Earnings Roundup: DIS, GM, PEP, TWTR, UA

Image Shown: A look at the 2022 GM HUMMER EV pickup truck that is due to launch by the end of this year. Image Source: General Motors Company – Fourth Quarter of 2020 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan In alphabetical order by ticker: DIS, GM, PEP, TWTR, UA Earnings season is roaring along, and we cover the reports of five more companies across different sectors in this article. The coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic continues to loom large, though we are encouraged by reports from Moderna Inc (MRNA) that its existing COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use is at least somewhat effective at treating variants of the virus according to initial clinical trials (a lot more work needs to be done … Read more

Update on High-Yielding AT&T

Image Source: AT&T Inc – Second Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan The communications and media giant AT&T Inc (T) is pivoting back to its roots, a strategy that we think will pay off handsomely in the long run, though there have been plenty of rough bumps along the way. Management has finally found a strategy that AT&T can stick with. We include AT&T as an idea in the High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio and shares of T yield ~7.7% as of this writing (note that the company will rightsize its dividend in the coming quarters, resulting in a yield adjustment lower). Warner Bros. Discovery AT&T’s WarnerMedia segment is joining forces with Discovery Inc (DISCA) that will … Read more

Top Research and Ideas You May Have Missed

Is Quant Value Giving Intrinsic Value Investors a Bad Name? Surely, you don’t believe Warren Buffett’s “style” is out of favor? By Brian Nelson, CFA I need to make sure that you’re aware of something very important. The media and perhaps many investment professionals define the concept of “value” as companies with low price-to-book (P/B) ratios, and the concept of “growth” as companies with high price-to-book ratios. This definition of “value” and “growth” and their corresponding returns have been magnified in writings throughout the media and across quantitative research, even in prestigious journals. Warren Buffett has been rallying against most quantitative applications and how “growth” and “value” are defined in popular media and quantitative research for decades.  Here’s one of the Oracle’s most … 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

The Best Years Are Ahead

By Brian Nelson, CFA — The wind is at our backs. — The Federal Reserve, Treasury, and regulatory bodies of the U.S. may have no choice but to keep U.S. markets moving higher. The likelihood of the S&P 500 reaching 2,000 ever again seems remote, and I would not be surprised to see 5,000 on the S&P 500 before we see 2,500-3,000, if the latter may be in the cards. The S&P 500 is trading at ~4,100 at the time of this writing. — The high end of our fair value range on the S&P 500 remains just shy of 4,000, but I foresee a massive shift in long-term capital out of traditional bonds into equities this decade (and markets … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of December 6

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 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                          A & W Food Services of Canada Inc. (AW:CA): now $0.3748 per share quarterly dividend. ABM Industries (ABM): now $0.265 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.225. Absecon Bancorp (ASCN): now $0.90 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.75. AES (AES): now $0.176 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.172. AFLAC (AFL): now $0.58 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.50. Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AIPUY): … Read more