Philip Morris International Posts Solid Guidance, Cuts Costs

Image Shown: Excluding foreign currency headwinds, Philip Morris International Inc’s financials held up relatively well during the first half of 2020, all things considered with an eye towards the pandemic. Image Source: Philip Morris International Inc – Second Quarter of 2020 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan The ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic has severely stressed consumer spending in countries all over the globe, and that includes spending on cigarettes and other tobacco products. For a major tobacco company like Philip Morris International Inc (PM), this dynamic weighs negatively on its near-term outlook, though the company is well-positioned to ride out the storm for several reasons. We continue to like Philip Morris International as a holding in the High Yield Dividend … Read more

How to Think About Corporate Tax Reform

ICYMI — Video: Will Hasty Policy Facilitate the Next Leg Down, or Do We Have It Coming Anyway?

President of Investment Research and award-winning author of Value Trap: Theory of Universal Valuation Brian Nelson explains how US policymakers are stuck between a rock and a hard place, and how the market may be factoring in too high of a probability of a return to normalcy before 2021. This and more in the latest video report. Summary Make sure you review Value Trap on Amazon. Do so here. We think those that bought equities near the bottom of this swoon may be looking to take profits at present levels. The market is currently reflecting an 80%-85% probability of a return to normalcy before 2021, which we believe is too high at this time. Our main concern is that government … Read more

Philip Morris International Moving on Upwards

Image Shown: We increased the weighting in shares of Philip Morris International in the High Yield Newsletter portfolio back on November 18, 2019. Shares of PM have rallied aggressively off of their Fall 2019 lows through the middle of February 2020. By Callum Turcan One of our favorite high yield ideas out there is Philip Morris International Inc (PM), and please note we increased the weighting of shares of PM in our High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio (check out our HYDN here) back on November 18, 2019 (link here covering those portfolio changes), and our timing couldn’t have been better considering shares of PM have aggressively rallied since September 2019 through the middle of February 2020. There’s still room for … Read more

Philip Morris International is Ready to Ride Out the Storm

Image Source: Philip Morris International Inc – First Quarter of 2020 Earnings IR Presentation By Callum Turcan On April 21, High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio holding Philip Morris International Inc (PM) reported first-quarter earnings for 2020 which beat both top- and bottom-line consensus estimates. Shares of PM currently yield ~6.1% as of this writing, and we view that payout as well-covered given the resilience of Philip Morris International’s free cash flows and business model (demand for tobacco and tobacco products is inelastic), along with the firm’s ability to tap its revolving credit lines and potentially debt markets if needed. Management pulled the firm’s full-year guidance for 2020 and instead offered guidance for the second quarter, given the lack of clarity … Read more

Update: Frequently Asked Questions About Valuentum Securities, Inc.

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

Stock Market Outlook for 2021

By Valuentum Analysts February 8, 2021 2020 was one for the history books. We covered our thoughts and reflections on the past year in our “2020 Won’t Soon Be Forgotten” article (link here), and now we are looking towards the future. Global health authorities should be able to bring an end to the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic sooner than many had expected as several vaccines have already been improved for emergency use and several others appear increasingly likely to get approved. Global vaccine distribution activities are currently underway, and this should allow the world to slowly return to pre-pandemic activities. Before then, immense stimulus measures launched primarily in developed nations should support global economic activities until the public health crisis … Read more

There Is Milk At The Store

This article first appeared in the September edition of the High Yield Dividend Newsletter. For more information about this publication, please see here. “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” — Winston Churchill By Brian Nelson, CFA Very few of us could have imagined that we’d witness the bull market that began on that fateful day in March 2009 that might very well mark a generational low. In 2009, major investment banks around the globe were struggling to survive, and the fallout in the mortgage markets left the banks holding paper that nobody wanted to own, let alone buy. The global financial system … Read more

Philip Morris’ Transformation Continues

Image Shown: Philip Morris International Inc’s IQOS offering, a heated tobacco unit product (also classified as a “reduced risk product” by the company) that seeks to replicate the experience of traditional cigarettes for smokers in a bid to get those users to switch over to an offering the company views as relatively “safer,” has continued to post solid user base growth of late. We are big fans of Philip Morris and its ongoing transformation and include shares of PM as an idea in the High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio. Image Source: Philip Morris International Inc – Second Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan On July 20, the company behind the Marlboro cigarette brand (excluding sales of the … Read more

What Really Is the “S” in ESG Investing

By Valuentum Analysts Back in October, we explored “Putting the Environmental in ESG” investing. In this article, let’s dig deep into the second consideration of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing — “Social.” While there has been greater attention paid to the social impact of companies in recent years–from the industries they operate in to the ways they impact their communities–this concept is definitely not a new trend. Investors have always cared about the impact of the companies they invest in. In the past, this idea has been encapsulated in the phrase Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), which is essentially the practice of seeking out companies that have a positive social impact on society. Some even put the earliest origins of … Read more