Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Jan 25, 2022

Johnson & Johnson’s Pending Split-Up, Talc Liabilities, New CEO Add Complexity to a Once-Clean Dividend Growth Story
Image Shown: J&J continues to face legal liabilities due to talcum powder lawsuits. Image Source: Mike Mozart. We prefer simple dividend growth stories. Unfortunately, J&J is no longer one of them. A split of Johnson & Johnson’s consumer products division from its medical device and pharma divisions in the next 18-24 months means that dividend growth investors will have added complexity as a new CEO takes the helm, all the while the board manages its growing talc liabilities during a global pandemic. Shares of J&J haven’t been as strong a performer as other stocks on the market the past five years, but we still like its firm foundation and nice combination of dividend yield and potential dividend growth for now. That may change in the coming months to years, however.

Jan 20, 2022

Dividend Growth Idea UnitedHealth’s Growth Story Expected to Continue
Image Shown: Shares of dividend growth idea UnitedHealth Group Inc have surged higher over the past year. The company put up solid performance in 2021 and its guidance for 2022 indicates that its growth trajectory is expected to continue. On January 19, UnitedHealth Group reported fourth-quarter 2021 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. The company’s health insurance business is covered by its ‘UnitedHealthcare’ segment, and its health care provider business is covered by its ‘Optum’ segment. Virtually all of the firm’s revenues come from the U.S. It also reaffirmed its guidance for 2022 in its fourth-quarter earnings report. We continue to be impressed with UnitedHealth and include shares of UNH as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. Shares of UNH yield ~1.3% as of this writing.

Dec 3, 2021

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week December 3
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.

Dec 2, 2021

Best Idea Vertex Pharma Boosts Guidance (Again), Buying Back Stock While Awaiting Key Clinical Trials
Image Shown: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc is one of our favorite biotech ideas. Image Source: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc – Third Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation. Vertex Pharma has a robust drug pipeline, though all eyes are on its potential CTX001 treatment. Should the treatment receive the green light from key healthcare regulators, Vertex Pharma’s financial performance would benefit from a major growth catalyst. In the meantime, we think it is prudent for Vertex Pharma to continue leveraging its financial strength to repurchase sizable chunks of its stock. We like Vertex Pharma as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.

Oct 21, 2021

Johnson & Johnson Boosts Guidance Again, Posts Great Earnings Update
Image Shown: Johnson & Johnson reported strong performance across its three core business operating segments in the third quarter of fiscal 2021. Image Source: Johnson & Johnson – Third Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Earnings Presentation. On October 19, Johnson & Johnson reported third quarter earnings for fiscal 2021 (period ended around the end of September 2021) that missed consensus top-line estimates but beat consensus bottom-line estimates. The healthcare giant also raised its full-year guidance (again) for fiscal 2021 as its ‘Pharmaceutical’ segment is growing at a robust pace, its ‘Medical Device’ segment is steadily recovering from the worst of the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, and its ‘Consumer Health’ segment is holding up well. We continue to like Johnson & Johnson as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio.

Oct 18, 2021

Dividend Growth Idea UnitedHealth Group Beats Estimates, Raises Guidance (Again)
Image Shown: Shares of dividend growth idea UnitedHealth Group Inc moved higher in the wake of its latest earnings report and guidance boost. On October 14, the health insurance and health care services provider giant UnitedHealth Group reported third-quarter 2021 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. The company also raised its full-year earnings guidance (again) for 2021 in conjunction with its latest earnings report, boosting its EPS forecast to $17.70-$17.95 and its non-GAAP adjusted EPS forecast to $18.65-$18.90. Shares of UNH are included as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio as we are enormous fans of its fortress-like balance sheet and ability to generate free cash flows in almost any operating environment. As of this writing, shares of UNH yield ~1.4%.

Aug 31, 2021

Best Idea Vertex Pharma Marching Forward with Innovative CRISPR Technology
Image Shown: An overview of Vertex Pharmaceuticals commercialized drug portfolio and pipeline. Image Source: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc – Second Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation. The world of medicine and therapeutics continues to evolve, with gene editing CRISPR technology offering the medical community an immense source of potential life-saving therapies over the years and decades to come. Vertex Pharma is well-positioned to capitalize on any potential CRISPR technology breakthroughs, and we continue to like shares of VRTX as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Should the company's experimental gene-editing therapy CTX001 get commercialized, that would provide Vertex Pharma with an incredibly powerful growth catalyst, complementing its existing portfolio of commercialized drugs that treat cystic fibrosis (‘CF’).

Jul 22, 2021

Johnson & Johnson Beats Estimates, Raises Guidance Once Again
Image Source: Johnson & Johnson – Second Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation. On July 21, Johnson & Johnson reported second-quarter 2021 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. The company (once again) boosted its full-year guidance in conjunction with its latest earnings update as Johnson & Johnson’s business is steadily rebounding from the worst of the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic, with an eye towards the ongoing recovery in the sales of its medical devices and related offerings. We include shares of JNJ as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios. Its latest earnings report and guidance boost reinforced our favorable view towards the name. Shares of JNJ yield ~2.5% as of this writing, and the top end of our recently updated fair value estimate range sits at $206 per share of Johnson & Johnson, well above where shares are trading at as of this writing.

Jul 16, 2021

Dividend Growth Idea UnitedHealth Group Surges Towards All-Time Highs After Stellar Earnings Update, Guidance Boost
Image Shown: Shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc, an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, are trading near their all-time highs as of this writing after the firm reported a stellar second quarter 2021 earnings report. In conjunction with its latest earnings report, UnitedHealth Group once again raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance for 2021. We continue to be huge fans of the name. We are enormous fans of UnitedHealth Group, and the healthcare giant has not disappointed since we added shares of UNH as an idea to the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio back on November 27, 2020. Shares of UNH are up 26% from November 27 to July 15, outperforming the 20% gain seen at the S&P 500 during this period before considering dividend considerations (which would not change this picture much). The company’s balance sheet is pristine, its free cash flow generating abilities are simply stellar, and its growth outlook is incredibly bright. Recent guidance increases highlight management’s confidence that UnitedHealth Group is steadily recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping in mind that the resumption of elective surgeries and other heath service activities during the second half of this year will create temporary headwinds for the firm. Heading into 2022, UnitedHealth Group sees its various businesses having ample momentum, and the company’s growth outlook over the long haul is incredibly promising. We like UnitedHealth Group as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio.

Jun 21, 2021

Dividend Growth Idea UnitedHealth Group Boosts Payout
Image Shown: We include UnitedHealth Group Inc as an idea in our Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. The health care giant recently boosted its quarterly payout by 16% on a sequential basis. Recently, the US-based health care insurance, services, and solutions provider UnitedHealth Group boosted its quarterly dividend by 16% to $1.45 per share or $5.80 on an annualized basis. On a forward-looking basis, shares of UNH yield ~1.5% as of this writing. We include UnitedHealth Group as an idea in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio as its forward-looking dividend coverage is rock-solid.