AXP

VBI Ratings Not as Impressive As We Would Have Liked in 2022

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Image: How the VBI rating system has ranked equities so far this year. By Brian Nelson, CFA At Valuentum, we use the Valuentum Buying Index (VBI) to source ideas into diversified simulated newsletter portfolios, and the VBI may be most applicable to the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, where we generally like to include ideas when they register a high VBI rating and remove them when they register a low VBI rating. We always use the VBI in a portfolio setting and never by itself. But what about the Valuentum Buying Index ratings, themselves? How did they “perform” during 2022 in one of the worst years for stock market investors in history? Well, not as spectacular as we would have … Read more

Credit Suisse Is a Case Study in Poor Governance and Why ESG Investing Matters

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Image Shown: Shares of Credit Suisse Group AG have performed poorly in recent years as a revolving door of leaders combined with several major scandals have led to billions in losses and prompted Swiss regulators to launch investigations into the bank. The company has a plan in place to turn things around, though it will take years for these efforts to be fully reflected in its financial performance. Credit Suisse recently issued out lackluster guidance for 2022 that weakened investor confidence in its turnaround story. We think Credit Suisse is a good case study in poor corporate governance.   By Callum Turcan   A key part of the investment decision-making process involves evaluating a company’s leadership team, the process of which … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of January 24

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending January 24. 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                          Acuity Brands (AYI): now $0.17 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.15. Air Products and Chemicals (APD): now $1.79 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.77. Alliant Energy (LNT): now $0.5075 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.4800. Amalgamated Bank (AMAL): now $0.14 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.12. American Express (AXP): now $0.82 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.70. B&M European Value Retail S.A. (BMRRY): now … Read more

There Is Milk At The Store

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This article first appeared in the September edition of the High Yield Dividend Newsletter. For more information about this publication, please see here. “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” — Winston Churchill By Brian Nelson, CFA Very few of us could have imagined that we’d witness the bull market that began on that fateful day in March 2009 that might very well mark a generational low. In 2009, major investment banks around the globe were struggling to survive, and the fallout in the mortgage markets left the banks holding paper that nobody wanted to own, let alone buy. The global financial system … Read more

PayPal and Visa Expand Partnership

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Image Shown: Shares of Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holding PayPal Holdings Inc have surged higher this year. We continue to be big fans of the company. By Callum Turcan The payment processing and payment solution space is incredibly attractive given the secular growth tailwinds supporting companies operating in the financial tech industry. As consumers are increasingly using cards and digitally-oriented payment services during the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, demand for the various “cash-less” payment options offered by PayPal Holdings Inc (PYPL) and Visa Inc (V) is on the rise. Please note that rising demand for payment processing, cross-border transactions, and similar services is increasing from both consumers and businesses alike. This is more than just a short-term adjustment to cope … Read more