Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Sep 6, 2020

Latest Report Updates
Valuentum members have access to our 16-page stock reports, Valuentum Buying Index ratings, Dividend Cushion ratios, fair value estimates and ranges, dividend reports and more. Not a member? Subscribe today. The first 14 days are free.

Sep 3, 2020

Update: Frequently Asked Questions About Valuentum Securities, Inc.
Valuentum (val∙u∙n∙tum) [val-yoo-en-tuh-m] Securities Inc. is an independent investment research publisher, offering premium equity reports and dividend reports, as well as commentary across all sectors/companies, a Best Ideas Newsletter (spanning market caps, asset classes), a Dividend Growth Newsletter, modeling tools/products, and more. Independence and integrity remain our core, and we strive to be a champion of the investor. Valuentum is based in the Chicagoland area. Valuentum is not a money manager, broker, or financial advisor. Valuentum is a publisher of financial information. We address a number of questions from both subscribers and visitors to our site.

Sep 1, 2020

Valuentum Website Overview
Overview of the key features of www.valuentum.com (03:55). Valuentum (val∙u∙n∙tum) [val-yoo-en-tuh-m] Securities Inc. is an independent investment research publisher, offering premium equity reports, dividend reports, and ETF reports, as well as commentary across all sectors/companies, a Best Ideas Newsletter (spanning market caps, asset classes), a Dividend Growth Newsletter, modeling tools/products, and more. Independence and integrity remain our core, and we strive to be a champion of the investor. Valuentum is based in the Chicagoland area. Valuentum is not a money manager, broker, or financial advisor. Valuentum is a publisher of financial information.

Aug 27, 2020

Dick’s Sporting Goods Finds E-Commerce Success
Image Shown: Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc rallied by ~16% during normal trading hours on August 26 after reporting stellar same-store sales growth.  On August 26, Dick’s Sporting Goods reported second quarter fiscal 2020 earnings (period ended August 1, 2020) that beat consensus estimates on both the top- and bottom-lines. Driving this outperformance was Dick’s Sporting Goods’ 20.7% year-over-year increase in same-store sales as its e-commerce sales rose by 194%, which includes sales conducted through its curbside contactless pickup option. E-commerce sales represented ~30% of the sporting goods retailer’s total sales last fiscal quarter. Average ticket sizes and the number of transactions both grew last fiscal quarter according to management commentary included in the earnings press release. Shares of DKS shot up by almost 16% after the report was published during normal trading hours on August 26. As of this writing, shares of DKS are trading near the upper bound of our fair value estimate range (which sits at $56 per share). That means shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods appear fairly valued at the moment, and we like its strong e-commerce performance and improving outlook. After reinitiating its quarterly dividend program this past June, shares of DKS yield 2.3% on a forward-looking basis (with an annualized payout of $1.25 per share of its common stock). We will cover its financial strength and dividend policy in greater detail in this note.

Aug 26, 2020

L Brands Beats Low Expectations
Image Shown: Though shares of L Brands Inc are up year-to-date, they remain down significantly over the past five years as of this writing (before taking dividend considerations into account). The owner of the Victoria’s Secret, PINK, and Bath & Body Works retail brands L Brands reported second quarter fiscal 2020 earnings (period ended August 1, 2020) on August 19 that smashed past both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. However, those estimates were a low bar to beat as analysts had already factored in the significant headwinds the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic created for its business. Last fiscal quarter, L Brands reopened most of its stores and leaned on e-commerce sales channels to meet customer demand as best it could. For reference, Victoria’s Secret and PINK (collectively referred to as Victoria’s Secret by L Brands) sell lingerie and similar apparel/accessories while Bath & Body Works sells fragrances, soaps, hygiene products, and similar offerings.

Jul 6, 2020

Lululemon Athletica Buys MIRROR
Image Source: Lululemon Athletica Inc – First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Quarterly Financial Supplements. On June 29, Lululemon Athletica announced it was acquiring home fitness company MIRROR for $500 million in cash. MIRROR sells ~$1,500 (before taxes and installation fees) screens that come with a camera and speaker system that allow users to participate in at-home workouts assisted by trainers/videos. That offering comes with a $39 per month digital subscription which allows the user (or users, up to six people per household) to access on-demand and live workout sessions, and additionally, personal training sessions cost up to $40 each.

Jun 29, 2020

Nike Doubles Down on Its Digital Strategy
Image Shown: Shares of Nike sold off moderately on June 26 after reporting its full-year earnings for fiscal 2020 (period ended May 31, 2020), though please note shares of NKE have rebounded sharply from their March 2020 lows. Over the past year shares of Nike are still up ~15% as of this writing, outpacing the 4% gain seen at the S&P 500 (SPY) before taking dividend considerations into account. Nike is performing well operationally as its digital strategy has helped mitigate some of the headwinds created by the ongoing pandemic. The retailer’s strong balance sheet provides ample support to ride out the storm while being able to maintain its current dividend policy. Shares of NKE yield ~1.1% as of this writing, and we give Nike an “EXCELLENT” Dividend Safety rating due to its rock-solid Dividend Cushion ratio of 3.4. Please note these forward-looking indicators factor in double-digit per share payout growth over the coming fiscal years. We give Nike an “EXCELLENT” Dividend Growth rating as well.

Jun 16, 2020

Reiterating Our Bullish Long-Term View on Stocks
Image: The NASDAQ 100 Index remains resilient, bouncing off support, after breaking out to new highs recently. Some of our best ideas are included in the NASDAQ 100, and our favorite concentrations include exposure to big cap tech and large cap growth. We continue to be bullish on equities for the long run. In addition to unlimited quantitative easing and "whatever it takes, squared" Fed policy, today, June 16, the Trump administration announced that it is weighing a $1 trillion stimulus bill to help support the economy. While uncertainties remain regarding specifics of the bill (it might include state assistance, extension of unemployment benefits, etc.), the move is consistent with the outsize spending we expect to further bolster the bull case, "ICYMI -- Stay Optimistic. Stay Bullish. I Am." We continue to emphasize that, in light of unlimited QE and runaway fiscal stimulus, the longer-duration components of intrinsic values are expanding considerably, and as a result, fair values, themselves, are actually rising during this recession and pandemic [a good estimate of the value of the S&P 500 today may be between 3,530-3,920, as outlined in the following: "Scribbles and More Newsletter Portfolio Changes.]."

Jun 16, 2020

Lululemon Supported by Strong Digital Sales
Image Source: Lululemon Athletica Inc – Third Quarter Fiscal 2019 Earnings Infographic. On June 11, Lululemon Athletica reported first quarter fiscal 2020 earnings (period ended May 3, 2020) that missed consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. The company’s strong digital sales were offset by the negative impact of containment efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus (‘COVID-19’), namely store closures (both company-owned and third-party retail locations). Shares of LULU are still up comfortably year-to-date as of this writing, in large part due to its pristine balance sheet and past investments in its digital infrastructure and digital sales channels. We covered these two aspects of its business model and why that would be a source of strength during these challenging times back in March 2020 (link here).

Jun 15, 2020

ICYMI: Survey Coming Later Today, More Market Volatility Expected
Image: The market's levels of volatility so far in 2020 have been among the greatest in history. Expectations for increased volatility in the marketplace as a result of the proliferation of price-agnostic trading (indexing and quantitative trading) is a key theme of Valuentum's text, Value Trap: Theory of Universal Valuation. We continue to emphasize the importance of due diligence, enterprise valuation, behavioral thinking, the information contained in prices, and stock selection across equity portfolios. Page 256. This week is setting up to be yet another volatile week of trading, but nothing too surprising. We've talked extensively about outsize levels of volatility in the book Value Trap, and many of our predictions regarding the magnitude of volatility have come to fruition, as described in this note here. But as we've also noted in Value Trap, we don't think increased volatility is a transient development. The Fed and Treasury have only further emboldened price-agnostic trading (indexing/quant) with recent bailout actions, and volatility and momentum funds, which exacerbate the swings, will only grow as a percentage of trading volumes. The magnitude of market volatility during the COVID-19 crisis has certainly been immense. During March for example, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had 8 consecutive days with a 4% move in either direction (this is the first time in history this happened--not even during the tumultuous times of the Crash of 1929 or Black Monday of 1987 or the Great Financial Crisis did this happen). Intra-day volatility has also been considerable, and it has become commonplace for equity futures to swing wildly before market open. Now, more than ever, investors need a steady hand at the wheel.