Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Aug 13, 2021

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week August 13
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.

Jul 22, 2021

Best Idea Chipotle Rockets Higher!
Image Shown: We include Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc an as idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. On July 21, shares of CMG surged higher after the firm reported a stellar earnings report after the market close on July 20. In our April 2021 article covering the company, we highlighted how Chipotle’s management team sees room for the firm to more than double its restaurant unit count in the coming years. Chipotle’s growth runway is immense. The company’s second-quarter earnings report was stellar, and the market continues to warm up to Chipotle’s promising long-term growth story. We are big fans of Chipotle and expect that the firm’s free cash flows will continue to grow at a steady clip over the coming years.

Jun 8, 2021

News Round Up and Some Answers
Image Shown: Wendy's is the latest stock to be swept away by the meme-stock craze, providing further evidence that 1) markets are inefficient and 2) prices and returns are based on future expectations that may be realized or not. We continue to witness extremely volatile trading in "meme" stocks, including AMC Entertainment and GameStop but the crowd has now moved into restaurants of late, centering on Wendy’s, which soared to an all-time high as a result of positive mentions on the Reddit platform. We think price-agnostic trading--trading that does not pay attention to the underlying value of the security--will create tremendous problems for the financial markets, if not curbed. In the meantime, we continue to watch with a cautious eye. You should, too.

Jun 1, 2021

ICYMI -- Video: Exclusive 2020 -- Furthering the Financial Discipline
In this 40+ minute video jam-packed with must-watch content, Valuentum's President Brian Nelson talks about the Theory of Universal Valuation and how his work is furthering the financial discipline. Learn the pitfalls of factor investing and modern portfolio theory and how the efficient markets hypothesis holds little substance in the wake of COVID-19. He'll talk about what companies Valuentum likes and why, and which areas he's avoiding. This and more in Valuentum's 2020 Exclusive conference call.

May 14, 2021

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week May 14
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.

Mar 10, 2021

Chipotle Improving Its Digital Menu to Support Its E-commerce Growth Runway
Image Shown: Over the past year, shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc have been on an upward tear, supported by the restaurant’s improving omni-channel selling capabilities. Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill surged higher during normal trading hours March 9 after the firm announced it was adding customizable quesadilla offerings to its digital menu in the US and Canada starting March 11. This offering is only available for customers ordering while using Chipotle’s digital platforms (potentially due to the longer preparation times) and will likely require new cooking equipment at the company’s restaurants. The company offers both home delivery and curbside/drive-thru pickup services (including its order ahead and pickup services) through its digital platform. We continue to be huge fans of Chipotle and include the company as an idea in our Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.

Feb 26, 2021

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week February 26
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.

Feb 8, 2021

Stock Market Outlook for 2021
2020 was one from the history books and a year that will live on in infamy. That said, we are excited for the future as global health authorities are steadily putting an end to the public health crisis created by COVID-19, aided by the quick discovery of safe and viable vaccines. Tech, fintech, and payment processing firms were all big winners in 2020, and we expect that to continue being the case in 2021. Digital advertising, cloud-computing, and e-commerce activities are set to continue dominating their respective fields. Cybersecurity demand is moving higher and the constant threats posed by both governments (usually nations that are hostile to Western interests) and non-state actors highlights how crucial these services are. Retailers with omni-channel selling capabilities are well-positioned to ride the global economic recovery upwards. Green energy firms will continue to grow at a brisk pace in 2021, though the oil & gas industry appears ready for a comeback. The adoption of 5G wireless technologies and smartphones will create immense growth opportunities for smartphone makers, semiconductor players and telecommunications giants. Video streaming services have become ubiquitous over the past decade with room to continue growing as households “cut the cord” and instead opt for several video streaming packages. We’re not too big of fans of old industrial names given their capital-intensive nature relative to capital-light technology or fintech, but there are select names that have appeal. Cryptocurrencies have taken the market by storm as we turn the calendar into 2021, but the traditional banking system remains healthy enough to withstand another shock should it be on the horizon. Our fair value estimate of the S&P 500 remains $3,530-$3,920, but we may still be on a roller coaster ride for the year. Here’s to a great 2021!

Jan 29, 2021

More Earnings Reports: BA, CMCSA, MCD
Image Shown: Though the past year has been brutal for the commercial airliner and aerospace industries, and it will continue to be rough sledding in the near term, Boeing is optimistic that within a few years passenger traffic will return to pre-pandemic levels and resume its growth trajectory thereafter. Image Source: Boeing Company – Fourth Quarter of 2020 IR Earnings Presentation. We are continuing with our coverage of key earnings reports. Ongoing vaccine distribution activities should help global health authorities bring the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic under control, though risks remain as new variants of the virus are popping up all over the place (and then spreading aggressively). In this article, we cover the recent earnings reports from Boeing, Comcast, and McDonald's.

Jan 7, 2021

Chicken Sandwich Wars Heating Up In the US
Image Shown: Rivals in the quick-service restaurant space are aggressively competing for share in the fast-growing premium chicken sandwich category following Popeyes' considerable success. Source: Images/logos property of the respective companies. Nothing has been the same in the fast-food industry since Popeyes launched its first nationwide chicken sandwich August 12, 2019. The release of the delicious chicken sandwich from the company named after Gene Hackman's character Popeye Doyle in the 1971 film The French Connection may even have changed the fast-food industry as we know it. Popeyes' "tender all-white meat chicken breast fillet, marinated in (its) authentic blend of Louisiana seasonings, then hand battered and breaded in (its) all new buttermilk coating...served with crisp barrel cured pickles and Classic or Spicy Mayonnaise, served on a warm and toasted buttery brioche bun" has been driving the taste buds of customers wild. Just writing this has made us hungry for one, and rivals haven't been sitting quietly in light of the success of Popeyes' new creation. Who can forget the infamous Popeyes and Chick-fil-A feud on Twitter that caught customers' attention, and even Wendy's couldn't resist jumping into the ring. There's clearly a lot at stake.