MOMO

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of April 11

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 11. 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                          ADF Group (DRX:CA): now CAD 0.02 per share semi-annual dividend, was CAD 0.01. Aerovate Therapeutics (AVTE): now $2.40 per share special dividend. Agree Realty (ADC): now $0.256 per share monthly dividend, was $0.253. Alcon (ALC): now CHF 0.28 per share dividend. Aon (AON): now $0.745 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.675. Bank of America Corporation 4.750% DP PFD SS (BAC.PR.S): now $0.2970 per share … Read more

Meta’s Threads Launch Immaterial to Meta But Tragic for Twitter

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Image: Threads logo. Meta has launched a Twitter-killer with its new real-time online conversation app, Threads. By Brian Nelson, CFA Big cap tech continues to innovate and encroach upon each other’s territory, and the latest example is Meta’s (META) expansion into real-time online conversation with its new app Threads that competes directly with Elon Musk’s Twitter. Consumers have been looking for an alternative to Twitter after Musk made a number of big changes to keep the bird app afloat, and Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now pouncing on the opportunity to take share in this area. Unlike other rival platforms such as Truth Social (DWAC), users of Threads will be able leverage Instagram to log in to Threads and easily … Read more

We’re Glad Microsoft Sees Promise in ChatGPT

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Image Source: Mike Mozart By Brian Nelson, CFA Not having to worry about an upstart taking ChatGPT to the finish line is a big relief for the newsletter portfolios. Having already invested $1 billion in ChatGPT’s owner OpenAI in 2019, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) may invest as much as $10 billion more in the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Reports indicate that Microsoft would own a 49% stake in OpenAI, while getting a 75% share of OpenAI’s earnings. The greater control over ChatGPT, of which we brought to readers attention in our December 5 note, “Maintaining Our Fair Value Estimates Across Ad-Driven Social Media Equities In Light of Long Term AI-Driven Chatbot Threats,” will likely augment Microsoft’s search technology and its web … Read more

Maintaining Our Fair Value Estimates Across Ad-Driven Social Media Equities In Light of Long Term AI-Driven Chatbot Threats

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Image: ChatGPT is taking the Internet by storm. A poem generated by the AI-driven chatbot in a matter of seconds about outperforming the stock market. Image Source: ChatGPT By Brian Nelson, CFA We weren’t just having fun when we tested a new chatbot asking it to write a poem about outperforming the market. In case you haven’t heard yet, making the rounds on social media is a new artificial intelligence [AI] tool called ChatGPT. The Internet is literally abuzz on the potential prospects of this chatbot phenomenon, and after trying it out for ourselves, we think it has the long-term potential to be the real deal. ChatGPT can do a lot of things. It can write poems pretending to be … Read more

Valuentum: Outlook for Europe, China Is Bleak

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Video: Valuentum’s Associate Director of Research and Co-Portfolio Manager of the simulated newsletter portfolios, Callum Turcan, shares his thoughts about the global economy. Europe is facing considerable pressure from energy prices, while China may face a mortgage meltdown. Join Valuentum for this brief 6 minute video to get up to speed on the goings-on of the global economy and what troubles may be lurking ahead. –——— Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, DIA, VOT, BITO, and IWM. Valuentum owns SPY, SCHG, QQQ, VOO, and DIA. Brian Nelson’s household owns shares in HON, DIS, HAS, NKE. Some of the other securities written about in this article may be included in Valuentum’s simulated newsletter portfolios. Contact Valuentum for more information … Read more

Microsoft Is Buying Activision On Way to Becoming Video Game Giant

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Image Shown: Microsoft Corporation is buying Activision Blizzard Inc, the largest buyout for a US tech firm ever. Image Source: Microsoft Corporation – January 2022 IR Presentation covering its acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc By Callum Turcan On January 18, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) made history by making an all-cash offer to purchase Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI) for $95 per share. The boards of both companies have already approved the deal. Inclusive of Activision’s net cash position, the deal is worth $68.7 billion which makes it the largest buyout ever for a US tech firm according to CNBC. This deal is expected to close in fiscal 2023 (Microsoft’s fiscal year ends in June). Once it closes, assuming the deal pasts antitrust … Read more

Meta Platforms (Facebook), One of the Most Underpriced Stocks on the Market

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Image Shown: Meta Platforms Inc – Third Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan In late October 2021, the company now known as Meta Platforms Inc (FB) announced its name change from Facebook to highlight its focus on the “metaverse,” a digital universe that Meta Platforms is investing heavily in. The metaverse is supposed to be a digital world where video gaming, social media, community and family gatherings, TV and movie watching, card game and board game playing, major entertainment events and related venues, and various other activities come together in an immersive experience that ultimately could generate a lot of revenue for Meta Platforms. In 2014, then-Facebook announced it was acquiring Oculus VR, a maker of virtual … Read more

Alphabet Launches Higher

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Image: Our fair value estimate of Alphabet has continued to lead the stock higher, and shares continued to deliver following the company’s third-quarter report, released October 28. By Brian Nelson, CFA Our long-term thesis and the top weighting of Google parent company, Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio is unchanged following the company’s fantastic third-quarter report, released October 28. During the period, revenue advanced 41% on a year-over-year basis as the company’s operating margin swelled ~8 percentage points to drive diluted earnings per share to $27.99, beating consensus by nice margin. We’re reiterating our $3,500 fair value estimate for shares. Here is what Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google had to say in the press release: … Read more

Chinese Stocks Getting Hammered

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Image shown: A confluence of factors are driving Chinese stocks lower, not the least of which is heightened regulatory concerns. By Brian Nelson, CFA The collapse in Chinese equities (FXI) (MCHI) during the trading session July 26 is a reminder (again) why you should consider combining momentum with *enterprise valuation* in stocks, as in the Valuentum process. It’s not enough for you to think a stock is undervalued or cheap. The market must agree with you, too. A falling stock price says the market disagrees. Our favorite ideas for consideration are always in the newsletter portfolios, whether the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, or High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio. We do not have any direct exposure to … Read more

FTC Attacks Facebook, Win-Win Scenario for Investors

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Image Shown: Facebook Inc has a large digital advertising business with global reach, but it does not have a monopoly on digital advertising or social media by any means. Image Source: Facebook Inc – Third Quarter of 2020 IR Earnings Presentation Summary Facebook is being sued by the FTC for allegedly engaging in monopolistic activities via its acquisition program. It’s important to note that the government is not seizing Facebook’s assets and that Facebook investors own the future free cash flow stream of the entire entity under any and every scenario–whether Facebook is retained in current form or whether it is broken into different parts through a potential IPO/spin-off of its Instagram and WhatsApp properties.  Under a status quo scenario, … Read more