Top-Weighted Visa Leaps to Mid-$160s, More Earnings Reports

Top-Weighted Visa Leaps to Mid-$160s, More Reports Image: Visa (V) has been the top-weighted idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter for as long as we can remember. In December 2017, when we migrated to weighting ranges for ideas in the newsletter portfolio, the company’s “weight” was 8.6%. The image above shows its performance relative to the S&P 500 (SPY) since then. Source (pdf). — In alphabetical order by ticker symbol: GOOG, LLY, GE, GM, IR, LL, MA, MCD, MRK, PFE, TXRH, WDC — Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL): Shares of Alphabet, the parent of Google, reported first-quarter performance April 29 that may have revealed weakness in the revenue story at the search giant. The miss was rather large on the top line during the quarter, but … Read more

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

Qualcomm’s Growth Trajectory Is Impressive and Supported by Numerous Secular Trends

Image Source: Qualcomm Inc – 2019 Analyst Day Presentation By Callum Turcan There is a lot to like about Qualcomm Inc (QCOM), especially after the company reached a truce with Apple Inc (AAPL) in 2019 and resolved a dispute with China’s Huawei in 2020. Both agreements involved Qualcomm signing long-term licensing deals with those companies. The firm has a dominant position in cellular 5G modem and radio frequency (‘RF’) technology, and we don’t expect this lucrative industry position to change anytime soon. Qualcomm is a holding in Valuentum’s Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio thanks to its strong competitive advantages, healthy balance sheet, asset-light operations, considerable free cash flow generating capacity, and of course, its long-term dividend growth potential. Qualcomm’s shares yield ~1.8% at … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of May 2

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending May 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                          American International Group (AIG): now $0.45 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.40. American Water Works (AWK): now $0.8275 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.7650. Apple (AAPL): now $0.26 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.25. Apollo Global Management (APO): now $0.51 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.46. Atkore (ATKR): now $0.33 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.32. Bachem Holding AG (BCHMF): now CHF 0.85 per … Read more

Valuentum: Now Bearish, We’ve Been Here Every Step of the Way

Valuentum Has Been Here Every Step of the Way   From the COVID-19 top in February 2020 to the COVID-19 bottom to the massive bull run through the end of 2021, we’ve been here for you.    2022 started out to be a rough year, catching many by surprise.   But Valuentum stayed positive. When the markets headed south in June, Valuentum stood its ground. On June 14, Valuentum said that “we still believe stocks could make a “huge rebound” in the near term.   We reiterated our views a few days later and on June 19, we said that “investors shouldn’t panic during this bear market” and that “stocks remain an attractive proposition at the moment and a very attractive consideration … 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

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

The Best Years Are Ahead

By Brian Nelson, CFA — The wind is at our backs. — The Federal Reserve, Treasury, and regulatory bodies of the U.S. may have no choice but to keep U.S. markets moving higher. The likelihood of the S&P 500 reaching 2,000 ever again seems remote, and I would not be surprised to see 5,000 on the S&P 500 before we see 2,500-3,000, if the latter may be in the cards. The S&P 500 is trading at ~4,100 at the time of this writing. — The high end of our fair value range on the S&P 500 remains just shy of 4,000, but I foresee a massive shift in long-term capital out of traditional bonds into equities this decade (and markets … Read more