Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of September 6

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending September 6. 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                          AGL Energy Limited (AGLXY): now $0.1421 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.0987. 6Phillips Edison (PECO): now $0.1025 per share monthly dividend, was $0.0975. AEGON (AEG): now $0.178 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.172. Brady (BRC): now $0.24 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.23. Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals (CLVLY): now $0.0299 per share annual dividend, was $0.0234. Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited RESET CV PFD I (FFH.PR.I:CA): now … Read more

Paper: Value and Momentum Within Stocks, Too

Please select the image below to download, “Value and Momentum Within Stocks, Too:” Abstract: This paper strives to advance the field of finance in four ways: 1) it extends the theory of the “The Arithmetic of Active Management” to the investor level; 2) it addresses certain data problems of factor-based methods, namely with respect to value and book-to-market ratios, while introducing price-to-fair-value ratios in a factor-based approach; 3) it may lay the foundation for academic literature regarding the Valuentum, the value-timing, and ultra-momentum factors; and 4) it walks through the potential relative outperformance that may be harvested at the intersection of relevant, unique and compensated factors within individual stocks. To download the full report, please click here (pdf). ———- Actual results … Read more

Broadcom Issues Strong Guidance, Announces Stock Split

Image: Broadcom’s shares have done quite well in the past couple of years. We liked its fiscal second quarter results and outlook. By Brian Nelson, CFA On June 12, Broadcom (AVGO) reported second quarter fiscal 2024 results for the period ended May 5. The company beat revenue on both the top and bottom lines in the quarter. Revenue increased 43% from the year-ago period, while adjusted EBITDA increased from $5.7 billion to $7.4 billion in the quarter (59% of total revenue), making for some continued strong levels of profitability. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share were $10.96 in the fiscal second quarter, up from $10.32 in the same quarter a year ago. Management’s commentary was positive in the press release: Broadcom’s … Read more

Broadcom a Key Beneficiary of AI Investment

By Brian Nelson, CFA On March 7, Broadcom (AVGO) reported better than expected first-quarter results for fiscal 2024. Revenue advanced 34% from the same period a year ago, while adjusted EBITDA increased 26% on a year-over-year basis. On a non-GAAP basis, net income increased to ~$5.3 billion, up from ~$4.5 billion in the same period a year ago. Non-GAAP adjusted earnings per share increased to $10.99 from $10.33 in the year-ago period. Shares yield ~1.6% at the time of this writing, and the company continues to push through meaningful dividend increases. Management was upbeat when it came to artificial intelligence [AI] in its press release: We are pleased to have two strong drivers of revenue growth for Broadcom in the … Read more

Micron Issues Strong Outlook, Points to Multi-Year Opportunity in AI

Image Source: Micron By Brian Nelson, CFA On March 20, Micron (MU) reported better than expected second quarter fiscal 2024 results that showed considerable revenue growth and a nice beat with respect to non-GAAP earnings per share. Revenue advanced to $5.82 billion versus $3.69 billion in the same period last year, while non-GAAP net income swung into positive territory at $0.42 per share, up from a loss of $1.91 during the second quarter of fiscal 2023. Operating cash flow surged to $1.22 billion in the quarter from $343 million in the same period a year ago. Here’s what management had to say about the performance in the quarterly press release: Micron delivered fiscal Q2 results with revenue, gross margin and … Read more

We Remain Bullish; Is This 1995 – The Beginning of a Huge Stock Market Run?

Image: Large cap growth stocks have trounced the performance of the S&P 500, REITs, and bonds since the beginning of 2023. We expect continued outperformance in this area of the market. By Brian Nelson, CFA We’re now roughly four years past the depths of the COVID-19 meltdown, where equities collapsed in February and March of 2020. As the markets began to recover through 2020, our long-term conviction in equities only grew stronger. We think the biggest risk for long-term investors remains staying out of the market on the basis of what could be considered stretched valuation multiples. As we outlined heavily in the book Value Trap, valuation multiples hardly tell the complete story about a company and often omit key … Read more

Market Darling Nvidia Delivers in Fiscal Fourth Quarter

Image: Nvidia has been a market darling, and the company did not disappoint in its fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 report. By Brian Nelson, CFA Nvidia (NVDA) reported fantastic fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results on February 21 that handily beat the consensus forecast for both the top and bottom lines. Shares of Nvidia have surged since the beginning of 2023, and the quarterly report and outlook for the first quarter fiscal 2025 pleased even the most cautious investors. We believe that the market is still in the very early innings of investment into artificial intelligence [AI], and Nvidia has the lead when it comes to advanced chipmaking. The high end of our fair value estimate range of Nvidia stands north of $800 per … Read more

Earnings Roundup: PEP, DIS, ARM, PM

By Brian Nelson, CFA Dividend Aristocrat Pepsi (PEP) Raises Dividend for 52nd Consecutive Year On February 9, Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holding Pepsi reported mixed fourth quarter results that showed revenue pressures but a modest beat with respect to non-GAAP earnings per share. Organic revenue growth was 4.5% in the period, lower than the consensus forecast calling for 5.9% expansion, while core constant currency earnings per share increased 9%. The company experienced organic volume declines across the board in its operating divisions, with the greatest weakness coming from its Quaker Foods North America segment, where volumes fell 8%. Management seemed cautious in the quarterly press release noting that it “navigated another year of elevated levels of inflation, macroeconomic volatility, geopolitical … Read more

Palantir’s Fourth-Quarter Results Showcase Strong Trends in Artificial Intelligence

Image: Palantir’s revenue continues to march higher, and the company’s performance continues to showcase the growing strength in artificial intelligence. Source: Palantir By Brian Nelson, CFA Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has three core software platforms called Gotham, Foundry, and Apollo that “provide the critical infrastructure needed to integrate (its) customers’ data and operations and run their software in virtually any environment (Form 10-K).” On February 5, the firm reported solid fourth-quarter results that showed revenue growing 20% on a year-over-year basis and GAAP net income coming in at $93 million, representing the fifth consecutive quarter that the firm has driven positive GAAP profits. We liked Palantir’s quarterly results, but we wanted to bring to members’ attention the commentary surrounding artificial intelligence [AI]: … 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