SLW

Miners Continue to Be Cautious

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Though profit margins on iron ore operations are hefty, swings in commodity prices translate into large swings in equity prices as mid-cycle valuations are tweaked. Management teams within the mining space are well-aware of the boom-and-bust cycles of their business, and recent tactical moves indicate that constituents continue to be very cautious. We commented on Rio Tinto’s (RIO) and Vale’s (VALE) decision to cut spending, and recent news suggests that BHP (BHP) will also look to keep annual spending below $15 billion, a large cut from the $21.7 billion the firm spent in the previous fiscal year. The billions of dollars in reduced mining equipment spending doesn’t bode well for firms specializing in earth-moving equipment such as Caterpillar (CAT) and … Read more

Mining Capital Spending Still Expected to Fall

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On Monday, Brazilian miner Vale (VALE) rolled out its capital spending budget for 2014. The board approved a $14.8 billion capital spending plan, with the lion’s share allocated to project execution. The expected level will be the lowest since 2010, near the depths of spending levels in the Great Recession:  After peaking in 2011 at $18.0 billion, capital and R&D expenditures in 2014 will show a decline for the third year in a row. This reflects the greater focus on capital efficiency, which entails among other things pursuing shareholder value maximization through a smaller portfolio comprised of projects with a high risk-adjusted expected rate of return. This is evidenced by the fact that more than 80% of the 2014 budget … Read more

Rio Tinto Says Iron Ore Production Breaks Record; Iron Ore Prices Recover

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On Tuesday, mining giant Rio Tinto (click ticker for report: ) issued impressive third-quarter production results that revealed record production and shipments of Western Australia iron ore thanks to the opening of its Pilbara 290 port and rail expansion (ahead of schedule and significantly under budget). We think this good news has only been sweetened by the recent recovery in iron ore prices, following a near-term bottom in early June. It’s important to note, however, that iron ore prices remain in a defined downtrend, and while we view the recent pricing performance as positive, we’re not celebrating just yet. Image Source: http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=iron-ore&months=60 Still, fundamentals are starting to brighten up just a bit for the mining group. Economic performance in China … Read more

Assets Need to Go: Vale Edition

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Though it has already sold nearly $3 billion in assets since 2012, Brazilian mining giant Vale (click ticker for report: ) is mulling additional asset sales. CEO Murilo Ferreira admitted Tuesday that the firm was considering selling its 40% stake in aluminum producer Norsk Hydro ASA as well as some of its oil and gas assets. Vale joins rivals Rio Tinto (click ticker for report: ), Anglo American, and BHP (click ticker for report: ) in the effort to focus on the best operations while selling off underperforming assets. As we’ve previously noted, this situation becomes difficult when every party is also interested in selling weak assets, as would-be buyers can seek out bargains and demand hefty discounts. The fundamental reasoning … Read more

Nelson: The 16 Most Important Steps To Understand The Stock Market

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A previous version of this article appeared on our website July 21, 2013. Refreshed and updated throughout, as of July 2018. By Brian Nelson, CFA After earning my MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and training stock and credit analysts from large organizations over the past decade or so, I have heard just about every question (though I admit I am still surprised by many things and remain a very humble student of the markets). I’ve also spent years perfecting the discounted cash flow process for large research organizations such as Morningstar and studied under one of the most famed aggressive growth investors of all time, Richard Driehaus. My knowledge runs the gamut from value through … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 11

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending November 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 AAON (AAON): now $0.13 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.11. Acadia Realty Trust (AKR): now $0.26 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.25. AmerisourceBergen (ABC): now $0.365 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.34. Atmos Energy (ATO): now $0.45 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.42. Automatic Data Processing (ADP): now $0.57 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.53. BOK Financial (BOKF): now $0.44 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.43. … Read more

Seeking Balance: What’s Happening in the Crude Oil and Iron Ore Markets

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Image Source: Sollven Melindo Commodity prices are notoriously volatile as the global markets often struggle to maintain a sustainable balance of supply-demand. Let’s take a look at some recent developments and coming events that are impacting the prices of crude oil and iron ore. By Kris Rosemann We’re not rushing to add any commodity-based exposure at the moment. We have some of course – but we’re not looking to add more to the newsletter portfolios. For starters, the iron ore pricing market appears to be setting itself up for another period of pain, and we’re preaching serious levels of caution for those considering the space as iron-ore prices have already begun to descend from the peak of the puzzling early-2017 … Read more

How to Think About Corporate Tax Reform

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Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending March 20

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending March 20. 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 ALPS ETF Trust – ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (SDOG): now $0.4614 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.4196. ALPS ETF Trust – ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF (EQL): now $0.6360 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.4789. ALPS ETF Trust – Cohen & Steers Global Realty Majors ETF (RDOG): now $0.6844 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.5113. Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. (PINE): now $0.20 per share … Read more