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Discovery-Scripps Joining Forces to Take on the Changing Digital Media Landscape

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Image Source: Lwp Kommunikáció Discovery Communications has agreed to acquire Scripps Networks, but will it be enough for the two to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving–and consolidating–media landscape? By Kris Rosemann The cable TV industry is not what it was only a few short years ago, and Discovery Communications (DISCA) finally getting its hands on the assets of Scripps Networks (SNI) is only further evidence of this. Both companies have had a relative amount of success in delivering compelling programming to targeted audiences in years past via traditional pay-TV channels, but the days of tuning in to Shark Week on The Discovery Channel through your local cable provider are fading fast. The cord-cutting revolution is one that has been well-covered … Read more

Video: Explaining the Valuentum Buying Index

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The Valuentum Buying Index (VBI) stands on the shoulders of giants in finance in uncovering investment ideas.  Brian Nelson, CFA: This is Brian Nelson from Valuentum Securities. Today, I would like to talk about our Valuentum Buying Index, the stock selection methodology that we use and apply across our entire coverage universe. But before I get into some of the specifics, I’d like to provide more or less a summary. Essentially what the Valuentum Buying Index does is it highlights undervalued stocks that are going up in price. Undervalued stocks with good momentum…Value-ntum stocks. So, at the core, the Valuentum Buying Index tries to find stocks that we think have a very strong likelihood of equity price appreciation. It breaks … Read more

Labor and the Economic Cycle

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As we arguably near the “peak” in the business cycle, labor is starting to demand more, a dynamic that we believe is emblematic of the period of aging economic expansion. Let’s have a look at what’s happening in the fight for higher wages. By Brian Nelson, CFA Each business cycle is different in both magnitude and duration, but there are some common qualities that define where an economy might be within the cycle. First, it has been more than 8 years since the March 2009 stock-market panic bottom, a period that witnessed firms such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and AIG (AIG) flounder. The unemployment rate peaked at 10% during that difficult time. Since then, the US economy has emerged … Read more

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

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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

#14? You Can’t Control The Market

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Image shown: Wall Street Journal front pages from the Financial Crisis — a reminder that an investor cannot control the markets.

Should this be added to the “13 Steps…” piece?

AT&T’s Love Affair with Debt

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Image Source: Mike Mozart AT&T’s free cash flow performance during 2016 was solid, and the company’s outlook for 2017 wasn’t bad. What concerns us the most, however, is the company’s unwieldly debt load, which will only be exacerbated by the Time Warner deal. Income investors should take note. By Brian Nelson, CFA On January 25, AT&T (T) wrapped up 2016 with a rather solid fourth-quarter report, and full-year results weren’t bad. We have no qualms with AT&T, but as with Verizon (VZ), we worry the company has stretched its balance sheet too far this late into the economic cycle. Contributions from AT&T’s acquisition of DIRECTV and gains in IP services and video helped drive consolidated revenues 11.6% higher during 2016, … Read more

Utilities and Telecoms to Benefit Most from Corporate Tax Reduction?

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Image Source: Michael Vadon By Kris Rosemann and Brian Nelson, CFA Speculation over which sectors may be the biggest beneficiaries of the incoming Trump administration has been running rampant in recent weeks, and we’ve received questions from members pertaining to this topic, specifically with respect to the utilities and telecom sectors. In fact, an article in the Financial Times, released mid-November, tabbed the utilities (XLU) and telecom (XTL) spaces as two sectors that may be able to generate outsize earnings improvements thanks to a reduced corporate income tax. But will they truly benefit over the long haul? Let’s walk through our take on the impact a potential reduction in corporate tax rates may provide these two areas. It may not all be … Read more

EVERYTHING DIVIDENDS + 3 TOP IDEAS

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The Valuentum analyst team explains the difference between the adjusted Dividend Cushion ratio and its unadjusted counterpart. The success of the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio is covered, and Valuentum’s top 3 dividend growth ideas are unveiled. ~13 minutes. If you are unable to view the video below, please select the link here or view the transcript below. Kris Rosemann: Hello and welcome to the Valuentum Securities podcast. My name is Kris Rosemann and with me today is Chris Araos and Brian Nelson, the president of equity research and ETF analysis here at Valuentum, and today we’re going to be discussing the Dividend Cushion ratio, the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, and some of our favorite dividend ideas on the market today. So … Read more

AT&T Targeting Disruption in Transformational Merger

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Key Takeaways AT&T has agreed to acquire Time Warner for $85.4 billion in cash and stock in a deal that is expected to close by the end of 2017. Strict regulatory scrutiny can be expected. The deal has the potential to disrupt the traditional pay-TV industry while setting AT&T apart from its competitors in the wireless telecom industry, where growth has become sparse for the firm. The telecom industry is maturing, and price-slashing competition has changed the game as network differentiation has largely become a thing of the past. We’re not fans of the debt that will come with the completion of the deal, but the prospects of what the combined entities could produce are certainly interesting. We view the … Read more

Video: An Overview of Our 16-page Stock Research Reports

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Can’t view the video walk-through of our 16-page reports on your mobile device? Download the Puffin Web Browser App from Apple free. Click here. Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.