Dividend Growth Portfolio Idea Dick’s Sporting Goods Raises Dividend 16%!

  Image Source: Mike Mozart. Dick’s Sporting Goods put up its best same-store-sales growth rate in history during 2020. We continue to like shares of the sporting goods retailer in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. By Brian Nelson, CFA Kudos to one of the latest additions to the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS). The company announced March 9 concurrent with its fourth-quarter 2020 press release that it increased its quarterly payout 16%, to $0.3625 per share, or $1.45 per share on an annualized basis, good enough for a nice ~2% forward expected dividend yield. The latest iteration of the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio can be found here. With a Dividend Cushion ratio of 3.2 at its last … Read more

ICYMI: Valuentum’s Brian Nelson on the Latest Howard Marks’ Memo: “Something of Value”

Valuentum’s President of Investment Research Brian Michael Nelson, CFA, explains why there are not really value and growth stocks, why most of the research in quantitative finance is spurious and needs to be redefined on a forward-looking basis, and why enterprise valuation (not the efficient markets hypothesis) should be the organizing principle of finance. Nelson explains his views about valuation, what it means to be a value investor, and investing in the context of Oaktree Capital Howard Marks’ latest memo, “Something of Value,” January 11, 2021. Please don’t forget to give the second edition of the book “Value Trap” a 5-star rating on Amazon here. Thank you for your membership! —– Tickerized for holdings in the IWM. Valuentum members have … Read more

Omni-Channel Strategy at Dick’s Sporting Goods Makes It a Long-Term Dividend Growth Idea

Image Source: Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc – Third Quarter of 2020 Earnings Infographic By Callum Turcan The ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, due to the desire of households to socially distance, has driven a meaningful amount of consumer spending to e-commerce platforms. Retailers that invested heavily in their online operations, while also bulking up their omni-channel sales capabilities, were in a much better position when the pandemic hit than those that had to rely largely on their physical footprint. Over the past year, “contactless” delivery options have become much more popular. That includes fulfillment options such as curbside pickup and in-store pickup (usually in specially designated areas), where consumers purchase goods online and then travel to the relevant physical store location … Read more

Value Is Not Static and the Qualitative Overlay Is Vital to Our Process

With prudence and care, the Valuentum Buying Index process and its components are carried out. Our analyst team spends most of its time thinking about the intrinsic value of companies within the context of a discounted cash-flow model and evaluating the risk profile of a company’s revenue model. We have checks and balances, too. First, we use a fair value range in our valuation approach as we embrace the very important concept that value is a range and not a point estimate. A relative value overlay as the second pillar helps to add conviction in the discounted cash-flow process, while a technical and momentum overlay seeks to provide confirmation in all of the valuation work. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes even before a VBI rating is published, but it will always be just one factor to consider. Within any process, of course, we value the human, qualitative overlay, which captures a wealth of experience and common sense. We strive to surface our best ideas for members.

FLIR Systems Repositions Itself

Image Source: FLIR Systems Inc – November 2019 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan An appealing aspect of the defense industry is that it’s largely counter-cyclical, especially for companies that do a lot of business with the US Department of Defense (‘DoD’). The National Defense Authorization Act (‘NDAA’) that covers fiscal 2020 allows for a base budget level of $658.4 billion and an additional $71.5 billion has been allocated to overseas contingency operations. Noteworthy aspects of the NDAA covering fiscal 2020, which was signed into law by President Trump in December 2019, include the creation of a Space Force, a 3.1% pay increase for troops, and paid family leave for all federal workers. With a budget of $738 billion, up $21 … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending August 3

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending August 3. 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 American States Water (AWR): now $0.275 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.255. Andeavor Logistics (ANDX): now $1.03 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.015. Ares Capital (ARCC): now $0.39 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.38. Astec (ASTE): now $0.11 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.10. BP (BP): now $0.615 per ADS quarterly dividend, was $0.595. BP Midstream Partners (BPMP): now $0.2725 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2675. … Read more

Fishing Trends Benefiting Many Sporting Goods Retailers

Johnson Outdoors is benefiting greatly from fishing-related sales, and such a tailwind may be helping other sporting goods retailers in the group. New store openings continue to drive Dick’s Sporting Goods’ top-line higher, but the company’s materially increased profit guidance for fiscal 2018 stole the show in its fiscal first quarter report. By Kris Rosemann The sporting goods industry seems to have found the path to resiliency, despite continued political debate around gun control in the wake of school and event shootings, and some vendors such as Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) even going as far as destroying the assault weapons once for sale on their shelves. We’ll talk more about Dick’s Sporting Goods’ strength in this note, which has positive … Read more

Prepared Remarks From Nelson Exclusive Conference Call June 30

Read President of Investment Research Brian Nelson’s prepared remarks for the yearly roundup conference call, held for Nelson Exclusive members. If you would like to subscribe to the Nelson Exclusive publication, please learn more about the publication here. The Nelson Exclusive publication does not reflect real performance. Performance is hypothetical and does not represent actual trading. Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you very much for joining us on the first conference call for members of the Nelson Exclusive publication. The first year of the publication has surely been an exciting one for all involved. When I first wrote the introductory letter of the Nelson Exclusive on July 1, 2016, we were well-aware the market had laid down the gauntlet for this publication. … Read more

Podcast: Defense Spending and the Explosion of Cyber Crime

The Valuentum analyst team discusses trends in US and global defense spending and the explosion of Internet crime that is fueling investment in cyber security both in the public and private sectors. ~7 mins. This podcast was originally published November 3, 2016. If you cannot view the video below, please view the transcript that follows or click the link here. Software – Security: CHKP, FEYE, FTNT, IMPV, PANW, PFPT, SYMC, VRSN Aerospace & Defense – Prime: BA, FLIR, GD, LLL, LMT, NOC, RTN Brian Nelson, CFA: This is Brian Nelson for Valuentum Securities, and today I have joining me on our podcast Mr. Kris Rosemann and Mr. Chris Araos. Today, we are going to talk about the landscape for defense spending … Read more

Valuentum’s 3 Breakthroughs in the Field of Finance and More

Valuentum’s President Brian Nelson pauses for a picture before speaking at the CFA Society of Houston in March 2017. By Valuentum Editorial Staff Let’s cover Valuentum’s 3 major breakthroughs in the field of finance. The first one is big and may challenge you to rethink everything you think you know about investing. 1. On a logical framework, Valuentum has debunked John C. Bogle’s landmark syllogism that has paved the way for the concept of index investing. Index investing has been built on a logical shortcoming, whether supported by evidence or not. We think it is important that the investment community know of this. Read (pdf): The “Luck” and “Randomness” of Index Funds (2018), Brian Nelson, CFA See video documentation: /FALLACY_of_Index_Funds To … Read more