Worst in Energy Not Over, Stay Away from Leveraged Enterprises, Seeds of Financial Crisis Sown?

Image Shown: The energy and banking markets continue to be experiencing pain. Since we removed the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) and Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) from the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, the XLE has fallen more than 50% and the XLF has fallen 13%, while the SPY has held up roughly 2%. We continue to believe staying away from energy and financials/banks will be a source of significant alpha. These are challenging times. The oil price swoon has complicated an already-dire situation with COVID-19. We’re seeing cracks in the credit markets, and the European banking system is far from healthy. The US banks may face knock-on impacts from energy loan defaults and hold … Read more

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

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

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of April 26

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 26. 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                          ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (AAVMY): now $0.7645 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.5310. ACNB (ACNB): now $0.32 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.30. Akzo Nobel N.V. (AKZOY): now $0.4497 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.1125. Alfa Laval Corporate AB (ALFVY): now $0.7097 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.5735. Alphabet (GOOG): now $0.20 per share quarterly dividend. Amalgamated Bank (AMAL): now $0.15 per share quarterly … Read more

Why Natural Gas Prices are So Low and Will Likely Remain So for Some Time

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

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of January 27

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending January 27. 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                Air Products and Chemicals (APD): now $1.75 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.62. Alliant Energy (LNT): now $0.4525 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.4275. American Express (AXP): now $0.60 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.52. Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT): now $0.35 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.34. Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM): now $0.45 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.40. Archrock (AROC): now $0.15 per share quarterly dividend, … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of July 26

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending July 26. 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                          1st Source (SRCE): now $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.34. Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM): now $0.71 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.61. AstraZeneca (AZN): now $1.000 per share interim dividend, was $0.985. Bank of America (BAC): now $0.26 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Bank7 (BSVN): now $0.24 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.21. British American Tobacco (BTI): now 58.88p per share … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week October 30

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending October 30. 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 AbbVie (ABBV): now $1.30 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.18. Agnico Eagle (AEM): now $0.35 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. Amkor Technology (AMKR): now $0.04 per share quarterly dividend. Arbor Realty Trust (ABR): now $0.32 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.31. Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM): now $0.83 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.67. B. Riley Financial (RILY): now $0.375 per share quarterly dividend, was … Read more

ICYMI: Exxon Mobil’s Bright Growth Outlook

This article originally appeared on our website December 8, 2021. Image Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation – December 2021 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan At the start of December 2021, Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) laid out its longer term strategy for the 2020s decade. We are going to cover that outlook, the state of the global energy complex, Exxon Mobil’s stellar and improving financial position, and what to expect going forward. Exxon Mobil is a tremendous enterprise and one of our favorite energy names out there. Outlook Overview The company noted in its early-December update that its capital expenditures would come in around ~$20-$25 billion from 2022-2027. Its investments are focused on its operations in the Permian Basin, Guyana, Brazil, its … Read more

The Dividend Cushion Ratio: Unadjusted Is Less Subjective, Adjusted Is More Subjective

  Image Source: Mike Lawrence Question: I’m a subscriber. I’m looking at your Dividend Report for Enterprise Product Partners (EPD). It says your Valuentum Adjusted Dividend Cushion ratio for EPD is 1.8 (a ratio that includes future expected proceeds from capital raising endeavors in the coming years), but several lines below it says the Unadjusted Dividend Cushion ratio, which is your regular normal ratio (a ratio that does not include future expected proceeds from capital raising endeavors in the coming years), is 0.22. Please explain the difference between the two ratios, and what is considered a good ratio for the Unadjusted Dividend Cushion ratio, what is an excellent score, what is neutral and what is poor? Also, how much relative importance should … Read more