue fell 5.4% as the firm continues to work through biosimilar competition against its blockbuster Humira, where net revenues fell more than 40% in the quarter on an operational basis. Global sales of Skyrizi and Rinvoq, however, still powered ahead, advancing nearly 52% and 63% in the quarter on an operational basis, respectively. Its oncology portfolio faced pressure from declining sales of Imbruvica, while it experienced particular strength … Read more

3 Substantial Benefits of Dividend Growth Investing

Dear members: There are three primary benefits of a well-executed dividend growth strategy, one that is carried out with prudence and care and one that pays careful attention to the intrinsic value of the stock and its critical cash-based components. Albert Einstein is reported to have called compound interest the “eighth wonder of the world,” but dividend growth investing has the potential to offer long-term investors so much more! Let’s explain. 1) Reinvested Dividends Compound Over Time Over the past decade, I have grown to appreciate the compounding dynamics of reinvested dividends on appreciating stocks even more than historical studies have revealed. The strategy of dividend growth investing not only benefits from the reinvestment of dividends into the purchase of … Read more

Stock Reports on 25 Dividend Kings to Pad Your Dividend Growth Portfolio

Image Source: Jason Train By Valuentum Analysts Investors love dividends! After all, research has shown that companies that have paid an ever-increasing dividend for a long time do quite well in the stock market. In this note, you can download the stock reports of 25 Dividend Kings, or stocks that have raised their dividends in each of the past 50 years! Please select the company’s name/symbol below to download the 16-page report. Don’t forget that we also have Dividend Reports for these companies, too!  —– Genuine Parts (GPC) — 67 Years   Parker-Hannifin (PH) — 67 Years   Procter & Gamble (PG) — 67 Years   Emerson Electric (EMR) — 66 Years   3M (MMM) — 65 Years   Coca-Cola … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of January 12

  Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending January 12. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week                          A2B Australia Limited (CGAAY): now $0.7671 per share dividend, was $0.0567. AbbVie (ABBV): now $1.55 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.48. Apogee (APOG): now $0.25 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Apollo Global Management, Inc. SER A MAND CNVp (APO.PR.A): now $0.844 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.75. ATCO (ACO.X:CA): now CAD 0.4898 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.4756. ATCO Ltd. (ACO.Y:CA): … Read more

12 Reasons to Stay Aggressive in 2024

By Brian Nelson, CFA 1. The Fed has signaled that rate cuts could start with inflation at a 2 handle (2 point something) and not at exactly 2.0%. That means that the Fed may become anticipatory to prevent overshooting to the downside with inflation. We see this as positive for long-duration equities, particularly those whose free cash flow generation is robust in the out-years, inclusive of big cap tech and the stylistic area of large cap growth. 2. Unemployment is at structural lows of 3.7%. Employers are working hard to keep talent on board, and with each paycheck, employees are pumping more and more money into the stock market via retirement accounts. This tailwind remains a stiff one and will … Read more

There Will Be Volatility

By Brian Nelson, CFA Last year, 2022, was a big test for equity investors, and the downside volatility that we witnessed during the year wasn’t comfortable, to say the least. Following the COVID-19 crash and rebound during 2020, and then the market surge in 2021, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say many investors’ heads are probably still spinning from all the volatility witnessed to start this decade. That said, part of what we’ve been warning about the past few years with respect to the equity market, especially in Value Trap, is that the proliferation of price-agnostic trading (e.g. quant, machine/algorithmic trading, etc.) will only lead to more and more market volatility, so while we were somewhat surprised by last … Read more

Report Updates: Amazon Registers the Lowest Rating on Our Scale

Select the company’s link below to access their stock webpage where their 16-page stock report (pdf) can be downloaded. The stock webpage also houses the company’s dividend report (pdf), where applicable, as well as the latest company/industry commentary and news.    Albemarle (ALB) Amazon.com (AMZN) Applied Materials (AMAT) Cisco (CSCO) Halliburton (HAL) Lam Research (LRCX) Phillips 66 (PSX) Visa (V) CVS Health (CVS) Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) AbbVie (ABBV) Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) Gilead Sciences (GILD) Pfizer (PFE) Abbott (ABT) Oracle (ORCL) Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) Fresh Del Monte (FDP) Kraft Heinz (KHC) Lancaster Colony (LANC) McCormick (MKC) Molson Coors (TAP) Smucker (SJM) Sysco (SYY) ———- It’s Here!  The Second Edition of Value Trap! Order today!   —– Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, … Read more

ICYMI: Questions for Valuentum’s Brian Nelson

Valuentum’s President Brian Nelson, CFA, answers your questions. Q: What Is Valuentum? A: In short, it is a strategy that combines the concepts of value and momentum within individual stocks. We measure value through the cash-based sources of intrinsic value – net cash on the balance sheet and future expected free cash flow. We measure momentum rather simply, generally via relative strength or other technical and momentum indicators. We like stocks with strong net cash positions on the balance sheet, ones that are generating tremendous free cash flow, and have strong secular growth prospects such that the prospect for expectations of free cash flow can continue to be ratcheted higher. Today, most Valuentum stocks are included in the stylistic area … Read more

Latest Report Updates Concentrated in Mining & Chemicals and Healthcare Industries

———- In our 16-page equity research reports, we offer a fair value estimate for each company based on a rigorous and transparent discounted cash flow process, assess the attractiveness of a stock based on a firm-specific margin of safety, and provide a relative valuation comparison in the context of the company’s industry and peers. Each report includes detailed pro forma financial statements, explicit fundamental forecasts, and scenario analysis. A cross section of the ValueCreation and ValueRisk ratings provides a financial assessment of a company’s business quality (competitive position), while the ValueTrend and Economic Castle ratings offer insight into the trajectory of a firm’s economic profit creation (ROIC versus WACC). Included in each 16-page report is a company’s rating on the Valuentum Buying Index (VBI), a methodology that combines rigorous financial and valuation analysis … Read more