XBT

Protectionists Gaining Control, Implications on Europe and China

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It looks like the US-imposed tariffs are moving forward, and we’re starting to hear chatter about retaliation from Europe. Canada and Mexico may be exempt from the tariffs, however. By Kris Rosemann Mr. Market reacted unfavorably to President Trump’s top economic advisor Gary Cohn’s resignation announcement March 7, as Cohn was seen as a voice for Wall Street in the White House. Though the reaction may be short-lived, fears of the implications of increasing control from protectionists probably shouldn’t be ignored, and the probability of a trade war, particularly with China (FXI, MCHI) and with Europe, presumably moves higher with Cohn’s exit. Canada (EWC) and Mexico (EWW) may be exempt from the tariffs, however. The European Union is already reportedly … Read more

Hasbro, Boeing Pop as Market Bounces Back

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Image Source: US Missile Defense Agency. June 22, 2014 – The Missile Defense Agency’s Flight Test 06b Ground-Based Interceptor launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on June 22, 2014. The markets have finally been getting the volatility that we’ve all been waiting for, and we don’t like the idea that the market is now trading more like a cryptocurrency. Granted, it’s important to stay focused over a long-term time horizon, which irons out the ups and downs, but there’s just something about 1,000+ daily swings on the Dow Jones Industrial Average that really doesn’t sit well with us, regardless of what that implies with respect to the percentage change. Can you imagine — All of this over just a … Read more

Newsletter Portfolio Idea GM Powers Higher, Markets Calm Down…a Bit

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The US markets still faced quite a bit of volatility during the trading session February 6, but it wasn’t anything compared to the bloodbath from Groundhog Day and the subsequent Monday. We can only hope that the worst has passed, but it probably hasn’t. By Kris Rosemann and Brian Nelson, CFA After overnight fears February 5/6 of a significant drop at the stock-market open–the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) had been indicated down as much as 1,000 points at one point–stocks jumped between positive and negative during the trading session February 6, and the last 24-48 hours have seen more than its fair share of volatility. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) rose above 50 for the first time since August … Read more

The Sell Off February 5 Remains Minimal Compared to the Gains of Past Years

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Image shown: The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) share price performance since mid-2009. The pullback the past few days hasn’t amounted to much, but it has caught the attention of investors.   Recent equity market price declines don’t add up to much compared to the huge gains of recent years. Typical bear markets result in the evaporation of nearly 40% of investor wealth, on average. By Kris Rosemann and Brian Nelson, CFA The recent sell-off in equities accelerated in the trading session February 5 as concerns regarding an uptick in inflation (embedded in discount rates within valuation frameworks) and potentially materially tightening monetary policy in the US are weighing on investors’ minds. When the dust finally settled at … Read more

Boeing!

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Image shown: Boeing’s shares have been rocketing higher of late!  We couldn’t be more pleased with how one of our best ideas for consideration has performed: Boeing! By Kris Rosemann Dividend Gowth Newsletter portfolio idea Boeing (BA) continues its tremendous share-price run of late, hitting all-time highs following its earnings report before market open January 31. The aerospace giant turned in 9% revenue growth on a year-over-year basis, while GAAP earnings per share doubled from the year-ago period to $5.18. Free cash flow remained robust in the full-year 2017, advancing to ~$11.6 billion from ~$7.9 billion in 2016. The company expects operating cash flow to climb to ~$15 billion in 2018 (up from $13.3 billion in 2017), and its revenue … Read more

Bioverativ’s Takeout, Visa’s Surge, and General Electric’s Pain

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From Bioverativ’s takeout to Visa’s stock price surge to General Electric’s continued pain, there’s a lot going on in the stock market. Let’s cover some ground. By Kris Rosemann and Brian Nelson, CFA It’s hard to believe this but our best idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, Visa (V), is now a $124+ per share stock. We know how to pick ‘em, would you say? We don’t get everything correct, of course, but if you’ve read anything on our website, we can only hope that you’ve witnessed Visa’s meteoric rise. The high end of our updated fair value estimate range for Visa is north of $130 per share. What a wild ride it has been, to say the least, … Read more

Hanesbrands Leaps, IBM Falters and More

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We were pleased to see the recent performance of Hanesbrands, and we continue to think IBM is not yet out of the woods, despite some life with respect to revenue trends. Let’s cover this and more. By Kris Rosemann There are a lot of things happening in the markets these days. For starters, growth in the world’s second-largest economy accelerated for the first time in seven years as China’s reported growth of 6.9% in 2017 was slightly higher than the 6.7% it achieved in 2016 and the projected growth rate for 2017 of ~6.5%. However, many observers are anticipating a return to the slowing trends of years past as the Chinese government works to reduce risky lending in areas such … Read more

2018 Starts Out with a Bang!

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Image Shown: An ETF that measures momentum (MTUM) has done considerably better than the S&P 500 since the beginning of 2017. Among its top 5 holdings are Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Boeing (BA)—newsletter holdings that have had excellent value characteristics along the way. Visa (V) is also included in its top 10 holdings.

Even some the most bullish and optimistic investors have been surprised by the resiliency of today’s market environment. Why does it seem appropriate to remind members that the stock market doesn’t always go straight up with almost no volatility?

Nelson: Is Visa the Best Company Ever?

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Image Source: Visa’s fiscal fourth-quarter 2017 earnings slide deck. 

Visa’s business model is phenomenal and its competitive advantages among the best in the world. The company’s free cash flow generation is remarkable, and it alone covers its cash dividend payment by more than 5 times. There are few companies with higher levels of profitability than Visa’s, and even fewer that also have as strong of growth potential. The company’s valuation is starting to get a little stretched, but it has the free-cash-flow generation to grow into it.

Video: North Korea, Indexing, and ETFs

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President of Investment Research Brian Nelson talks about the non-zero probability of nuclear war, lofty equity market valuations, the impact of ultra-low interest rates, the Bitcoin phenomenon, the importance of paying attention to financial adviser fees, as well as the pitfalls when it comes to assigning styles to ETFs. Running time: ~11 minutes. Aerospace & Defense – Prime: BA, FLIR, GD, LLL, LMT, NOC, RTN Banks – Regional and Asset Management: AB, AINV, AMP, ARCC, BCH, BEN, BGCP, BKU, BLK, BMO, BNS, CM, FSIC, ISBC, KKR, LAZ, LM, MAIN, MTB, NABZY, NYB, OCN, PBCT, PFG, PSEC, RY, SBNY, SBSI, STT, TCAP, TD, VLY, WBK  Banks & Money Centers: AXP, BAC, BBT, BK, C, DFS, FITB, GS, HBC, JPM, KEY, MS, NTRS, PNC, … Read more