Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

Symbol Keyword

Feb 2, 2024

Earnings Roundup: ABBV, CVX, NYCB, XOM
Image: Unrealized losses continue to mount for banking entities due to the Fed's rate-hiking cycle. "Unrealized losses on securities totaled $683.9 billion in third quarter, up $125.5 billion (22.5 percent) from the prior quarter, primarily due to an increase in mortgage rates that reduced the value of mortgagebacked securities. Unrealized losses on held-to-maturity securities totaled $390.5 billion in the third quarter, while unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities totaled $293.5 billion." -- Image Source: FDIC Quarterly.AbbVie is facing pressure from declining sales of Humira, but the company's long-term outlook looks fine to us bolstered by promising growth of Skyrizi and Rinvoq. Chevron put up mixed fourth-quarter 2023 results, but its free cash flow easily covers its dividend payout. We've grown cautious on Chevron due to its deal making, however. New York Community Bancorp is provisioning for greater credit losses, while its net interest margin is under pressure. The bank recently slashed its payout, and we continue to reiterate why we don't like the dividends of banking firms. Exxon Mobil put up an excellent 2023, and while the firm's dividend is in great shape, we no longer are pursuing new energy-related ideas in the newsletter portfolios at this time.

Feb 2, 2024

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of February 2
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Feb 2, 2024

Big Cap Tech and Large Cap Growth Continue to Lead Market Higher
Image Source: Marco Pakoeningrat. We continue to like the areas of big cap tech and large cap growth as the top firms in these areas have strong cash-based sources of intrinsic value: net cash on the balance sheet and strong expected future free cash flow generation. After the close February 1, the market received the quarterly earnings reports from Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Apple, and we were pleased by the trio’s performance during the calendar fourth quarter. We maintain our long-held view that big cap tech and large cap growth will continue to lead the market higher, and we continue to overweight these areas in the newsletter portfolios.

Jan 28, 2024

14%+ Yielding AGNC Investment May Be Worth a Trade
Image: AGNC Investment has managed to level out its dividend payments following a few years of dividend cuts. We’ve never been fans of the mortgage REIT arena, but some stabilization in the marketplace is likely to be expected, allowing a window for investors to generate what could be a very nice dividend yield on an otherwise very risky, leveraged area. As of the end of last year, AGNC Investment Corp. ended the year with $8.70 in tangible net book value, which increased 7.7% from September. Though the stock trades at a slight premium to its tangible net book value at the time of this writing, management’s positive commentary indicates to us that tangible book value may be poised to rise nicely given a more sanguine backdrop. AGNC Investment Corp. is not for long-term investors, but with its 14%+ dividend yield, the stock could make for a very nice high yield dividend income trade, in our view.

Jan 28, 2024

Earnings Roundup: V, INTC, HUM, PYPL
Image: Visa’s operating margins are phenomenal. Image Source: Visa. Visa's first-quarter fiscal 2024 results were solid, and the firm noted that consumer spending remains resilient, paving the way for what we think will be a strong year. Intel's outlook for 2024 left a lot to be desired, and its balance sheet coupled with free cash flow burn should give more conservative investors pause. Humana's earnings outlook for 2024 spoke of considerable cost pressures, and we think this is yet another data point that the near term will be difficult for many health insurers as pent-up demand for procedures delayed during the pandemic begin to materialize. PayPal's stock remains in the dog house, and while its recently-announced innovations are great, consumer sentiment remains poor on the name.

Jan 25, 2024

Earnings Roundup: TSLA, NEE, IBM, CMCSA, NOW
Image: The Model Y was the best-selling vehicle globally in 2023. Image Source: Tesla. Tesla missed fourth-quarter results, and while the firm continues to generate robust free cash flow with a solid net cash position, uncertainty surrounding the name looms. NextEra makes the cut for ESG investors, and its earnings outlook for the next few years remains robust, even if its dividend growth may slow. IBM is back in growth mode, and the firm is looking to capitalize on watsonx and generative AI. Comcast has a lot of things going for it, and the firm's robust free cash flow generation suggests that future dividend growth will be robust, despite its lofty net debt position. ServiceNow continues to deliver for investors, and it continues to grow at a robust pace.

Jan 24, 2024

Earnings Roundup: NFLX, ASML, T, ABT
Image: Netflix’s substantially improved free cash flow has made it a clear winner in the streaming wars. Image Source: Netflix. Netflix has won the streaming wars and continues to throw off material free cash flow as it lands incremental deals, the latest for WWE Raw. ASML is one of the most prolific innovators in the semiconductor industry, and its quarterly net bookings in the fourth quarter reveal an exciting future, even as revenue is forecast to be flat in 2024. AT&T's earnings outlook for 2024 disappointed, and rising capital spending will pressure free cash flow in 2024. Dividend King Abbott Labs continues to drive strong organic growth rates, exclusive of COVID-19 related weakness, and we expect years of future dividend growth at the company.

Jan 23, 2024

Earnings Roundup: LMT, PG, MMM, GE, JNJ, VZ
Lockheed Martin's backlog hits a new high. Procter & Gamble's gross margin surprises to the upside. 3M's bottom-line outlook for 2024 came in lower than expectations. We're excited about GE's split into two companies this year and are positive on GE Aerospace. Johnson & Johnson reaffirmed its outlook for 2024, while Verizon's free cash flow continues to improve.

Jan 13, 2024

FedEx’s ESG Initiatives Are Refreshing Reminder of Great Companies Doing Things Right
Image Source: FedEx 2023 ESG Report. FedEx’s revenue outlook for the remainder of fiscal 2024 wasn’t great, and while the company is a key input to assessing the health of the U.S. economy, we’re not reading too much into the weakness. We find that FedEx is doing a great job with respect to its ESG initiatives across the board, and while we won’t be adding it to any newsletter portfolio at this time, the company’s efforts with respect to ESG are a refreshing reminder of the companies in our coverage universe that are doing things right.

Jan 12, 2024

UnitedHealth Group Still a Free-Cash-Flow Generating Machine
Image: UnitedHealth Group continues to drive strong revenue and operating earnings performance. Image Source: UnitedHealth Group. On January 12, healthcare benefits provider UnitedHealth Group reported strong fourth-quarter 2023 results that showed revenue advancing 14% on a year-over-year basis thanks to strength at its UnitedHealthcare and Optum divisions, while earnings from operations advanced 11.6%. UnitedHealth is facing some temporary cost pressures in its business due to pent-up demand for discretionary procedures following the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but its net margin held up fine in the period, coming in at 5.8%, the same level a year ago. Management reaffirmed its previously-issued 2024 guidance, and we continue to like UnitedHealth Group as a key weighting in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Shares yield ~1.4% at the time of this writing.