ITC

Something New!

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Hi everyone: To stay true to our mission, you’ll find something new regarding our methodology. In the coming weeks, you’ll see this table in our work going forward. We just wanted to let you know. We appreciate your membership very much!   ——————————————— About Our Name But how, you will ask, does one decide what [stocks are] “attractive”? Most analysts feel they must choose between two approaches customarily thought to be in opposition: “value” and “growth,”…We view that as fuzzy thinking…Growth is always a component of value [and] the very term “value investing” is redundant.                          — Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway annual report, 1992 At Valuentum, we take Buffett’s thoughts one step further. We think the best opportunities arise from an understanding of … Read more

New Payment Option! Valuentum Research Update!

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Hi everyone: — We’re excited to say that we’re adding additional payment flexibility at Valuentum. — Many members have expressed interest in paying via other providers, and we have added Square to the mix. You can use credit or debit card or bank (ACH) to pay via invoice. — With all of the goings-on in the financial technology and payments space, we wanted to continue to provide members options to pay their memberships how they want and through who they want. You can always reach out to us at info@valuentum.com. — You’ll notice that we’ve also tightened our focus at Valuentum during the past 12-24 months in advance of what has certainly become a more difficult 2022 than even some … Read more

Our Report on Stocks in the Utilities (Mid/Small) Industry

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Structure of the Utilities Industry Utilities provide an essential service, generally operate in a near-monopoly position, and benefit from significant barriers to entry due to the capital intensity of new projects and regulatory/environmental requirements. Regulatory frameworks differ across the grid, but most utilities benefit from an assured rate of return on capital investments through predetermined rate structures, where cost adjustments are made by authorities periodically. Most constituents benefit from stable operations and generally lower debt financing, though credit ratings should be monitored closely. We like the structure of the group. Please select here (pdf) to download the report on utilities in our coverage. —– Valuentum members have access to our 16-page stock reports, Valuentum Buying Index ratings, Dividend Cushion ratios, fair value … Read more

Utilities and Telecoms to Benefit Most from Corporate Tax Reduction?

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Image Source: Michael Vadon By Kris Rosemann and Brian Nelson, CFA Speculation over which sectors may be the biggest beneficiaries of the incoming Trump administration has been running rampant in recent weeks, and we’ve received questions from members pertaining to this topic, specifically with respect to the utilities and telecom sectors. In fact, an article in the Financial Times, released mid-November, tabbed the utilities (XLU) and telecom (XTL) spaces as two sectors that may be able to generate outsize earnings improvements thanks to a reduced corporate income tax. But will they truly benefit over the long haul? Let’s walk through our take on the impact a potential reduction in corporate tax rates may provide these two areas. It may not all be … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending August 19

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending August 19. 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 American Financial (AFG): now $0.3125 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.28. Briggs & Stratton (BGG): now $0.14 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.135. Brinker (EAT): now $0.34 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.32. Chemical Financial (CHFC): now $0.27 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.26. Community Bank System (CBU): now $0.32 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.31. Delta Natural Gas Company (DGAS): now $0.2075 per share quarterly … Read more

Video: Are Economic Moats Priced Into Stock Prices? — You Bet They Are

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President of Equity Research Brian Nelson debunks the myth that the economic moat is not included in stock prices. Length: ~8 minutes. Tickerized for firms in the Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT), as of October 14, 2015. Brian Nelson, CFA: This is Brian Nelson from Valuentum Securities. I wanted to talk about an important concept and answer an important question. Is Warren Buffet’s economic moat priced into stock prices? Before I answer that question, I think we need to define a couple things. Return on invested capital is a measure of a business’ performance. It’s calculated as earnings before interest divided by net new investment, which is a measure of return on new invested capital. So what is the return the … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending August 21

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending August 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 Altria (MO): now $0.56 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.52. Brinker (EAT): now $0.32 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.28. Community Bank System (CBU): now $0.31 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.30. Connecticut Water Service (CTWS): now $0.2675 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2575. Dillard’s (DDS): now $0.07 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.06. Ferrellgas Partners (FGP): now $0.51 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.50. FirstMerit … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending August 15

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending August 15. 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 Briggs & Stratton (BGG): now $0.125 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.12. CAE (CAE): now C$0.07 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.06. Connecticut Water Service (CTWS): now $0.2575 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2475. General Growth Properties (GGP): now $0.16 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.15. Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE): now $0.08 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.04. Home Loan Servicing Solutions (HLSS): now $0.18 … 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