The “Luck” and “Randomness” of Index Funds

Please select the image below to download the document. Image shown, page 1 of 14. Tickerized for Valuentum’s coverage universe.

Dividend Growth: The SPDR Dividend ETF Is One of Many Ideas

The dividend is a symptom of a company’s free cash flow, and therefore not a driver behind an estimate of a company’s intrinsic value. Dividend-paying and dividend-growing stocks have done very well in the past, but it may be equally important to pay attention to the underlying valuations of ideas, too. You just can’t stop at analyzing the dividend payment. Don’t let the “yield” tail wag the “value” dog. By Brian Nelson, CFA There is a reason why we call ourselves Value-ntum. That’s because we put value first! But there are instances where share prices can catch sustained favor in part due to a dividend payment. The growth component of the dividend may also offer investors an ever-rising income stream, … Read more

The New Theorem of the Stock Market

President of Investment Research Brian Nelson talks about the new theory of the stock market and explains how syllogisms developed by Noble prize winners and the largest asset managers may not accurately reflect active management at the investor level, which Nelson argues is what matters. Running time: ~15 minutes. To view Valuentum’s updated YouTube page, please see here.  Excerpts from Value and Momentum Within Stocks, Too (Valuentum) Read the paper from the beginning here (pdf).   Tickerized for stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Microsoft: A Dividend Growth Giant


Image Source: Microsoft

Microsoft is no longer a tech dinosaur. Estimates suggest it is beating Amazon at its own game. We’re huge fans of Microsoft’s free cash flow generation and balance-sheet health and what that means for the dividend. There’s not a lot to dislike about Microsoft, and while the risks are many, few company’s have a stronger business model.

Mutual Fund Tragedy, ROE, and the Time Horizon

Comparisons between growth versus value stocks may never go away, but President of Investment Research Brian Nelson explains why you should know better than to think stocks can easily be divided up as such. He talks about this, as well as the pitfalls of ROE (return on equity) and how to think about the time horizon. Running time: ~10 minutes.

Video: Quants! You’re NOT Measuring VALUE and Nelson’s Theory of Universal Value

President of Investment Research Brian Nelson defines the concept of universal value and shows how quantitative statistical methods are inextricably linked to those of fundamental, financial, business-model related analysis. Value does not exist in respective process vacuums! Value is universal. Find out why. Running time: ~10 minutes.  Tickerized for Valuentum’s stock and ETF coverage universe. Transcript Hi this is Brian Nelson from Valuentum Securities, and this is the tenth edition of a series that I call “Off the Cuff,” where I get in front of the camera and I talk for ten minutes. This is what we have to talk about today. We have to talk about this concept: The Theory of Universal Value. Value does not exist in vacuums … Read more

IBM’s Third Quarter Offers Some Relief

Image Shown: IBM rallies back after third-quarter results October 18. IBM has been shunned by investors since it bailed on its operating earnings per share target of $20 a few years ago. The market, however, was recently relieved that IBM reiterated its full-year 2017 expectations calling for operating earnings per share of at least $13.80. Many are hoping for a comeback. By Brian Nelson, CFA Here’s what we wrote about IBM (IBM) in July after its second-quarter results: IBM took its eye off the ball years ago with misaligned executive incentive plans focused on operating earnings per share targets, and it is still feeling the pain. Warren Buffett has recently soured on the company’s long-term promise, and we even use … Read more

Video: Explaining the Valuentum Buying Index

The Valuentum Buying Index (VBI) stands on the shoulders of giants in finance in uncovering investment ideas.  Brian Nelson, CFA: This is Brian Nelson from Valuentum Securities. Today, I would like to talk about our Valuentum Buying Index, the stock selection methodology that we use and apply across our entire coverage universe. But before I get into some of the specifics, I’d like to provide more or less a summary. Essentially what the Valuentum Buying Index does is it highlights undervalued stocks that are going up in price. Undervalued stocks with good momentum…Value-ntum stocks. So, at the core, the Valuentum Buying Index tries to find stocks that we think have a very strong likelihood of equity price appreciation. It breaks … Read more

Earnings Roundup: McDonald’s, 3M, IBM

Let’s recap a few big earnings announcements. By Brian Nelson, CFA McDonald’s (MCD) Stock Has Been Super Sized We expect to raise our fair value estimate of McDonald’s following second-quarter results, released July 25, that showed ongoing strength in comparable store sales and the operating income benefits of continued refranchising efforts. Incredibly, global comparable store sales at McDonald’s increased 6.6% in the second quarter, blowing by consensus estimates, and operating income advanced at a 24% clip on a year-over-year basis. Management noted that the second quarter marked the “strongest global comparable sales and guest count results in more than five years.” Nothing appears to be able to stop McDonald’s these days, and increased refranchising de-risks its business model from ongoing … Read more