TCF

The “Luck” and “Randomness” of Index Funds

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Please select the image below to download the document. Image shown, page 1 of 14. Tickerized for Valuentum’s coverage universe.

Discount Rates, Growth Rates, and “Skin in the Game”

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In episode 18 of his video series “Off the Cuff,” President of Investment Research Brian Nelson talks about why it is so important for you to learn the discounted cash-flow model and how to think about discount rates and growth rates within it. He also provides a few perspectives on the concept of “skin in the game,” and the areas where it might be good and the areas where it might be bad. Running time: ~12 minutes.

The Fed’s Dislocation and Too Few Stocks?

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President of Investment Research Brian Nelson talks about how central banks may be pushing savers into riskier assets than what might otherwise be warranted by their risk profiles, how interest rates should be viewed within the valuation context, and whether too few stocks to invest in is driving a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ dynamic. A discussion about the severe limitations of the price-to-earnings ratio is included. Running time: ~14 minutes.

Bank Valuations and We’re All Market Timers?

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President of Investment Research Brian Nelson dives into questions about why an enterprise free cash flow model is not used for banking and insurance entities, and offers up the idea that we all might be market timers. What do you think? Running time: ~14 minutes.

US Congress Is Getting Ready to Pass a Massive ~$2.2 Trillion Fiscal Stimulus Bill

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Image Shown: US equities have started to recover some of their lost ground as the likelihood that the US Congress will pass a massive ~$2.2 trillion fiscal stimulus and emergency spending package, dubbed the CARES Act, has increased significantly over the past week as seen through the bounce in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). President Trump has clearly indicated that he intends to sign such a bill into law as soon as possible, with the US House of Representatives expected to take up the legislation this upcoming Friday morning on March 27. By Callum Turcan On March 25, the US Senate worked late into the night to secure a bipartisan compromise on a massive ~$2.2 trillion fiscal stimulus … Read more

American Express Carries Meaningful Credit Risk

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Image Source: American Express Company – First Quarter of 2020 Earnings IR Presentation By Callum Turcan At Valuentum, we are very bullish on the growth trajectory of high-quality payment processing, payment solutions, and financial technology firms. That’s why we include PayPal Holdings Inc (PYPL) and Visa Inc (V) as top-weighted holdings in our Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. However, please note that what makes those firms appealing is the limited or lack of exposure to credit risk. Visa carries no credit risk and generates revenues through fees collected on transactions conducted with Visa-branded cards, and while PayPal possesses some credit risk, that risk is rather small relative to its overall business. Both firms enable investors to capitalize on the shift to … Read more

Update: Frequently Asked Questions About Valuentum Securities, Inc.

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What is Valuentum Securities? Valuentum (val∙u∙n∙tum) [val-yoo-en-tuh-m] Securities Inc. is an independent investment research publisher, offering premium equity reports and dividend reports, as well as commentary across all sectors/companies, a Best Ideas Newsletter (spanning market caps, asset classes), a Dividend Growth Newsletter, modeling tools/products, and more. Independence and integrity remain our core, and we strive to be a champion of the investor. Valuentum is based in the Chicagoland area. Valuentum is not a money manager, broker, or financial advisor. Valuentum is a publisher of financial information. How do I subscribe to Valuentum’s investment research services? 1)    Click the following link: signup-page. 2)    Select your membership plan. 3)    Enter your contact details. 4)    Click ‘Sign Up.’ 5)    Complete your purchase. 6)   Your payment profile may be recurring, so please check … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending February 2

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised or lowered their dividends during the week ending February 2. 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 1st Source (SRCE): now $0.22 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. AFLAC (AFL): now $0.52 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.45. Amtek (AME): now $0.14 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.09. Andeavor Logistics (ANDX): now $1.00 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.9852. Apartment Investment (AIV): now $0.38 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.36. AvalonBay Communities (AVB): now $1.47 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.42. … Read more

Primer on the Banking Sector: Where Are We in the Cycle?

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Image Source: GotCredit Three of our favorite banks are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and US Bancorp. These are three very high-quality institutions which are also very well managed. They all benefit from cultures that encourage the right kind of risk/reward thinking. If these equities start to trade at a meaningful discount to our fair value estimates, they may be are worth considering as long-term investments, in our view. Summary We’ll talk about how banks make money, and the three most important costs of running a bank. The Great Financial Crisis revealed the tremendous risks of banking equities, and we’ll walk through these in depth. We’ll discuss how to conceptualize where we are in the banking cycle, and how that … Read more