JPM

Forget About the New iPhone; The Banks in China!

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One thing will always be the case – banks never hold enough capital to cover asset losses in excess of the inverse of their leverage. Said differently, if a bank is leveraged 10 to 1–meaning its assets are 10 times as much as its equity–it would only take a 10% decline in the unhedged market-value of asset prices to wipe a bank’s equity capital position clean, all else equal, and provided capital infusions aren’t available. The US lived through this dynamic during the Financial Crisis, and to the credit of the Fed, Treasury, and related participants, they did a fantastic job, all things considered–being that we’re not currently in the midst of a modern-day Great Depression. It is clear to … Read more

The Debt Bubble Is Deflating; Will It Pop?

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The fundamental concerns surrounding the financial health of China-dependent companies across the globe are tangible, and the risk of a currency crisis and eventual credit crunch are real, if they aren’t already happening. Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world, announced over the weekend, that profits were nearly completely wiped out (down nearly 90%) for the fiscal year ending June 30, even as the firm shipped 33% more tons of iron ore during the period over last year’s mark. The largest iron ore producers, BHP Billiton (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RIO), are only adding to production overcapacity, conditions that are wreaking havoc on the commodity price. Iron ore prices are to remain under pressure as … Read more

Dear member,

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We have been blown away by the attention we’ve received from our warning on Kinder Morgan’s (KMI) valuation and dividend health. Our duty as an independent research provider has never been held in higher esteem as we outlined the prevalent hazards that reside both with sell-side research inundated with conflicts of interest and credit rating assessments that are paid for by the company. Independence will always trump biased analysis, and investors of all types have applauded us for this. We thank you. But being in the spotlight is nothing new for us. In the short history of the Dividend Cushion methodology, we have called in advance the dividend cuts on a few dozen equities: SeaDrill (SDRL), SuperValu (SVU), Roundy’s (RNDY), … Read more

The Global Pandemic of Cybercrime, Cyber Espionage and Cyber Warfare

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“The new generation of cyber-attacks on organizations, including large and small enterprises and governments worldwide, is characterized by an unprecedented escalation in the complexity and scale of advanced malware created by criminal organizations and nation-states. These modern attacks are built on dynamic, stealthy and targeted malware that penetrates defenses in multiple stages and through multiple entry points of an IT network. These highly targeted, “single-use” cyber-attacks easily circumvent legacy security solutions that rely on pattern-matching detection technologies. Additionally, because legacy solutions reference outdated signatures of past threats, they also generate a high number of false-positive alerts.” – Fireeye Annual Report, 2014 The statistics are striking. According to a 2011 survey of ~580 US IT experts by research center Ponemon Institute, … Read more

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending April 17

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 17. 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 Blackstone Group (BX): now $0.89 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.78. CSX (CSX): now $0.18 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.16. Discover Financial Services (DFS): now $0.28 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Donegal Group (DGICA): now $0.135 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.1315. Fidelity Southern (LION): now $0.10 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.09. General Motors (GM): now $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.30. … 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

Dividend Increases for the Week Ending March 28

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending March 28. 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 Air Industries (AIRI): now $0.15 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.125. Banner Corp (BANR): now $0.18 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.15. City Holding Company (CHCO): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.37. DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH): now $0.1025 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.085 JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.38. Kayne Anderson Energy (KED): now $0.51 per share … Read more

Only One Bank Fails Fed’s Stress Test

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The banking industry is based almost entirely on the confidence of intermediaries and counterparties that make up the building blocks of the financial system. An investment in a bank or money center must come with the acknowledgement of the distinct possibility that another financial crisis may occur at an unknown time in the future. Though we don’t expect one anytime soon, it’s worth noting that there have been three significant banking crises during the past three decades alone: the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s/early 1990s; the fall of Long-Term Capital Management and the Russian/Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s; and the Great Recession of the last decade that not only toppled Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual, … Read more

Thank you…

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By Brian Nelson, CFA Earlier this week, I received an email from a colleague and valued member of our services. I wanted to share it here for others to read. I haven’t included his name, but if he wants me to, I can add it in. It is filled with wisdom, experience and kindness. And it really made my year to read his words. The Valuentum community, I believe, is the best community of investors out there. Sir, if you do happen to read your own email on our site, we very much have appreciated your feedback, and we hope to continue to live up to your praises. We are dedicated, and our team has been rejuvenated by your words. … Read more