Fed Cuts 50 Basis Points, Expect More Market Volatility Ahead

Image Source: FOMC  The emergency 50-basis point Fed rate cut announced March 3 was largely expected by the marketplace in light of growing economic concerns due to COVID-19, but it does nothing to immunize against COVID-19 and little to stabilize the situation. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we expect ongoing volatility in the coming days and months as the situation with COVID-19 remains fluid. Having moved to defensive positions in both the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio in January and having capitalized on the “crash protection” put, we are preparing for our next move. For now, we’re watching and waiting, and we encourage readers that have not yet picked up their copy of … Read more

COVID-19 Crisis Intensifies

Image Source: CDC. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).  Our dearest members: — The world is being challenged today by what some including Bill Gates believe might be a “once-in-a-century pathogen.” We do not know the eventual outcome, whether the impact of this illness ends up being as profound as the Spanish Influenza of 1918-1919 (which inflicted a death toll in the tens of millions), but we maintain our view the markets have yet to come to grips with the impact of COVID-19 on economic activity and potential ramifications on the global economy and the banking system.  — What is currently a “biological” crisis may turn into an all-out global financial crisis, one that could end up worse than the 2008/2009 mortgage meltdown. Instead … Read more

Has the Stock Market Crash Begun?

Image: CDC. Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19, formerly known as 2019-nCoV. The spherical viral particles, colorized blue, contain cross-section through the viral genome, seen as black dots. Dear members: This article is our fourth update on COVID-19. The previous three installments can be found here (Feb 22), here (Feb 7) and here (Jan 31). We trust you and yours are well during this global crisis. It’s hard to turn on the television these days without hearing about COVID-19, a novel coronavirus and respiratory illness that continues to spread from person to person around the world. COVID-19 is deadly, and particularly deadly among those 60 years of age and older and those … Read more

ALERT: Adding Market Crash ‘Protection,’ Removing MSFT, BKNG

Image source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  ALERT: Adding Market Crash ‘Protection,’ Removing MSFT, BKNG — Changes to newsletter portfolios — We’re adding out-of-the-money put options to both the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio and Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. — We’re removing Microsoft from the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. — We’re removing Booking Holdings from the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. — By Brian Nelson, CFA — We’re making some moves in the newsletter portfolios today.  — The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) is currently indicated down 900+ points in pre-market trading during the session Monday, February 24. We laid out a thesis where the US markets could experience a “crash,” and we encourage you to read that take here, “Is a … Read more

Is a Stock Market Crash Coming? — Coronavirus Update and P/E Ratios

Image Source: World Health Organization, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Situation Report — 32 We don’t think this is the environment to put new capital to work, and we remain highly cautious of what COVID-19 means for global economic growth not just in the first quarter of 2020 but for the rest of this year (maybe longer). Right now, the US markets are not really factoring in anything related to COVID-19, and perhaps may be adjusting to China’s stimulus in artificially propping up the markets as if the outbreak is somehow a “positive thing.” With the S&P 500 trading at 19.0 forward earnings estimates–estimates that are likely too high given the evidence we are seeing with respect to a slowdown due … Read more

Improving Our Coverage

Valuentum continues to scour the stock market for new ideas. We’ll be following the set of companies in this list via commentary on our website and a data sheet updated periodically. By Valuentum Analysts The list of companies in the download below were previously covered by our team via 16-page report and dividend report fashion. Going forward, we are now covering these companies with commentary on the website and via a data sheet updated periodically. This will be a much better use of members’ time, especially as members scour our Best Ideas Newsletter, Dividend Growth Newsletter, stock methodology, dividend methodology, and the hundreds of stock valuation reports and dividend reports on our website, available through the Symbol search box.  We … Read more

Realty Income Posts Solid Earnings, Acquires Overseas Real Estate for First Time

Image Source: Realty Income Corporation – IR Presentation By Callum Turcan Realty Income Corporation (O) is a REIT focused on free-standing, single-tenant commercial properties in 49 US states, Puerto Rico, and now the UK. At the end of the second quarter of 2019, Realty Income had economic interests in almost 6,000 properties. The REIT reported second quarter earnings on August 5, and we liked what we saw. Realty Income is included in our Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio and shares of O yield 3.9% as of this writing. Please note that the REIT pays out a monthly dividend and has been doing so for 589 consecutive months (~49 years). Financial Overview As you can see in the graphic below, Realty Income … Read more

Latest Channel Checks at Malls…Scary

We know malls come and go, and location is everything, but our latest visit to a few malls in the Chicagoland area leave us scratching our heads in a big way. One was eerily empty. By Brian Nelson, CFA A small sample set is never one to extrapolate, but our latest checks of malls in the northwest Chicagoland area came up a little surprising. We’re not sounding the alarm bells just yet, but we think some caution is in order for the largest mall REITs, including Tanger Factory (SKT), Macerich (MAC), Simon Property (SPG) and Taubman (TCO). Something just wasn’t quite right on our latest visit, and we attribute it primarily to failing anchor department stores, namely Carson Pirie Scott … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of August 8

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending August 8. 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                          Alphamin Resources Corp. (AFM:CA): now CAD 0.07 per share semi-annual dividend, was CAD 0.06. Ambev (ABEV): now $0.0230 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.0219. Annaly Capital Management, Inc. PFD SER G (NLY.PR.G): now $0.5577 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.5518. Annaly Capital Management, Inc. PFD STK I 6.75% (NLY.PR.I): now $0.6098 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.6034. Aura Minerals (AUGO): now $0.33 per share … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week November 13

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 13. 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 Absolute Software (ABST): now CAD 0.08 per share quarterly dividend. Air Lease (AL): now $0.16 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.15. Assurant (AIZ): now $0.66 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.63. Atmos Energy (ATO): now $0.625 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.575. Automatic Data Processing (ADP): now $0.93 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.91. Bancroft Fund (BCV): now $2.25 per share year-end dividend, was $0.29. Barings … Read more