GILD

Johnson & Johnson Reports Mixed 3Q Results, Plans to Spin Off Consumer Health Division Mid-to-Late 2023

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Image Source: Johnson & Johnson By Brian Nelson, CFA On October 18, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported mixed third-quarter results that showed adjusted operational sales growth of 8.2%, but adjusted earnings per share falling 1.9%. Negative currency impacts posed a stiff headwind to its ‘International’ operations, and we would expect this to be a recurring theme across multi-nationals during third-quarter earnings season. We’re sticking with Johnson & Johnson as one of the top weightings in the simulated Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. On an adjusted operational basis (i.e. excluding currency headwinds and any acquisitions and divestitures), the company’s business remained resilient in otherwise what can be described as a very uncertain economic backdrop. Its ‘Consumer Health’ division experienced adjusted operational sales … Read more

Dividend Growth Idea UnitedHealth Group Outperforming

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Image Shown: Shares of dividend growth idea UnitedHealth Group Inc have put up stellar performance so far in 2022. By Callum Turcan On October 14, UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH) reported third quarter 2022 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. The health care giant also increased its full-year guidance for 2022 (again) during its latest earnings update after previously boosting its full-year guidance during both its first and second quarter earnings reports. We include shares of UnitedHealth Group as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio as the company is a stellar free cash flow generator backed up by a pristine balance sheet and bright growth outlook. Shares of UNH yield ~1.3% as of this writing. Earnings … Read more

Best Idea Vertex Pharma Outperforming in 2022

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Image Shown: Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc, an idea included in our Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, have performed incredibly well year-to-date through October 2022. By Callum Turcan Through the end of normal trading hours on October 7, shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX) are up ~34% year-to-date on a price-only basis. We include shares of Vertex Pharma as an idea in the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and remain huge fans of the name. Vertex Pharma’s commercialized drug portfolio consists of various treatments for cystic fibrosis (‘CF’) and the cash flows generated from sales of these therapeutics are used to invest in the biotech company’s robust drug development pipeline. Earnings and Guidance Update On August 4, Vertex Pharma reported second … Read more

Nelson: Executing the Valuentum Strategy

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Video: Valuentum’s President Brian Nelson, CFA, explains why he’s turned bearish on the equity markets after a great bull run. In this 8-minute video, learn about the fantastic returns of the stock market the past three years, and how the Valuentum way has cushioned the market decline in 2022. Watch now to learn about the textbook execution of the Valuentum strategy and more! –——— Tickerized for holdings in the SPY. Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, DIA, VOT, BITO, and IWM. Valuentum owns SPY, SCHG, QQQ, VOO, and DIA. Brian Nelson’s household owns shares in HON, DIS, HAS, NKE. Some of the other securities written about in this article may be included in Valuentum’s simulated newsletter portfolios. Contact … Read more

Video: We Expect A Huge Market Flush! Looking to “Raise” Incremental Cash

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Video: Valuentum’s Brian Nelson, CFA, breaks down the current market environment, highlighting reasons for the poor market sentiment driven by “tapped out” consumers and investors alike. He expects a big market “flush,” and a challenging next couple years but remains a big fan of stocks for the long haul. Valuentum continues to seek to “raise” incremental cash in the simulated newsletter portfolios as it prepares to weather the storm. Video length: ~10 minutes. –——— Tickerized for holdings in the SPY. Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, DIA, VOT, BITO, and IWM. Valuentum owns SPY, SCHG, QQQ, VOO, and DIA. Brian Nelson’s household owns shares in HON, DIS, HAS, NKE. Some of the other securities written about in this … Read more

Valuentum’s Unmatched Product Suite

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Hi everyone! — We continue to be huge believers in the concept of enterprise valuation, which emphasizes the key cash-based sources of intrinsic value–net cash on the balance sheet and strong and growing future expected free cash flows. Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) and Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) remain two of the most underpriced ideas on the market today, and we remain huge fans of their tremendous long-term investment prospects. — There are a couple things worth reminding readers, however. A good relevant rule of thumb I learned early in my career working for my first portfolio manager is that a stock’s return in the near term is driven roughly 40% by the market, 30% by the industry it operates in, and 30% … Read more

Nelson: I Have Been Wrong About the Prospect of Near-Term Inflationary-Driven Earnings Tailwinds

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Transcript During the past several weeks, we’ve grown increasingly concerned about the health of consumer-tied entities across not only the consumer staples but also the consumer discretionary spaces. Many consumer staples entities, while raising prices, aren’t raising them fast enough to drive operating-income and bottom-line expansion, while many consumer-discretionary companies are facing higher freight and logistics costs and weaker performance in China, perhaps best revealed by Nike’s most recently-reported quarter, where inventory advanced 23% compared to the prior-year period. The tell-tale sign about the health of the consumer may be Amazon (AMZN) Prime Day, which is coming up on July 12-13, but based on many of the reports we’ve monitored this past earnings season, even if sales are strong on … Read more

Shares of Top Biotech Idea Vertex Pharma Volatile But Company Fundamentals Sound

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Image Shown: Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc have surged higher over the past year. We continue to like the biotech firm in our Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. By Callum Turcan The biopharmaceutical space is full of attractive investment opportunities, though early-stage firms without commercialized drug portfolios are quite risky investments given their lack of meaningful revenues and sizable negative cash flows. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX), on the other hand, has a commercialized portfolio of therapeutics that treat cystic fibrosis (‘CF’) which enables the biotech firm to generate substantial revenues and cash flows. We include Vertex Pharma as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Overview Due to the asset-light nature of its business model (most expenses flow through R&D … Read more

Dividend Growth Idea UnitedHealth Group Boosts Guidance

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Image Shown: Dividend growth idea UnitedHealth Group Inc has seen its share price surge higher over the past year. By Callum Turcan One of our favorite dividend growth ideas is UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH). The company runs an expansive portfolio of domestic health care operations including large health insurance businesses, pharmacy benefits managers (‘PBMs’) and specialty pharmacy businesses, outpatient surgical centers, in-home health care service providers, analytical services, and services geared towards administrative activities, among many other operations involving health care. Its four business reporting segments are Optum Health (national health care delivery platform), Optum Insight (services, analytics, and platforms aimed at generating insights and efficiencies while improving patient outcomes), Optum Rx (portfolio of pharmacy care services), and UnitedHealthcare (portfolio … Read more

Shares of Newsletter Portfolio Idea Johnson & Johnson Off to the Races!

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Image Shown: Shares of Johnson & Johnson, an idea in both our Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios, are shifting higher. By Callum Turcan On April 19, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported first-quarter earnings for 2022 that missed consensus top-line estimates but beat consensus bottom-line estimates. The company lowered its guidance for 2022, but shares of JNJ rallied during regular trading hours that day as its underlying performance remains strong. J&J suspended guidance for its coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) vaccine sales, though we want to stress that these sales were not needle-moving as it concerns our estimate of the company’s fair value. The firm was selling the vaccines on a not-for-profit basis and didn’t intend to change that until the … Read more