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CFA Institute Blog: “Hide-‘Til-Maturity” Accounting

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The Silicon Valley Bank collapse recalls the tussle over the accounting for financial instruments after the global financial crisis [GFC] in 2009, particularly the debate about whether some financial instruments should be carried at amortized cost (held-to-maturity, HTM) rather than at fair value (available-for-sale, AFS), or what is referred to as the “mixed measurement model.”  — Sandy Peters, CPA, CFA To read the article on the CFA Institute Blog >> —– Related: 4 Very Good Reasons Why We Don’t Like Dividends of Banking Stocks Banks & Money Centers: AXP, BAC, BBT, BK, C, DFS, FITB, GS, HBC, JPM, KEY, MS, NTRS, PNC, RF, STI, TFC, USB, WFC Valuentum does not believe the long-term dividend health of any financial institution can be accurately … Read more

ICYMI: Never Been More Bullish Even as Buffett Dumps Airlines

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Image Source: IATA. Data Source: McKinsey & Company (IATA). Airlines haven’t been able to earn their estimated cost of capital for as long as we can remember. There have been hundreds of airline bankruptcies since deregulation in 1978. By Brian Nelson, CFA On Saturday, May 2, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) reported expectedly weak first-quarter results. We won’t be ditching Berkshire Hathaway’s stock in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio so long as Uncle Warren is at the helm, but there were a couple takeaways from the report that we want you to be aware of (we’ll have another more extensive note focusing more exclusively on Berkshire coming out soon). The first big piece of news, something that should not be surprising … Read more

Fed Cuts 100 Basis Points, Launches More QE

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“Now, stocks and other assets are being sold, some indiscriminately. It is truly becoming a stock pickers market as opposed to a quant-led and index-led market. It takes a different kind of bravery to buy on massive down days and one must have conviction in their research that the company will not go away if massive downside scenarios do in fact emerge.” – Matthew Warren. In this piece, we cover our assessment of what the global markets might be facing in a bull-case, base-case, and bear-case scenario. Our base case is a substantial recession in the US and a financial crisis of some unknown magnitude. By Matthew Warren The tremendous (mostly downside) volatility in all asset markets globally during the … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending January 17

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending January 17. 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 Abbott Laboratories (ABT): now $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.32. Algoma Central (AGMJF): now CAD 0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.11. Alliant Energy (LNT): now $0.38 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.355. Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (APYRF): now CAD 0.1375 per share monthly dividend, was CAD 0.1330. Ally Financial (ALLY): now $0.19 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.17. Apogee (APOG): now … Read more

Join the Conversation on the Market Plunge

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The Valuentum team shares its thoughts on the recent surge in volatility and collapse in interest rates amid a trade and currency war between two of the largest economies in the world, the US and China. No changes to the newsletter portfolios at this time. During the past few days, the US (SPY, DIA) and China (FXI, MCHI) have escalated a trade war, turning it into a currency war, the latter allowing its yuan to drop to lower levels against the U.S. dollar. The US has now labeled China a “currency manipulator,” and China has responded by suspending U.S. agricultural purchases. China is one of the largest buyers of U.S. agricultural goods. The Valuentum team builds on its previous conversation … Read more

In The News: Hurricane Florence, Tariffs and Capital Spending Delays, Kroger and Big Tobacco on the Move

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  Let’s take a look at some of the top stories across the market, including the impact tariffs are having on capital spending plans and bottom lines and recent developments in big tobacco. By Kris Rosemann As Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast of the US, risk modeling firm RMS believes US insurers should be bracing for $20 billion in losses. More than 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate the area, and the threat of a combination of storm surge, wind, and inland flooding may prove to be significant as Duke Energy (DUK) estimates 1-3 million customers may be left without power across North and South Carolina. Privately-held Liberty Mutual Insurance and Nationwide Mutual Insurance are … Read more

Subscribe: The Nelson Exclusive Is Simply One of a Kind

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“I think the Nelson Exclusive publication is worth far more than what we charge for it, and we’re making it even better.” Hi folks, I have to admit that I was quite worried about launching the Nelson Exclusive May 2016. I didn’t know what to expect, and as we’ve progressed with new ideas each and every month, I’ve been working hard to incorporate feedback. For starters, we’re going to be moving to tracking the income characteristics of the income ideas on a go-forward basis as a measure of their success. Many members have voiced this long-term income-oriented preference, and frankly we think it makes a lot of sense. Not one income idea in the Exclusive has cut its dividend! But … Read more

Admit It: You Know Nothing About the Dividend

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President of Investment Research Brian Nelson talks about how the concept of a dividend is completely miscontrued due to societal and cultural reasons, but he also explains why he likes dividends. Warning: He’s going to bust out Monopoly pieces. You don’t want to miss this! Running time: ~15 minutes.

Bank Valuations and We’re All Market Timers?

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President of Investment Research Brian Nelson dives into questions about why an enterprise free cash flow model is not used for banking and insurance entities, and offers up the idea that we all might be market timers. What do you think? Running time: ~14 minutes.

I Love Dividends But the Dividend Discount Model is DEAD!

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President of Investment Research Brian Nelson gives a plethora of reasons why the dividend discount model is dead and expresses his worries about how it continues to be used academically and professionally. Also included is a discussion about why the weighted average cost of capital, or the WACC, is used in the enterprise free cash flow valuation process, or the free cash flow to the firm process. Running time: ~13 minutes.