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Valuentum’s 3 Breakthroughs in the Field of Finance and More

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Valuentum’s President Brian Nelson pauses for a picture before speaking at the CFA Society of Houston in March 2017. By Valuentum Editorial Staff Let’s cover Valuentum’s 3 major breakthroughs in the field of finance. The first one is big and may challenge you to rethink everything you think you know about investing. 1. On a logical framework, Valuentum has debunked John C. Bogle’s landmark syllogism that has paved the way for the concept of index investing. Index investing has been built on a logical shortcoming, whether supported by evidence or not. We think it is important that the investment community know of this. Read (pdf): The “Luck” and “Randomness” of Index Funds (2018), Brian Nelson, CFA See video documentation: /FALLACY_of_Index_Funds To … Read more

Who’s Driving Who: The Future of the Automakers

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Image Source: HimmelrichPR Let’s dig into some recent developments surrounding the auto market, and how technological and strategic innovation could reshape the future of the space. By Kris Rosemann There have been a number of interesting developments related to the auto space recently, from Theresa May and the UK government triggering Brexit to pressure on the US used vehicle and auto lending markets to the seemingly inevitable proliferation of autonomous vehicles. Such progressions should not come as a surprise; in fact, we outlined some potential concerns with the long-term health of the US auto market in July 2016, “Sharp Curves Ahead for US Auto Market?” The cyclical US auto market may be plateauing after multiple years of tremendous sales levels … Read more

Around Retail: Aspirational Brands Battle Consumer Perception

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Summary · After positive data reads in the months of October and November, things may finally be looking up for retail spending, but the impact of discounting looms large for many in the space. There are pockets of weakness and strength. · Aspirational and luxury goods manufacturers and retailers are not only subject to the pressures of the promotional retail environment, but also are subject to additional outside forces such as tourism and brand perception. While not dead, mall traffic has been challenging. · Whether it is next-generation wearable technology, a refined online presence, a reduction in markdown allowances, or an enhanced shopping experience, luxury goods companies continue to invest for sustainable growth. Fossil and Richemont have been caught by … Read more

Sharp Curves Ahead for US Auto Market?

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“Auto is clearly a little stretched, in my opinion…Someone is going to get hurt…We don’t do much of that.” — JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Yahoo Finance, June 2016  The month of May saw many major automakers report significant declines in sales in the US. Could the effect of pent-up demand for autos finally be slowing? An overheated loan market is adding concern to the situation. By Kris Rosemann Major automakers will be forced to make some important decisions in coming months. The US auto market is clearly slowing from the breakneck pace it set last year, particularly late last year, as total US auto sales fell 6% in May 2016 from May 2015. The strength of the rally in recent … Read more

Target and Non-GAAP Earnings

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Image Source: Mike Mozart Another day of earnings — another bad day for retail. May 18 brought a disappointing first-quarter report from retail bellwether Target (TGT) that sent the prices of it and most of its big box brethren including WalMart (WMT), Best Buy (BBY), and hhgregg (HGG) lower on the session, the latter two lower due to weakness in Target’s electronics vertical during the period. We’re reiterating our $71 per share fair value estimate of Target at the time of this writing. Except perhaps home improvement retailers Lowe’s (LOW) and Home Depot (HD), which continue to post desirable comparable store sales increases (+7.3% and +6.5% in the first quarter, respectively), and arguably the auto retailers, including AutoZone (AZO) and … Read more

Valuentum Economic Castleâ„¢ Rating Update

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Read: Keeping the Horse Before the Cart: Valuentum’s Economic Castle™ Rating The Economic Castle Focuses on the Magnitude of Economic Value Creation The Valuentum Economic Castle™ rating is an enhancement of the competitive advantage framework (commonly known as economic moat analysis) that has become widespread and ubiquitous within the investing world. Whereas an economic moat framework evaluates a firm on the basis of the sustainability and durability of its competitive advantages, Valuentum’s Economic Castle™ rating evaluates a firm on the basis of the firm’s future economic profit spread (return on invested capital less its weighted average cost of capital). The companies with the strongest Valuentum Economic Castle™ ratings are poised to generate the most economic value for shareholders in the … Read more

Surveying Results at the Auto Parts Retailers

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Monday was a day auto-parts retailer Pep Boys (PBY) would rather soon forget. The company reported fiscal third-quarter results (ending November 2013) that came up short with consensus expectations. Comparable same-store sales at the automotive retail chain declined 2.8% (well below its targets for low-single-digit expansion), consisting of a 0.5% comparable service revenue increase and a 3.6% comparable merchandise sales decrease. The firm swung to a modest quarterly net profit during the period, but its nine-month diluted earnings per share profit of $0.19 was significantly worse than the $0.51 per share profit recorded in the prior-year period. Same-store sales are decelerating as the quarterly mark (-2.8%) is materially worse than the nine-month tally, which was -1%. Through the first nine-months of … Read more

Auto Parts Retailers Feeling the Auto Recovery

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With the auto recovery in full swing, we’re starting to see a momentum swing from one of the best performing sectors of the past few years, the auto parts retailers. Instead of buying a new Ford (click ticker for report: ) or Toyota (click ticker for report: ), which require heavy capital investments, consumers have opted to repair their cars (whether at an auto shop or by themselves) instead of purchasing a new one. But, with the SAAR exceeding 15.2 million units in November, it’s clear that the fleet replacement is in full swing, in our view. AutoZone (click ticker for report: ) reported first quarter results Tuesday morning. Overall sales increased 3.5% year-over-year to $2 billion, which was roughly … Read more