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How Some Members Use Valuentum’s Investment Services

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By Brian Nelson, CFA Thank you for your membership to Valuentum. We serve a wide variety of investors, including dividend growth investors, value investors, and pure Valuentum investors, among others. Many different types of investors and professionals use our research and financial analysis in a whole host of applications from individual stock-selection to the evaluation of closed-end funds to an overlay in a money-management setting and beyond. We wanted to make sure that you know that, if you’re a dividend growth or income investor, that there are others that use our website to utilize the Valuentum process, fair value estimates and other metrics. Similarly, if you’re a practitioner of the Valuentum system, I wanted to make sure that you are … Read more

Caterpillar’s Pricing Power Remains Phenomenal

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Image: Price realization remains a key driver behind Caterpillar’s strong performance. On October 31, Caterpillar (CAT) reported better-than-expected third-quarter results, with revenue advancing 12% and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share handily beating the consensus forecast. Caterpillar continues to benefit from significant pricing power, but the firm is also experiencing volume increases. The firm’s adjusted operating profit margin expanded to 20.8% in the third quarter compared to 16.5% for the third quarter of 2022. Caterpillar ended the third quarter with $6.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents, short-term borrowings of ~$4.2 billion, and long-term debt of ~$1 billion and ~$7.6 billion in its ‘Machinery, Energy & Transportation’ and ‘Financial Products’ divisions, respectively. Its balance sheet, while not showcasing a net cash … Read more

Raising Our Fair Value Estimate of Dividend Aristocrat Caterpillar

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Image: Caterpillar’s financial momentum is impressive. Image Source: Caterpillar By Brian Nelson, CFA We’ve raised our fair value estimate of Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) to $238 per share from $192 previously. As witnessed in Deere & Company’s (DE) fiscal fourth-quarter results, too, Caterpillar is driving considerable pricing expansion across its portfolio, and the impact on its financials has been quite impressive. Though not an idea in any newsletter portfolio, Caterpillar’s shares yield ~2% at the time of this writing, slightly better than the average S&P 500 company. The company is proud to be a Dividend Aristocrat. When Caterpillar reported third-quarter 2022 results back in October, the company recorded a 21% increase in revenue while adjusted profit per share leapt to $3.95 … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of September 2

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending September 2. 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                ABC Technologies Holdings (ABCT:CA): now CAD 0.0375 per share quarterly dividend.         Athene Holding Ltd. 4.875% DEP PFD Dp (ATH.PD): now $0.3046 per share quarterly dividend. Avnet (AVT): now $0.29 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.26. Banco Bradesco (BBD): now $0.0034 per share monthly dividend, was $0.0032. BHP Group (BHP): now $3.50 per share semi-annual dividend, was $3.00. Brady (BRC): now $0.23 per share quarterly dividend, … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week November 26

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 26. 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 Alpine Income Property Trust (PINE): now $0.27 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.26. Amcor (AMCR): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1175. American Equity (AEL): now $0.34 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.32. Brigham Minerals (MNRL): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.35. Central Pacific Financial (CPF): now $0.25 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Chesapeake Energy (CHK): now $0.4375 per share quarterly dividend, … Read more

ICYMI: Valuentum’s Brian Nelson on the Latest Howard Marks’ Memo: “Something of Value”

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Valuentum’s President of Investment Research Brian Michael Nelson, CFA, explains why there are not really value and growth stocks, why most of the research in quantitative finance is spurious and needs to be redefined on a forward-looking basis, and why enterprise valuation (not the efficient markets hypothesis) should be the organizing principle of finance. Nelson explains his views about valuation, what it means to be a value investor, and investing in the context of Oaktree Capital Howard Marks’ latest memo, “Something of Value,” January 11, 2021. Please don’t forget to give the second edition of the book “Value Trap” a 5-star rating on Amazon here. Thank you for your membership! —– Tickerized for holdings in the IWM. Valuentum members have … Read more

Value Is Not Static and the Qualitative Overlay Is Vital to Our Process

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With prudence and care, the Valuentum Buying Index process and its components are carried out. Our analyst team spends most of its time thinking about the intrinsic value of companies within the context of a discounted cash-flow model and evaluating the risk profile of a company’s revenue model. We have checks and balances, too. First, we use a fair value range in our valuation approach as we embrace the very important concept that value is a range and not a point estimate. A relative value overlay as the second pillar helps to add conviction in the discounted cash-flow process, while a technical and momentum overlay seeks to provide confirmation in all of the valuation work. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes even before a VBI rating is published, but it will always be just one factor to consider. Within any process, of course, we value the human, qualitative overlay, which captures a wealth of experience and common sense. We strive to surface our best ideas for members.

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending February 16

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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 Ending February 15

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending February 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 Acadian Timber (ACAZF): now CAD 0.29 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.2825. Activision Blizzard (ATVI): now $0.37 per share annual dividend, was $0.34. Agnico Eagle (AEM): now $0.125 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.11. ALPS Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR): now $0.2589 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1863. ALPS Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP): now $0.195 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1913. Ares Capital (ARCC): now … Read more

Stock Market Outlook for 2021

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By Valuentum Analysts February 8, 2021 2020 was one for the history books. We covered our thoughts and reflections on the past year in our “2020 Won’t Soon Be Forgotten” article (link here), and now we are looking towards the future. Global health authorities should be able to bring an end to the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic sooner than many had expected as several vaccines have already been improved for emergency use and several others appear increasingly likely to get approved. Global vaccine distribution activities are currently underway, and this should allow the world to slowly return to pre-pandemic activities. Before then, immense stimulus measures launched primarily in developed nations should support global economic activities until the public health crisis … Read more