Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor
The correction has come and passed. It appears the market is setting up to move higher…again. Such a move may still be a part of the beginning of a larger downward trend, however.
From: Brian Nelson, CFADate: July 21, 2014 12:47 pmTo: Readers of ‘Silly Rabbit, Dividends Do Matter…’ and ‘Dividends Don’t Matter…’ — Seeking Alpha There is truth to both — that dividends do matter and that dividends don’t matter. For valuation experts, and in the context of a free cash flow to the firm (FCFF) model, the only thing that matters is what a firm generates in enterprise free cash flow (FCFF), not how that enterprise free cash flow leaves the business, per se (1). I’ll list the many different definitions of cash flow at the bottom of this memo. When calculating intrinsic value, dividends and/or distributions do not matter to valuation (other than when a dividend and/or distribution is paid, the … Read more
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
Frankly, it’s hard not to like Intel (INTC). The company dominates the microprocessor and chipset market, and while rivals can adapt quickly in the land of technology, continuous research and development keeps the firm a step ahead of the competition. If that weren’t enough, the company is simply a cash-flow machine, and its annual dividend payout is not only safe on the basis of the Valuentum Dividend Cushion score but also is poised to grow into the future. A strong competitive position, an attractive valuation, and a safe and growing dividend are a few qualities that make the company a Valuentum stock. It is held in both the Best Ideas portfolio and Dividend Growth portfolio. Intel’s goal is to be … Read more
Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered 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 AptarGroup (ATR): now $0.28 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.25. BNY Mellon (BK): now $0.17 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.15. Chatham Lodging Trust (CLDT): now $0.08 per share monthly dividend, was $0.07. Genesis Energy (GEL): now $0.55 per share quarterly distribution, was $0.535. Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT): now $0.49 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.48 IDEX (IEX): now $0.28 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.23. … Read more
On Thursday, switching and routing giant Cisco (CSCO) hosted its 2013 Financial Analyst Conference, and management’s commentary during the meeting wasn’t encouraging. The firm’s fiscal first quarter 2014 results, released mid-November, had showcased significant order weakness (see here) and commentary on the company’s fiscal first-quarter conference call indicated that the firm did not anticipate material improvement in its order growth during the second quarter, but CEO John Chambers’ reiteration of his view today that emerging markets remain “extremely challenged,” particularly in Brazil and Russia, has sent shockwaves across much of the networking industry. It appears the market had been building in expectations that some order stabilization would occur at this point during the quarter, and Chambers comments may have mitigated … Read more
On Wednesday, networking giant Cisco (CSCO) reported mixed fiscal first-quarter results (ending in October), and the company’s order performance in the period and fiscal second-quarter guidance came up short versus expectations. Revenue in the fiscal first-quarter dropped 2% year-over-year, but non-GAAP net income and earnings per share advanced 11.6% and 10.4%, respectively, from the prior-year period. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.53 came in a few pennies better than expected. Net cash from operations advanced to $2.65 billion from $2.47 billion in the year-ago period, while capital expenditures expanded to $315 million from $265 million. Free cash flow was $2.3 billion, or 19.3% of sales (a strong figure). Cash and investments totaled $48.2 billion and short and long-term debt totaled … Read more
Qualcomm (QCOM), a leader in next-generation wireless technologies, reported decent fiscal fourth-quarter results Wednesday. Revenue leapt 33% on a year over year basis (4% sequentially in the period), and operating income advanced 29% from the same period last year. MSM chip shipments jumped 35% in the fourth quarter, to 190 million units (above expectations). Both net income and diluted earnings per share increased 18% from last year’s quarter. Cash generated from operating activities was phenomenal in the period at $2.52 billion, up 79% on a year-over-year basis (and 39% of revenue). Qualcomm’s capital-light, licensing business model converted almost all of the quarterly operating cash to free cash flow ($2.38 billion, or 37% of revenue). For all of fiscal 2013, free cash flow totaled … Read more
The day many had been waiting for in tech came Wednesday morning as Samsung unveiled its long-rumored smartwatch, dubbed the “Galaxy Gear,” to the public. The Galaxy Gear acts as a compliment to a smartphone, allowing users to check text messages, phone calls, and e-mails, as well as set alarms, run apps, and check the weather. The smartwatch will supposedly integrate seamlessly with the upcoming Galaxy Note III, and it will retail for $300. The Market Isn’t Big Enough at Launch Our first issue with the Galaxy Gear is the miniscule addressable market at launch. Though the device will eventually be compatible with the Galaxy S IV and other Samsung smartphones, it will only work with the Note III at … Read more
Chipmaker Qualcomm (click ticker for report: ) reported fantastic third quarter results Wednesday afternoon. Revenue surged 35% year-over-year to $6.2 billion, handily exceeding consensus estimates. Non-GAAP earnings per share jumped 21% year-over-year to $1.03, roughly in-line with consensus estimates. Free cash flow was fantastic at $1.85 billion, equivalent to 30% of revenue. Image Source: QCOM 3Q FY13 Presentation It’s interesting to see average selling prices (ASPs) for 3G/4G devices increase $13 sequentially to $230 during the March quarter, indicating a shift towards higher-end devices. Qualcomm also forecasts ASPs to range from $223-$229 for fiscal year 2013, an increase of 2-5% year-over-year. Clearly, pricing growth is not as robust in the smartphone space as it once was, but the market still … Read more