Starbucks’ Long-Term Outlook Is Improving

Image Shown: Starbucks Corporation sees the total addressable market for coffee products growing by a decent clip over the coming years, which is forecasted to reach ~$450 billion in 2023. Image Source: Starbucks Corporation – 2020 Biennial Investor Day Presentation By Callum Turcan On December 9, Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) hosted its biennial Investor Day meeting, held virtually this year due to the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic and updated its financial guidance for the next several fiscal years. For reference, Starbucks’ GAAP revenues and GAAP operating income fell 11% and 62% year-over-year, respectively, in fiscal 2020 (period ended September 27, 2020) as the company contended with headwinds created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, Starbucks expects to realize a “significant rebound” … Read more

Coca-Cola’s 3.3% Dividend Yield Not Bad

Image: Coca-Cola By Brian Nelson, CFA There are few companies that have stood the test of time like Coca-Cola (KO). With consumer preferences seemingly changing at the drop of a hat, it is hard to believe that the first glass of Coca-Cola was served in Atlanta more than 100 years ago, in 1886. That’s just 10 years after the first commercially successful combustion engine was invented and more than 20 years before the first Model T Ford rolled off the production line. The next 100 years for Coca-Cola won’t be as easy as the first, in our view, given health trends against sugar consumption and efforts to combat the obesity epidemic, but ongoing innovation may continue to keep this beverage … Read more

PepsiCo Earnings Update

Image Shown: PepsiCo Inc’s expansive snacks and beverage portfolio is home to 23 brands that generated $1+ billion in annual retail sales in 2019. We are big fans of PepsiCo’s business model but caution that the firm’s net debt load needs to be closely monitored going forward, especially given management’s generous approach to dividends and share repurchases. Image Source: PepsiCo Inc – CAGNY 2020 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan Dividend aristocrat PepsiCo Inc (PEP) reported third-quarter fiscal 2020 earnings (period ended September 5, 2020) that beat both top- and bottom-line consensus estimates. PepsiCo’s organic revenue growth, a non-GAAP metric, stood out. During the fiscal third quarter and the first three quarters of fiscal 2020, PepsiCo’s organic revenue growth clocked in … Read more

3 Lessons in Portfolio Management Over 10 Years

Dear members: — We’re finally getting a pause in the rapid ascent of the markets on September 3rd. Though headlines may look scary and momentum/volatility investors could start to pile on to the downside, a modest retracement is actually a good thing. We continue to focus on the long haul with our processes, and we’re viewing the sell-off as profit taking, for the most part. — In the near term, the markets will also have to digest some speculators betting on mean reversion between “value” (cyclical) versus “growth” (secular), but we maintain the view that the value-versus-growth conversation is largely nonsense (see block quotes below), and mean reversion is something akin to the gamblers’ fallacy, in my humble opinion. Investors should also continue … Read more

Valuentum Website Overview

Overview of the key features of valuentum.com/ (03:55). Valuentum (val∙u∙n∙tum) [val-yoo-en-tuh-m] Securities Inc. is an independent investment research publisher, offering premium equity reports, dividend reports, and ETF reports, as well as commentary across all sectors/companies, a Best Ideas Newsletter (spanning market caps, asset classes), a Dividend Growth Newsletter, modeling tools/products, and more. Independence and integrity remain our core, and we strive to be a champion of the investor. Valuentum is based in the Chicagoland area. Valuentum is not a money manager, broker, or financial advisor. Valuentum is a publisher of financial information. The Benefits of Premium Membership >> Subscribe Now!

Earnings Update: LMT, ISRG, KO, PM

By Brian Nelson, CFA We released a few preliminary thoughts on second quarter earnings in our note here, but we wanted to elaborate on a few new reports, too. Lockheed Martin (LMT) is included in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio (login required), while Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) was highlighted as a COVID-19 play during the March swoon. Coca-Cola (KO) remains an excellent bellwether on the global economy, while Philip Morris (PM) remains a holding in the High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio (subscribe). Let’s cover the second quarter reports from these companies in this note. Lockheed Martin Achieves Record Backlog Things are looking good for Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio holding Lockheed Martin. The company’s second-quarter results, released July 21, showed the defense … Read more

Reiterating Our Bullish Long-Term View on Stocks

Reiterating Our Bullish Long-Term View on Stocks Image: The NASDAQ 100 Index remains resilient, bouncing off support, after breaking out to new highs recently. Some of our best ideas are included in the NASDAQ 100, and our favorite concentrations include exposure to big cap tech and large cap growth. We continue to be bullish on equities for the long run. — By Brian Nelson, CFA — Hi everyone, — Hope you are doing great! First, I wanted to let you know that we’re still working to get the second release of the survey out to you. Your participation in the survey will determine whether we launch a new business, so please do fill it out and keep a watchful eye out for … Read more

ICYMI: Survey Coming Later Today, More Market Volatility Expected

ICYMI: Survey Coming Later Today, More Market Volatility Expected Image: The market’s levels of volatility so far in 2020 have been among the greatest in history. Expectations for increased volatility in the marketplace as a result of the proliferation of price-agnostic trading (indexing and quantitative trading) is a key theme of Valuentum’s text, Value Trap: Theory of Universal Valuation. We continue to emphasize the importance of due diligence, enterprise valuation, behavioral thinking, the information contained in prices, and stock selection across equity portfolios. Page 256. — Hi everyone, — Hope you all are doing great!  — Many of you have already filled out the survey, and I can’t thank you enough for that. For those that may have missed the email housing … Read more

*ALERT* Scribbles and More Newsletter Portfolio Changes

*ALERT* Scribbles and More Newsletter Portfolio Changes Image: Why are stock prices increasing while the near-term economy and near-term earnings outlook isn’t as bright as before…How unlimited quantitative easing, runaway government spending, increased inflation expectations impact equity values…Why this year’s earnings expectations or next year’s earnings expectations don’t matter much…Why Valuentum thinks equity values are rising today, even as the near-term outlook remains unclear. Scribbles on page 76 of Value Trap. — “I know it sounds crazy to say so during a global pandemic and during a recession, but the right multiple and the right earnings to use to value this market is an 18-20x multiple on $196 earnings, putting a fair value range on the S&P 500 today of 3,530-3,920. The … Read more

Valuentum Research Update

— Valuentum Research Update — Hi everyone! — Hope you all are doing great! I must say I couldn’t be more pleased with the research we’ve been putting out, and thank you very much for your continued interest. In this piece, I wanted to get some of our latest work to you.  — First, please note that we’ve done a great job holding the line on many of our fair value estimates (ranges) on our website. Many stocks have been bouncing back, and we’re glad we didn’t rush through any updates. Updating fair value estimates (ranges) too frequently doesn’t make much sense to us. We’re after the right answer, not any answer.  — Second, our team has been busy writing up some very … Read more