PLTR

Cisco Systems Continues to Recover; Growth Outlook Quite Promising

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Image Source: Cisco Systems Inc – Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan On August 18, Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) reported fourth quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended July 31, 2021) that beat consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Cisco Systems also offered guidance for both the first quarter of fiscal 2022 along with full-year guidance for fiscal 2022, breaking with tradition (usually the company does not offer full fiscal year forecasts). Cisco Systems is included as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios. We continue to be huge fans of Cisco Systems, and shares of CSCO initially moved significantly higher during the morning trading hours on August 19. Pivot to … Read more

How to Navigate the Low Return Environment

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Image Shown: Investors continue to gamble on meme stocks and cryptocurrencies. Image Source: QuoteInspector.com.  Modern Finance Is Dead, Long Live Value Trap By Brian Nelson, CFA At Valuentum, we don’t believe in many of the quantitative theories out there. We like to operate within the stock component of market returns, as this has historically been the strongest place to focus one’s efforts. We don’t think it makes sense to add “bad” assets to a portfolio just for the sake of diversification. Can you imagine adding pipeline MLPs to your portfolio in June 2015? If we can find great ideas within the stronger relatively performing stock market, we think we’ll be far better off than any stock/bond mix that one may choose. … Read more

Cisco Systems’ Financials Remain Pristine, Growth Outlook Improving

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Image Shown: Shares of Cisco Systems Inc initially moved lower after the firm reported its latest earnings update and management provided near-term guidance that disappointed investors. However, shares of Cisco Systems quickly resumed their upward climb as the tech giant’s financials remain rock-solid. We continue to be huge fans of Cisco Systems. By Callum Turcan On May 19, networking hardware and enterprise software giant Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) reported third quarter fiscal 2021 earnings (period ended May 1, 2021) that beat consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. The firm’s GAAP revenues grew by 7% year-over-year and its GAAP operating income moved higher by a little over 1% year-over-year, with its ‘Security’ offerings leading the way as that segment’s revenues grew by … Read more

Inflation! How to Think About Value Duration

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By Brian Nelson, CFA Investors continue to focus on the prospects of rising inflation expectations, which are impacting Treasury bond yields. The 10-year Treasury note, which is used as the foundation for discount rates within most valuation constructs, now stands at ~1.61%, up meaningfully from the ~0.5% lows set in early August 2020. The Fed/Treasury continue to be highly accommodative, and the growing market capitalization of cryptocurrencies is adding even more “new money” to the system. Investors continue to discount the longer-duration free cash flow profiles of the most speculative technology companies more aggressively. For example, the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), which is full of speculative tech names, has fallen to ~$105 per share from a 52-week high of $159.70 … Read more

ALERT: Bull Raids, Short Squeezes and Highly Unusual Market Activity

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We are putting short investors on high alert! By Brian Nelson, CFA In late 2018, Valuentum published Value Trap, a book that warned to all that would heed its warning that a collapse in the traditional quant value factor was coming and that excessive volatility in the markets caused by price-agnostic trading–or those that aren’t paying attention to fair value estimate calculations–would only build and build to eventually reach extreme and irrational levels. The book, while hugely successful winning award after award, was largely ignored by the media, despite our best efforts to get the word out. Now, the chickens are coming home to roost. Image Shown: The book Value Trap warned about the impending collapse of the value factor, … Read more

Cisco Systems’ Growth Outlook Continues to Improve

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Image Source: Cisco Systems Inc – 2021 Investor Day Event Presentation By Callum Turcan Things at Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) are beginning to turn around and management made sure to highlight the company’s improving outlook during its big Investor Day event held on September 15. We include Cisco Systems as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios as the firm has a fortress-like balance sheet (i.e., large net cash position), tremendous free cash flow generating abilities, and its growth outlook has improved immensely since contending with serious headwinds from the worst of the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic. Shares of CSCO yield ~2.6% as of this writing. On the hardware front, Cisco Systems sells products in … Read more