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

Coronavirus May Trigger Long-Anticipated Global Recession

Image: Wuhan New Coronavirus This was the catalyst that nobody was expecting, a novel coronavirus that nobody had in their economic models. We think global economic activity is slowing as we speak, and the spread of the virus may only accelerate in mainland China and elsewhere. Investors should keep a level head and perhaps think about adding protection to their portfolios before it becomes too expensive. By Brian Nelson, CFA How to Use Valuentum’s Investment Research Services >> We’ve walked through a number of scenarios that could trip the global economy into recession–global deflation that tips over the weakest European banks and causes contagion, global military conflict with North Korea or Iran that disrupts economic activity, increased volatility driven by … Read more

Resetting Your Mental Model

Image Source: affen ajlfe A version of this article was originally published on our website October 6, 2013. Having the right mental model and using the right information can be the reason why you win or lose in investing. “What is the definition of timeliness? Many believe it is getting information to investors as quickly as possible after an event, or updating something every single day or week for immaterial information. I believe in a different definition of timeliness. I believe timeliness is using all information available in a mosaic approach to accurately predict the event before it even happens. Take Kinder Morgan as the latest example. We were the only ones predicting what was going to happen before it did. To investors, … Read more

Our Reports on Stocks in the Internet Content & Services Group

Image Source: Christopher Structure of the Internet Software & Services Industry The Internet software/services industry is composed of a variety of companies with rapidly-changing business models. Most focus on improving the ways people connect with information, either via Internet search or by social media platforms, and generate revenue primarily by delivering cost-effective online advertising. Constituents earn significant returns on invested capital due to their capital-light operations, though competition remains fierce. We expect most companies in this group to look substantially different 10 years from now than they do today. Overall, we’re neutral on the structure. We’ve optimized our tehnology coverage. To access the reports, please select here.

Alert — Chinese Stocks Hit the Skids

Image Source: Michael Vadon We don’t think US and China are anywhere close to any sort of meaningful trade agreement, regardless of what you hear from the White House. The latest move in this high-stakes trade war by the US may be to de-list Chinese stocks. This actually happening seems surreal given the implications on U.S. investors, but given weakness in US-listed Chinese names, the market is factoring in some probability of this occurring. By Brian Nelson, CFA On September 27, news hit the wires that indicated the White House is evaluating ways to curtail US investors’ “portfolio flows into China,” and that may include de-listing Chinese stocks on U.S. exchanges. Although the development comes amid the view that discussions … Read more

Valuentum Stock Screeners

This article was sent to members via email December 29. That email can be accessed at the link that follows this article. By Brian Nelson, CFA Hi everyone, I wanted to provide an update with respect to Valuentum’s stock screeners. We believe our stock screeners are among the most robust when it comes to providing forward-looking data, or data that is important with respect to the investment decision-making process. We publish screens in each of the monthly newsletters, but we also provide a basic weekly screener for download on the left column of the website, “Download Weekly Stock Screener (xls) — login required.”   We also have other products. The more robust DataScreener, for example, is part of the quarterly Financial … Read more

Market Mayhem — Alerts for Members

During these extremely volatile times, it’s important to stay focused. On December 15, we informed all of our members to “Pay Attention.” Shortly thereafter, we notified members of the potential for a stock market technical breakdown. This morning, we offered a pre-market briefing about the importance of thinking about portfolio protection. For Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter members: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?preview=true&m=1110817109903&ca=e2406cd6-c113-4344-8731-493f33fc44a4&id=preview For High Yield Dividend Newsletter members: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?preview=true&m=1110817109903&ca=b3ba530f-38b3-489a-ac96-2961dca89c6b&id=preview For Exclusive members: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?preview=true&m=1110817109903&ca=ba6d90c0-4433-48b2-9b8a-aac4ddf9006e&id=preview We’re here for any questions. Please just let us know how we can help! Kind regards, Brian Nelson, CFA  brian@valuentum.com

Intel Unveils Plans to Take on Heightened Competition

Image source: Intel analyst presentation Shares of simulated newsletter portfolios idea Intel have faced material selling pressure in mid-2018 as a result of a number of reports of increased competition from rivals, namely AMD. We’re not worried and still like the company’s valuation profile. By Kris Rosemann Chip-making giant Intel’s (INTC) delays in its 10-nanometer chip program have the market concerned over its position relative to rivals such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which is planning to launch its 7-nanometer chops in early 2019. Intel’s 10-nanometer are now not expected to be launched until late 2019 and likely won’t ship in material volume until 2020. Though the actual speed difference and overall performance between the two chips remain up for … Read more

Valuentum’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) Distribution

The weighted average cost of capital is one of the most subjective measures in corporate finance, but it is also one of the most important ones. “The most important item over time in valuation is obviously interest rates…If interest rates are destined to be at low levels…It makes any stream of earnings from investments worth more money. The bogey is always what government bonds yield….Any investment is worth all the cash you’re going to get out between now and judgment day discounted back. The discounting back is affected by whether you choose interests rates like those of Japan or interest rates like those we had in 1982…When we had 15 percent short-term rates in 1982, it was silly to pay … Read more