Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Dec 1, 2017

Shopping for Income Within Retail in a Digital World
Image Source: Mike Mozart. The 2017 holiday shopping season has shown that e-commerce has never been stronger and it will only continue to grow. But there is still potential for income generation among more traditional retailers. Investors must be tremendously discerning in the retail area, however, as margin, and ultimately free cash flow, pressures remain prevalent. We like Walmart, Target, Costco as income ideas in the broader retail space, but TJX Companies and Best Buy may be worth a look, too. We're avoiding the department stores and teen retail like the plague, regardless of their Dividend Cushion ratios.

Dec 1, 2017

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending December 1
Let's take a look at companies raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Nov 19, 2017

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 17
Let's take a look at companies raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Nov 10, 2017

Qualcomm Surges to Fair Value on Broadcom Offer
Shares of Qualcomm have faced meaningful pressure for the majority of 2017 as it deals with a legal battle with Apple, but the stock has rallied after Broadcom offered the firm a deal worth $70 per share in cash and stock.

Nov 10, 2017

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 10
Let's take a look at companies raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Nov 3, 2017

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 3
Let's take a look at companies raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Oct 29, 2017

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending October 27
Let's take a look at companies raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Oct 27, 2017

Analysis of Aspen Technology (AZPN) and IPG Photonics (IPGP)
Image Source: Aspen Tech. Aspen Technology helps some of the most capital-intensive industries optimize asset performance via process modeling, big data machine learning, and analytics, and its very own asset-light operations help it generate impressive levels of free cash flow. Shares aren’t cheap, however (it is trading above our fair value estimate range), and current price levels imply one hefty price-to-earnings ratio. Still, it’s hard not to like Aspen Technology’s high-ROIC business model, with the company garnering one of the highest Economic Castle ratings in our coverage. IPG Photonics is home to an impressive portfolio of high-performance fiber lasers and similar technologies that are used in materials processing, advanced communications, and medical applications--areas and applications that are expected to experience strong growth in coming years. We think IPG Photonics’ degree of vertical integration, IP portfolio, and process expertise offer it a number of competitive advantages. The company boasts a GAAP operating margin in the mid-30s and has generated impressive free cash flow expansion in recent years, but shares aren’t cheap either (it is trading at the high end of our fair value estimate range). Customer concentration and expansion into unproven markets add a layer of risk.

Oct 25, 2017

Does Visa Ever Disappoint?
Image Source: Visa. The credit card company's stock hit an all-time high on the trading session October 25. We continue to be huge fans of the company’s fundamentals.

Oct 24, 2017

Bellwethers Drive Dow Jones Past 23,450 – Cheers!
Image: The stock market is partying like it's 1999 or 1929, or 1987. You pick. Cheers! Creative Commons, Ruth Hartnup. The market is reacting positively to calendar third-quarter earnings reports during the trading session October 24, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has now surpassed 23,450+. The rally in US equities ensues. Stocks mentioned in this note: General Motors, McDonald’s, and Caterpillar.