Valuentum Exclusive Analysis for the Discerning Investor

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Jun 24, 2024

FactSet Research Reveals Softness on Top Line
Image: FactSet’s shares have been choppy the past couple years. On June 21, FactSet Research reported mixed third-quarter fiscal 2024 results that showed revenue increasing 4.3%, in-line with expectations, and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $4.37, up 15.3% from last year’s quarter and better than what the Street was looking for. Quarterly free cash flow was $216.9 million, up 12.6%. FactSet’s recent 6% dividend increase marked the 25th consecutive year the firm has raised its dividend on a stock split-adjusted basis. Shares yield ~1%.

Feb 16, 2024

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of February 16
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Dec 11, 2023

Oracle’s “Business Is Good and Getting Better”
Image Source: Peter Kaminski. On December 11, Oracle reported mixed second-quarter results for its fiscal 2024 that showed total revenue advancing 5% on a year-over-year basis (4% in constant currency), slightly lower than expectations, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.34 that came in slightly ahead of what the market was looking for. The company’s non-GAAP operating margin of 43% in the quarter helped to drive non-GAAP net income 14% higher than the same period a year ago (11% in constant currency). We’re not letting the slight miss on the top line sway us from our constructive stance on shares. Our fair value estimate stands at $108 per share, about in-line with where shares are currently trading.

Nov 3, 2023

People Love Their Starbucks
Image: Starbucks remains a strong free cash flow generator. Operational efficiencies, sales leverage and pricing strength helped drive Starbucks' GAAP operating income growth of 42.7% and non-GAAP earnings per share to $1.06 in the quarter, up 31% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks ended its fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 with ~$3.95 billion in cash and short-term investments and short- and long-term debt of ~$15.4 billion, resulting in a net debt position on the books. Free cash flow generation remains robust at Starbucks, however, with the measure coming in at ~$3.7 billion for the fiscal year ending October 1, 2023. We’re reiterating the high end of our fair value estimate range of $120 for Starbucks’ shares.

Feb 24, 2023

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of February 24
Let's take a look at firms raising/lowering their dividends this week.

Oct 20, 2022

Philip Morris Is One of Our Favorite High-Yielding Income Generation Ideas
Image Shown: Philip Morris International Inc expects alternative nicotine products will grow at a robust pace over the coming years, with an eye towards heated tobacco units and oral nicotine products. By capitalizing on those opportunities, the company aims to diversify its revenues away from traditional cigarette sales. Image Source: Philip Morris International Inc – 2021 Investor Day Event Presentation. Philip Morris is a strong cash flow generator with ample pricing power and a bright growth outlook. Underlying demand for its IQOS heated tobacco offerings remains robust and demand for its traditional cigarette offerings is holding up well, even in the face of substantial inflationary pressures weighing negatively on consumer spending power around the global. Philip Morris’ near term guidance indicates that it should remain a strong free cash flow generator in 2022, allowing the firm to stay on top of its payout obligations. Management remains committed to rewarding income seeking shareholders, and we continue to like exposure to shares of Philip Morris in our High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio.

Mar 17, 2022

Berkshire Hathaway Is Firing on All Cylinders; Shares Surging
Image Shown: Shares of best idea Berkshire Hathaway Class B (ticker: BRK.B) have surged higher over the past year with room to run. Those of you that have been long-time members of Valuentum (thank you by the way!) know that we are huge fans of Warren Buffett. We include Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK.A) (BRK.B), specifically its Class B shares (ticker: BRK.B), as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Recently, Buffett (CEO and Chairman of Berkshire) released his latest annual letter to shareholders, which included plenty of important information regarding the conglomerate’s financial performance and investing practices at-large. One of the things that stuck out in Buffett’s latest annual letter to shareholders, a topic that he has brought up often in the past, is his belief in betting on America. In the letter, Buffett notes that “our country would have done splendidly in the years since 1965 without Berkshire. Absent our American home, however, Berkshire would never have come close to becoming what it is today.” For reference, Buffett took control of Berkshire back in 1965. We are also big believers that the number one place for investors to be invested is in U.S. equities. Specifically, large cap U.S. tech stocks with “moaty” business models, fortress-like balance sheets, incredible free cash flow generating abilities, and growth outlooks underpinned by secular tailwinds represent some of our favorite ideas alongside U.S. energy giants (a shorter term tactical play in the face of the ongoing inflationary environment) and high-quality U.S.-focused firms like Berkshire. We appreciate Buffett’s longstanding commitment to utilizing discounted free cash flow analysis to locate and invest in undervalued enterprises based in the U.S.

Feb 11, 2022

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week February 11
Let's take a look at companies that raised/lowered their dividend this week.

Jan 11, 2022

Raising Our Fair Value Estimate on Berkshire Hathaway, Our Thoughts on the Insurance Industry
Image Source: AIG. Shares of the SPDR S&P Insurance ETF (KIE) have trailed the performance of the S&P 500 (SPY) during the past 15 years. Our favorite insurer remains Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), and we recently raised our fair value estimate of its B shares to $320, as of the latest update (effective January 12, 2022). The high end of our fair value estimate range for Berkshire Hathaway is $384 per share. Berkshire Hathaway is included in the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio as of this writing. American International Group (AIG) serves as an important cautionary tale of what could happen to an insurer that doesn't manage its risks effectively, and we wouldn't expect to add any pure-play insurer to the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.

Oct 20, 2021

Quants and High-Frequency Trading the Real Cause of the GameStop Frenzy?
Image: The cause of the GameStop trading frenzy remains largely unclassified as it appears to us that quant and high-frequency trading played a much bigger role in the market disruption than what is being reported. We think the SEC staff put out a fantastic “GameStop Report” with some excellent information. However, the report did not get to the crux of the matter, failing to disclose what actually caused the extreme market volatility in meme stocks, while glossing over the substantial increase in institutional accounts, likely belonging to quant/trend/momentum funds, that contributed to the trading frenzy this year. We think investors and market participants deserve to know more about what caused this threat to market integrity and structure as the continued proliferation of which may only grow larger and larger in the coming decades. If it was quant trading, then we encourage the SEC to take steps to ensure that such trading is curbed effectively as it is clear that such price-agnostic activity is not contributing to market efficiency.