JPM

JPMorgan Continues to Generate Value for Shareholders

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Image Source: Hakan Dahlstrom By Brian Nelson, CFA JPMorgan (JPM) reported excellent third quarter results on October 11. Reported revenue of $42.7 billion and GAAP earnings per share of $4.37 both beat the consensus forecast. Credit costs were $3.1 billion, which included $2.1 billion of net charge-offs and $1 billion in net reserve build. Average loans were up 1% year-over-year, while average deposits advanced at a similar rate. For the third quarter, JPMorgan reported an ROE of 16% and ROTCE of 19%, both measures indicating nice value generation for investors. CEO Jamie Dimon had the following to say about the quarter and current economic conditions: The Firm reported strong underlying business and financial results in the third quarter, generating net income … Read more

Paper: Value and Momentum Within Stocks, Too

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Please select the image below to download, “Value and Momentum Within Stocks, Too:” Abstract: This paper strives to advance the field of finance in four ways: 1) it extends the theory of the “The Arithmetic of Active Management” to the investor level; 2) it addresses certain data problems of factor-based methods, namely with respect to value and book-to-market ratios, while introducing price-to-fair-value ratios in a factor-based approach; 3) it may lay the foundation for academic literature regarding the Valuentum, the value-timing, and ultra-momentum factors; and 4) it walks through the potential relative outperformance that may be harvested at the intersection of relevant, unique and compensated factors within individual stocks. To download the full report, please click here (pdf). ———- Actual results … Read more

JPMorgan Chase’s Return on Capital Shines in Second Quarter

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Image Source: Hakan Dahlstrom By Brian Nelson, CFA On July 12, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) reported second quarter results that beat expectations on the top line, but came up a bit short on the bottom line. Managed net revenue came in at $51.0 billion, up 20%, while the company’s provision for credit losses swelled to $3.05 billion. Net income was $18.15 billion in the quarter, resulting in earnings per share of $6.12. Net income excluding significant items of $13.1 billion was $4.40 per share. Return on common equity was 23% in the quarter, while return on common equity was 28%. CEO Jamie Dimon’s commentary on the quarter is found below: The Firm performed well in the second quarter, generating net income of … Read more

JPMorgan Cautious on Geopolitical Tensions and Inflationary Pressures

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Image Source: Hakan Dahlstrom By Brian Nelson, CFA On April 12, JPMorgan (JPM) reported mixed first-quarter 2024 results. The company reported revenue of $41.9 billion and adjusted net income of $14 billion, or $4.63 per share, which compared to the consensus forecast of $4.13 at the time. For the first quarter, JPMorgan registered a ROE of 17% and a ROTCE of 21%. Credit costs totaled $1.9 billion and included $2.0 billion of net charge-offs and a $72 million net reserve release. Average loans were up 16%, including First Republic, while average deposits were up 2%, including First Republic. It ended the quarter with a CET1 capital ratio of 15.0% and tangible book value per share of $88.43, implying a price-to-tangible … Read more

We Remain Bullish; Is This 1995 – The Beginning of a Huge Stock Market Run?

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Image: Large cap growth stocks have trounced the performance of the S&P 500, REITs, and bonds since the beginning of 2023. We expect continued outperformance in this area of the market. By Brian Nelson, CFA We’re now roughly four years past the depths of the COVID-19 meltdown, where equities collapsed in February and March of 2020. As the markets began to recover through 2020, our long-term conviction in equities only grew stronger. We think the biggest risk for long-term investors remains staying out of the market on the basis of what could be considered stretched valuation multiples. As we outlined heavily in the book Value Trap, valuation multiples hardly tell the complete story about a company and often omit key … Read more

12 Reasons to Stay Aggressive in 2024

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By Brian Nelson, CFA 1. The Fed has signaled that rate cuts could start with inflation at a 2 handle (2 point something) and not at exactly 2.0%. That means that the Fed may become anticipatory to prevent overshooting to the downside with inflation. We see this as positive for long-duration equities, particularly those whose free cash flow generation is robust in the out-years, inclusive of big cap tech and the stylistic area of large cap growth. 2. Unemployment is at structural lows of 3.7%. Employers are working hard to keep talent on board, and with each paycheck, employees are pumping more and more money into the stock market via retirement accounts. This tailwind remains a stiff one and will … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of September 22

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending September 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                          American Tower (AMT): now $1.62 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.57. Argan (AGX): now $0.30 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.25. Axfood (AXFOY): now SEK 4.00 per share dividend. Costain Group (CTNGY): now GBP 0.004 per share semi-annual dividend. E Split Corp. PFD (ENS.PR.A:CA): now CA 0.175 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.1312. Equity Bancshares (EQBK): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was … Read more

ICYMI: Questions for Valuentum’s Brian Nelson

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Valuentum’s President Brian Nelson, CFA, answers your questions. Q: What Is Valuentum? A: In short, it is a strategy that combines the concepts of value and momentum within individual stocks. We measure value through the cash-based sources of intrinsic value – net cash on the balance sheet and future expected free cash flow. We measure momentum rather simply, generally via relative strength or other technical and momentum indicators. We like stocks with strong net cash positions on the balance sheet, ones that are generating tremendous free cash flow, and have strong secular growth prospects such that the prospect for expectations of free cash flow can continue to be ratcheted higher. Today, most Valuentum stocks are included in the stylistic area … Read more

Subscribe to the Valuentum ESG Newsletter!

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*BONUS* Included in the ESG Newsletter is an ESG-focused simulated newsletter portfolio! Subscribe today. ESG Newsletter $1,000.00 Pay now “The investing landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade and part of that transformation has involved US households placing a much greater emphasis on “ethical” and “sustainable” investing strategies. A decade ago, funds managed with Environmental, Social, and Governance (‘ESG’) standards in mind were a small part of the investing universe at-large, but that is no longer the case. Data from Morningstar notes that US funds considered “sustainable” reported $21.5 billion in net inflows during the first quarter of 2021, up from $20.5 billion in net inflows in the fourth quarter of 2020 and roughly five times greater than the … Read more

CFA Institute Blog: “Hide-‘Til-Maturity” Accounting

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The Silicon Valley Bank collapse recalls the tussle over the accounting for financial instruments after the global financial crisis [GFC] in 2009, particularly the debate about whether some financial instruments should be carried at amortized cost (held-to-maturity, HTM) rather than at fair value (available-for-sale, AFS), or what is referred to as the “mixed measurement model.”  — Sandy Peters, CPA, CFA To read the article on the CFA Institute Blog >> —– Related: 4 Very Good Reasons Why We Don’t Like Dividends of Banking Stocks Banks & Money Centers: AXP, BAC, BBT, BK, C, DFS, FITB, GS, HBC, JPM, KEY, MS, NTRS, PNC, RF, STI, TFC, USB, WFC Valuentum does not believe the long-term dividend health of any financial institution can be accurately … Read more