Update: Frequently Asked Questions About Valuentum Securities, Inc.

What is Valuentum Securities? Valuentum (val∙u∙n∙tum) [val-yoo-en-tuh-m] Securities Inc. is an independent investment research publisher, offering premium equity reports and dividend reports, as well as commentary across all sectors/companies, a Best Ideas Newsletter (spanning market caps, asset classes), a Dividend Growth Newsletter, modeling tools/products, and more. Independence and integrity remain our core, and we strive to be a champion of the investor. Valuentum is based in the Chicagoland area. Valuentum is not a money manager, broker, or financial advisor. Valuentum is a publisher of financial information. How do I subscribe to Valuentum’s investment research services? 1)    Click the following link: signup-page. 2)    Select your membership plan. 3)    Enter your contact details. 4)    Click ‘Sign Up.’ 5)    Complete your purchase. 6)   Your payment profile may be recurring, so please check … Read more

US Congress Is Getting Ready to Pass a Massive ~$2.2 Trillion Fiscal Stimulus Bill

Image Shown: US equities have started to recover some of their lost ground as the likelihood that the US Congress will pass a massive ~$2.2 trillion fiscal stimulus and emergency spending package, dubbed the CARES Act, has increased significantly over the past week as seen through the bounce in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). President Trump has clearly indicated that he intends to sign such a bill into law as soon as possible, with the US House of Representatives expected to take up the legislation this upcoming Friday morning on March 27. By Callum Turcan On March 25, the US Senate worked late into the night to secure a bipartisan compromise on a massive ~$2.2 trillion fiscal stimulus … Read more

Great Year for (Our) High Yield Dividend Ideas! Inquire about the High Yield Dividend Newsletter!

“When I highlighted my concerns about MLPs years ago, we were doubted, but we ended up being right. When we warned about the value factor, we were told the quants had solved the market, but we ended up being right, with the quant factor having its worst year in 2020 in history. We called the COVID-19 crash and highlighted opportunities for dollar cost averaging near the March 2020 bottom. We were bullish on the huge upswing in 2021, and we avoided the worst areas of 2022 to the point where our publishing suite is doing fantastic this year, if not “outperforming.” When I highlighted the second edition of the book Value Trap, our team released a press release warning about the 60/40 … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week February 25

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending February 25. 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 Aaron’s (AAN): now $0.1125 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1000.           Agnico Eagle (AEM): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.35. Albemarle (ALB): now $0.395 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.390. Alexander & Baldwin (ALEX): now $0.19 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.18. Allison Transmission Holdings (ALSN): now $0.21 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.19. AMERISAFE (AMSF): now $0.31 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.29. Apple … Read more

Primer on the Banking Sector: Where Are We in the Cycle?

Image Source: GotCredit Three of our favorite banks are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and US Bancorp. These are three very high-quality institutions which are also very well managed. They all benefit from cultures that encourage the right kind of risk/reward thinking. If these equities start to trade at a meaningful discount to our fair value estimates, they may be are worth considering as long-term investments, in our view. Summary We’ll talk about how banks make money, and the three most important costs of running a bank. The Great Financial Crisis revealed the tremendous risks of banking equities, and we’ll walk through these in depth. We’ll discuss how to conceptualize where we are in the banking cycle, and how that … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of December 16

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 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                Absecon Bancorp (ASCN): now $2.20 per share annual dividend, was $2.10. Algoma Central Corporation (ALC:CA): now CAD 1.35 per share special dividend, was CAD 0.17. Alpha Metallurgical (AMR): now $0.418 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.392. Ambev (ABEV): now $0.1457 per share annual dividend, was $0.08. AMEN Properties (AMEN): now $12.50 per share quarterly dividend, was $10.00. American Vanguard (AVD): now $0.03 per share quarterly … Read more

The Real Reason Why Moats Matter

  Image Source: Ray in Manila Valuentum: We’re here today with Valuentum’s President of Investment Research Brian Nelson to talk about the concept of an economic moat. You think the concept of an economic moat is one of the most misunderstood topics in finance. Can you elaborate? Nelson: Sure, of course. An economic moat was first coined by the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, to describe significant and sustainable competitive advantages. Now, if you ask any business, they’re going to tell you that they have an economic moat of some sort, whether it’s some low-cost position or intangible asset or an impenetrable network effect. Investors today are at a disadvantage of misinformation given just how widespread the term moat or … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending December 13

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 13. 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 The AES Corporation (AES): now $0.1433 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1365. Albany (AIN): now $0.19 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.18. American Tower (AMT): now $1.01 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.95. Amgen (AMGN): now $1.60 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.45. Andersons (ANDE): now $0.175 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.17. AT&T (T): now $0.52 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.51. BlackRock Enhanced Capital&Income … Read more

4 Very Good Reasons Why We Don’t Like Dividends of Banking Stocks

Untermyer: Is not commercial credit based primarily upon money or property?Morgan: No, sir. The first thing is character.Untermyer: Before money or property?Morgan: Before money or anything else. Money cannot buy it … a man I do not trust could not get money from me on all the bonds in Christendom. –Mr. JP Morgan’s testimony before the Pujo Committee (questioning from Samuel Untermyer), 1912-1913   Image: Bank Run in Michigan, USA, February 1933. Source: Public Domain. By Brian Nelson, CFA It’s sometimes easy to lose sight of the fragility of a banking firm’s business model. Let’s examine the reasons why we don’t like banking firms’ dividends. Reason #1: A Bank Run Is Always Possible. Reason #2: Others Have Tried to Invest in Bank Dividends and Have Failed. Reason #3: … Read more

How to Think About Corporate Tax Reform