HLS

Valuentum’s 3 Breakthroughs in the Field of Finance and More

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Valuentum’s President Brian Nelson pauses for a picture before speaking at the CFA Society of Houston in March 2017. By Valuentum Editorial Staff Let’s cover Valuentum’s 3 major breakthroughs in the field of finance. The first one is big and may challenge you to rethink everything you think you know about investing. 1. On a logical framework, Valuentum has debunked John C. Bogle’s landmark syllogism that has paved the way for the concept of index investing. Index investing has been built on a logical shortcoming, whether supported by evidence or not. We think it is important that the investment community know of this. Read (pdf): The “Luck” and “Randomness” of Index Funds (2018), Brian Nelson, CFA See video documentation: /FALLACY_of_Index_Funds To … Read more

Is There Value in DaVita?

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With healthcare the primary focus in Washington, let’s evaluate the investment case for DaVita. We discuss how potential changes can impact the economics of the dialysis market. By Alexander J Poulos The healthcare sector remains in focus with the renewed emphasis on repealing/replacing the Affordable Care Act. The uncertainty that has crept into the industry may offer an appealing entry into the industry for those currently on the sidelines. The write-up below discusses the prospects of DaVita Inc (DVA), one of the largest providers of dialysis care in the United States. The Inelastic Demand for Dialysis The dialysis market mirrors the use of insulin, the classic economics example of inelastic demand. The demand for dialysis remains unfazed irrespective of market … Read more

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending July 18

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending July 18. 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 Bassett Furniture (BSET): now $0.08 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.06. CIT Group (CIT): now $0.15 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.10. Education Realty Trust (EDR): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.11. Fidelity Southern (LION): now $0.09 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.08. Goodyear (GT): now $0.06 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.05. Greene County Bancorp (GCBC): now $0.18 per share quarterly dividend, was … Read more

Valuentum Economic Castleâ„¢ Rating Update

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Read: Keeping the Horse Before the Cart: Valuentum’s Economic Castle™ Rating The Economic Castle Focuses on the Magnitude of Economic Value Creation The Valuentum Economic Castle™ rating is an enhancement of the competitive advantage framework (commonly known as economic moat analysis) that has become widespread and ubiquitous within the investing world. Whereas an economic moat framework evaluates a firm on the basis of the sustainability and durability of its competitive advantages, Valuentum’s Economic Castle™ rating evaluates a firm on the basis of the firm’s future economic profit spread (return on invested capital less its weighted average cost of capital). The companies with the strongest Valuentum Economic Castle™ ratings are poised to generate the most economic value for shareholders in the … Read more

Surveying Fourth Quarter Earnings at Health Care Firms

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The broader equity markets have been under pressure for much of January, and while it may be tempting to consider completely exiting stock investing for a time, we’re staying the course with both of our actively-managed portfolios. We had been expecting a contraction in price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples across the broader market (see our outlook here), and the performance thus far in 2014 has not been surprising. In case you may have missed it, I sent out some very important thoughts over the weekend to keep in mind as uncertainty and volatility increase through the course of 2014: Stay focused on @Valuentum portfolio holdings (best ideas), #asset allocation (cash) in portfolios and #prudence in allocating new capital. — Brian Nelson, CFA … Read more

Nelson: The 16 Most Important Steps To Understand The Stock Market

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A previous version of this article appeared on our website July 21, 2013. Refreshed and updated throughout, as of July 2018. By Brian Nelson, CFA After earning my MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and training stock and credit analysts from large organizations over the past decade or so, I have heard just about every question (though I admit I am still surprised by many things and remain a very humble student of the markets). I’ve also spent years perfecting the discounted cash flow process for large research organizations such as Morningstar and studied under one of the most famed aggressive growth investors of all time, Richard Driehaus. My knowledge runs the gamut from value through … Read more

Cisco Rallies Big Time!

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Image shown: Performance of the S&P 500 (SPY) since August 2017. As US equities continue their newly-found volatility, let’s take a look at some recent earnings reports and other developments around the markets. Cisco, the workhorse of both simulated newsletter portfolios, put up a fantastic report and upped its dividend. Berkshire continues to love Apple, and we maintain the view that the 10-year Treasury rate may be the greatest determinant of how well stocks perform in the coming decades. Airlines, garbage stocks, the “gas tax,” and more. By Kris Rosemann and Brian Nelson, CFA Do you know how happy it makes us to say that Cisco (CSCO) has been a staple of both the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending July 22

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending July 22. 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 AltaGas (ATGFF): now C$0.175 per share monthly dividend, was C$0.165. Bar Harbor Bankshares (BHB): now $0.275 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.27. Blackstone (BX): now $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.28. Bryn Mawr Bank (BMTC): now $0.21 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. Citigroup (C): now $0.16 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.05. Cone Midstream Partners (CNNX): now $0.254 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.245. … Read more

Mednax: A Consolidator in the Healthcare Field

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Image Source: Mednax Neonatology and anesthesiology remain key revenue contributors for Mednax, but its teleradiology opportunity may propel its future growth prospects. By Alexander J. Poulos The healthcare field remains one of the bright spots in the US economy, despite many uncertainties created by the politically-charged environment. Consumption of healthcare needs remains relatively impervious to the vagaries of the business cycle (the ups and downs of consumer demand); healthcare requirements tend to stay fairly uniform and constant (if not, growing along with the population and demographic trends). The theory behind our enthusiasm for many enterprises in the healthcare arena is rather straightforward: most companies operating within it have predictive business models with consistent demand for their products/services, and stable margins … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending July 21

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending July 21. 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 Ally Financial (ALLY): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.08. Bank of New York Mellon (BK): now $0.24 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.19. Bryn Mawr Bank (BMTC): now $0.22 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.21. Cambridge Bancorp (CATC): now $0.47 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.46. Citigroup (C): now $0.32 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.16. Chemical Financial (CHFC): now $0.28 per share quarterly … Read more