How Some Members Use Valuentum’s Investment Services

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

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week October 8

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending October 8. 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 Cadence Bancorporation (CADE): now $0.158 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.150. Caledonia Mining (CMCL): now $0.14 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.13. CF Bankshares (CFBK): now $0.04 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.03. Coterra Energy (CTRA): now $0.50 per share special dividend, was $0.11. Fortitude Gold (FTCO): now $0.04 per share monthly dividend, was $0.035. Mesabi Trust (MSB): now $1.42 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.09. … Read more

Mortgage REITs Have Underperformed Significantly the Past Several Years

Image: An ETF that tracks the mortgage REIT industry has fallen more than 31% on a price-only basis, while an ETF that tracks the S&P 500 has advanced more than 160% on a price-only basis, as measured from May 2013. By Brian Nelson, CFA Mortgage REITs (REM) are popular vehicles because of their deceptively enticing dividend yields, but we’ve never been bullish on the group. We’re reiterating our take today that these instruments are not for the individual investor or even prudent financial advisor and are more complicated vehicles than many investors believe. In May 2013, we first starting warning about the group, and the performance, as shown in the image above, hasn’t been pretty. On a price-only basis, the … Read more

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

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

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.

Zillow Continues to Disrupt Real Estate Market

Image Source: Zillow Group Inc – May 2020 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan Record low interest rates for mortgages in the US, largely a product of the Fed’s monetary stimulus measures (quantitative easing and near-zero interest rates), has gone a long way in stimulating demand for homes. According to the US Census Bureau, the national homeownership rate stood at 67.4% in the second quarter of 2020, up ~260 basis points from the same period the prior year. For reference, the domestic homeownership rate has been steadily climbing higher since 2015-2016 (when homeownership rates were in the low-60s% range) according to data provided by the US Census Bureau. Homeownership rates peaked in 2005-2006 at the high-60s% level before sliding significantly lower … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending June 14

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending June 14. 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 Andrew Peller (ADWPF): now $0.215 per share annual dividend on Class A shares, was $0.205. Blackstone/GSO Long-Short Credit Income Fund (BGX): now $0.122 per share monthly dividend, was $0.115. Blackstone/GSO Strategic Credit Fund (BGB): now $0.114 per share monthly dividend, was $0.109. Capstead Mortgage (CMO): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.08. Caseys General Stores (CASY): now $0.32 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.29. Cherry … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending December 14

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 14. 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 AES (AES): now $0.1365 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.13. Albany (AIN): now $0.18 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.17. AT&T (T): now $0.51 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.50. Balchem (BCPC): now $0.47 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.42. C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW): now $0.50 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.46. CenterPoint (CNP): now $0.2875 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2775. CNB Community Bancorp (CNBB): … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending September 14

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending September 14. 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 Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund (AFT): now $0.098 per share monthly dividend, was $0.096. Brady (BRC): now $0.21 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2075. Clough Global Allocation Fund (GLV): now $0.1141 per share monthly dividend, was $0.1127. Clough Global Equity Fund (GLQ): now $0.1291 per share monthly dividend, was $0.1278. Clough Global Opportunities Fund (GLO): now $0.1012 per share monthly dividend, was $0.1007. DDR (DDR): now … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending June 15

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending June 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 Canadian Energy Services & Technology (CESDF): now CAD 0.005 per share monthly dividend, was CAD 0.0025. Carolina Financial (CARO): now $0.06 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.05. Chesapeake Utilities (CPK): now $0.37 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.325. El Paso Electric (EE): now $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.335. Ennis (EBF): now $0.225 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. Exantas Capital (XAN): now $0.10 per … Read more