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Mastercard’s Results Point to Continued Healthy Consumer Spending

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Image: Mastercard’s stock has done quite well since the beginning of 2022. By Brian Nelson, CFA Mastercard (MA) recently reported better than expected second quarter results with the firm’s revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share coming in higher than the consensus forecasts. Second quarter net revenue came in at $7 billion, up 11% year-over-year (13% on a currency-neutral basis) thanks to growth in its payment network and value-added services and solutions. Operating income came in at $4 billion, up from $3.7 billion in the same period a year ago. Its adjusted operating margin was an impressive 59.4% in the quarter. On a currency-neutral basis, non-GAAP net income advanced 24%, while adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 27%, bolstered in part … 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

Understanding Stock Splits

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By Brian Nelson, CFA There are few financial topics more misunderstood, in my opinion, than stock splits. Some investors believe that a stock split is a value-creating endeavor brought about by “market forces” that have blessed their company’s stock for one reason or another. They believe that they will get more shares of the company at the same price, thereby doubling their investment value as a result. Unfortunately, this is not correct. In reality, a stock split is a move made at the complete discretion of the company’s board to reduce the nominal price of the company’s shares such that more individual investors can “afford” to buy more of the stock (increasing its ownership base). The primary reason stems from the common belief … 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

Brief Note: Just How Good Has Our Stock Selection Been?

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By Brian Nelson, CFA I was taken aback by a recent report from UBS that outlined “the top contributors to the S&P 500 from about two years ago to today.” In a simulated securities portfolio, the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, of 18 ideas that also includes several ETFs, we’ve managed to hit the board 7 out of the 20, and 9 including Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX), the latter two we removed in March following their big runs last year. Here were the top 20 contributors, with simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holdings highlighted in red (XOM and CVX are highlighted in green): Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Eli Lilly (LLY), Broadcom (AVGO), Exxon Mobil, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), … Read more

There Will Be Volatility

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By Brian Nelson, CFA Last year, 2022, was a big test for equity investors, and the downside volatility that we witnessed during the year wasn’t comfortable, to say the least. Following the COVID-19 crash and rebound during 2020, and then the market surge in 2021, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say many investors’ heads are probably still spinning from all the volatility witnessed to start this decade. That said, part of what we’ve been warning about the past few years with respect to the equity market, especially in Value Trap, is that the proliferation of price-agnostic trading (e.g. quant, machine/algorithmic trading, etc.) will only lead to more and more market volatility, so while we were somewhat surprised by last … Read more

Details Regarding Visa’s Exchange Offer

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By Brian Nelson, CFA Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holding Visa Inc. (V) has a number of different common stock and preferred share classes. Investors in Visa generally hold its class A common stock that is traded on the NYSE, but the credit card giant also has class B and class C common stock as well as series A, series B, and series C preferred stock that are tied to the value of its class A common shares. Due to prior litigation corresponding to its initial public offering and 2007 capital restructuring, Visa has both a U.S. retrospective responsibility plan and a European retrospective responsibility plan, and pursuant to the terms of these plans, the company’s class B and class C … 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