ALV

Throw December Auto Sales Numbers Away; December Ice Storms and a Late Thanksgiving Holiday to Blame

by

The excuses for the subpar selling performance at automakers in December (up just 0.3%) were many: the frigid ice and snow storms that scared customers away; a late Thanksgiving holiday that stole sales from the month; and a shortened holiday shopping season that left consumers scrambling to buy holiday gifts for family and friends, as opposed to spending time car shopping. Though the impact of each contributing factor is difficult to measure, we think the combination of these items was the main culprit for disappointing December auto sales, not that the consumer has decided to forgo car purchases and that the upswing in auto sales has come to an abrupt halt. Some caution is starting to creep into the market—see … Read more

Ford Shines Bright in November; Potential Channel Stuffing By GM; Toyota Suggests Industry Sales at Fastest Pace Since 2007; Nissan Sets November Record; Honda’s Second-Best November Performance

by

On Tuesday, Best Ideas portfolio holding Ford (F) put up its best November US auto sales performance in almost a decade. US sales at the automaker advanced 7% in the month, exceeding the mid-5% consensus forecast, while retail sales were up 9% for the period. The F-Series topped 60,000 sales for the seventh consecutive month (it sold 65,501 F-Series trucks in the month, up 16% on a year-over-year basis), and passenger car strength was led by Fusion and Fiesta sales, which jumped 51% and 26%, respectively. Total passenger car sales achieved the best sales result since 2002. November was a month to remember for Ford!  The automaker announced that it would build 770,000 vehicles in the first quarter of 2014 … Read more

How to Think About Corporate Tax Reform

by

Nelson: The 16 Most Important Steps To Understand The Stock Market

by

A previous version of this article appeared on our website July 21, 2013. Refreshed and updated throughout, as of July 2018. By Brian Nelson, CFA After earning my MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and training stock and credit analysts from large organizations over the past decade or so, I have heard just about every question (though I admit I am still surprised by many things and remain a very humble student of the markets). I’ve also spent years perfecting the discounted cash flow process for large research organizations such as Morningstar and studied under one of the most famed aggressive growth investors of all time, Richard Driehaus. My knowledge runs the gamut from value through … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending December 20

by

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 20. 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 ABM Industries (ABM): now $0.185 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.180. ALPS Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors ETF (GRI): now $0.5113 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2705. ALPS ETF Trust – ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF (EQL): now $0.4789 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.3609. ALPS ETF Trust – ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG): now $0.5014 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.167. ALPS … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending February 16

by

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending February 16. 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 AbbVie (ABBV): now $0.96 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.71. AllianceBernstein (AB): now $0.84 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.51. Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT): now $0.30 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.29. Apollo Global Management (APO): now $0.66 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.39. Arch Coal (ARCH): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.35. Auburn National (AUBN): now $0.24 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.23. … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of November 11

by

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 11. 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                A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund (AW.UN:CA): now CAD 0.16 per share monthly dividend, was CAD 0.15. A10 (ATEN): now $0.06 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.05. AAON (AAON): now $0.24 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.19. AFLAC (AFL): now $0.42 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.40. Arko Corp. (ARKO): now $0.03 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.02. Assurant (AIZ): now $0.70 per share quarterly dividend, … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of November 10

by

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 10. 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                          Air Lease (AL): now $0.21 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. Airtel Africa Plc (AAFRF): now $0.0238 per share semi-annual dividend. Artesian Resources (ARTNA): now $0.2897 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2840. Assurant (AIZ): now $0.72 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.70. Atmos Energy (ATO): now $0.805 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.740. Autoliv (ALV): now $0.68 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.66. Automatic … Read more

GM and Ford Tune Up Operations for the Future of Automaking

by

Image source: GM first-quarter earnings report The US auto behemoths continue to place a greater importance on efficient operations and the health of their bottom lines as the industry may be reaching a relative peak in terms of light vehicle production for this economic cycle and as the future of the auto landscape remains uncertain. By Kris Rosemann Key Takeaways Both GM and Ford are keeping a keen eye on the future of the evolving auto and personal transportation markets. We continue to like shares of GM relative to Ford, even as we say we like the direction in which Ford appears to be heading. GM’s shares are trading at an ultra-low earnings multiple, and it pays a very strong … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of November 15

by

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 15. 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                          Aker BP ASA (AKRBY): now $0.3003 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1752. Amkor Technology (AMKR): now $0.0827 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.0788. ArcelorMittal S.A. (AMSYF): now $0.25 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.22. Australia and New Zealand Banking (ANZGY): now $0.5487 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.2635. Autoliv (ALV): now $0.70 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.68. Equity Commonwealth (EQC): now $19.00 per … Read more