Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Feb 28, 2024

Republic Services Issues Solid Guidance for 2024
Image Source: Republic Services.  Republic Services is one of our favorite industrial entities. The company has valuable property in the form of disposal facilities, and its collection operations, while always facing a competitive environment, are essential services, making its business relatively recession-resistant. Republic Services is also a strong cash-flow generator. During 2023, for example, the garbage hauler generated cash flow from operations of ~$3.618 billion (was $3.19 billion in 2022) and adjusted free cash flow of ~$1.985 billion (was $1.742 billion in 2022). The company’s cash dividends paid were $638.1 million and $592.9 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively, so Republic Services is doing a great job covering its payout with traditional measures of free cash flow.

Feb 27, 2024

Berkshire Hathaway Caps Off Strong Year of Operating Earnings Growth
Image: Berkshire’s operating earnings experienced a strong advance during 2023 from last year’s levels. On February 24, Berkshire Hathaway reported strong fourth-quarter results that capped off a year where operating earnings advanced 21% on a year-over-year basis. Warren Buffett tipped his hat to his long-time partner Charlie Munger, who passed away in November of last year, crediting him as the architect of Berkshire and himself merely in charge of the “construction crew.” There weren’t many surprises in the annual report, and Buffett made several references to areas that he has long talked about in the past, including pointing investors to operating earnings, as opposed to net income, which includes unrealized capital gains that can make reported results seem more volatile. All things considered, we liked Berkshire’s update, and we continue to like the firm as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.

Feb 26, 2024

Domino’s Puts Up Strong Comp in Fourth Quarter, Approves Another $1 Billion in Buybacks, Raises Dividend
Image: Domino’s free cash flow increased meaningfully in fiscal 2023. On February 26, Domino’s Pizza reported mixed fourth-quarter results, but comparable store sales came in better than expectations and the firm announced an additional $1 billion in buybacks, while it raised its dividend ~25%. We’re huge fans of Domino’s due in part to its heavily franchised business model, impressive digital initiatives, as well as its long-term unit growth prospects. The high end of our fair value estimate range of Domino’s stands at $569 per share, and we see meaningful upside from today’s price levels (~$465 per share) given the fundamental momentum at the firm.

Feb 26, 2024

Latest Report Updates
Check out the latest report updates on the website.

Feb 25, 2024

We Remain Bullish; Is This 1995 – The Beginning of a Huge Stock Market Run?
Image: Large cap growth stocks have trounced the performance of the S&P 500, REITs, and bonds since the beginning of 2023. We expect continued outperformance in this area of the market. We’re now roughly four years past the depths of the COVID-19 meltdown, where equities collapsed in February and March of 2020. As the markets began to recover through 2020, our long-term conviction in equities only grew stronger. We think the biggest risk for long-term investors remains staying out of the market on the basis of what could be considered stretched valuation multiples. As we outlined heavily in the book Value Trap, valuation multiples hardly tell the complete story about a company and often omit key long-term earnings growth, cash flow dynamics, and balance sheet health considerations. We remain bullish on equities for the long haul, and we think the next couple years will be incredibly strong. Our best ideas can be found in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, ESG Newsletter portfolio, and via the Exclusive publication as well as options idea generation.

Feb 23, 2024

Booking Holdings’ Fourth Quarter Results Impacted By War in Middle East But Free Cash Flow Margins Remain Robust
Image: Booking Holdings continues to put up robust free cash flow margins. Booking Holdings is one of our favorite ideas, and we view shares as attractively valued on the basis of our point fair value estimate and quite attractive when considering the high end of our fair value estimate range. The pace of the company’s gross travel bookings and room nights booked continues to be robust, despite dislocations in its business associated with Israel, and the firm’s free cash flow generation continues to march in the right direction, with the company putting up fantastic free cash flow margins. We like Booking Holdings as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, and we won’t be removing it anytime soon. Its new dividend implies a forward estimated dividend yield of ~0.96%.

Feb 23, 2024

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of February 23
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Feb 21, 2024

Market Darling Nvidia Delivers in Fiscal Fourth Quarter
Image: Nvidia has been a market darling, and the company did not disappoint in its fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 report. We like what we’re seeing at Nvidia these days, and what it implies for big cap tech and large cap growth, and we expect ongoing strength at the company. Competition from AMD and others is looming, but Nvidia continues to capture the lion’s share of AI investment at this time, and that will likely continue for some time yet. Speculative investors have made a bundle on Nvidia during the past 12-18 months, but we’ve been quite satisfied with the performance of Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holding, the Technology Select Sector SPDR, which includes Nvidia as one of its top three holdings. Nvidia’s shares are showing strength after the quarterly report.

Feb 21, 2024

Lithium Prices Remain Volatile; Albemarle Adjusts Long-term Demand Forecast
Image: Albemarle’s shares have faced significant pressure as a result of depressed lithium prices. Albemarle’s shares have been under significant pressure of late due to volatile lithium prices, and the firm’s cash flows have faced weakness as a result. Operating cash flow dropped to ~$1.325 billion in 2023 from ~$1.91 billion in 2022, as capital spending soared. Unless lithium prices start to better reflect the underlying demand profile ahead of it, Albemarle will likely be free cash flow negative in 2024 as well. Right now, Albemarle is facing a tough road ahead with its fundamentals largely tied to lithium prices, but the firm is positioned well for a potential lithium-price rebound. Regardless, we view Albemarle as a speculative stock and one only for the most aggressive, risk-seeking investors.

Feb 21, 2024

Public Storage Puts Up Record Revenue and Net Operating Income in Fourth Quarter
Image Source: Public Storage. Self-storage giant Public Storage reported solid fourth quarter results February 20, with revenue and funds from operations [FFO] coming in better than expectations. The company is one of our favorite income-oriented ideas. It has now been in business for more than 50 years, and it boasts an enviable A2/A credit rating, allowing it easy access to the capital markets to fund future deals and projects. Public Storage’s same-store operating margin also runs higher than many of its peers, showcasing its more efficient operating model. We like Public Storage quite a bit, and the company yields ~4.2% at the time of this writing.