*Latest Investment Research* - Valuentum Securities Inc.

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At Valuentum, we follow hundreds of stocks and dividends. We serve individual investors, financial advisers, and institutions. Join Today! You'll gain immediate access to our premium product and service offering (including articles, commentary, stock reports, dividend reports, and more). You'll also receive the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter in your inbox every month. You can also order our ultra-premium publications, the High Yield Dividend Newsletter and the Exclusive publication, too!

Recent articles

Booking Holdings' Revenue Accelerates in Fourth Quarter Feb 21, 2025: Image Source: Booking Holdings.

Booking Holdings is doing a great job returning cash to shareholders. The company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $9.60 per share, a 10% increase from its quarterly cash dividend of $8.75 per share in 2024. The company repurchased $1.1 billion of stock during the fourth quarter of 2024, and the firm has remaining buyback authorization of $7.7 billion. For the full year 2024, free cash flow was $7.9 billion, roughly 33.3% of sales. Cash and long-term investments were $16.7 billion at the end of the year, about in line with short- and long-term debt of $16.6 billion. We liked Booking Holdings’ accelerated performance in the fourth quarter of 2024 and remain huge fans of its free cash flow generating prowess.

Walmart’s Earnings Outlook Falls Short of Expectations Feb 21, 2025: Image Source: Walmart.

Walmart ended its fiscal year with cash and cash equivalents of $9.0 billion and total debt of $45.8 billion. Operating cash flow for fiscal 2025 was $36.4 billion, an increase of $0.7 billion from last year, while free cash flow remained robust at $12.7 billion. Looking to the first quarter of fiscal 2026, net sales are expected to increase 3%-4%, while adjusted operating income is expected to advance 0.5%-2%, with adjusted earnings per share targeted in the range of $0.57-$0.58, below the $0.65 consensus estimate. For all of fiscal 2026, net sales are anticipated to increase 3%-4%, with adjusted operating income expected to increase 3.5%-5.5%. Adjusted earnings per share is targeted in the range of $2.50-$2.60 for the full year (consensus was at $2.76), inclusive of a $0.05 headwind from currency. Shares yield 0.9%.

Albemarle Has Line of Sight to Breakeven Free Cash Flow in 2025 Feb 19, 2025: Image Source: Albemarle.

Albemarle recorded full-year cash flow from operations of $702 million, which represented 60% of adjusted EBITDA, revealing good cash flow conversion. Management plans to further reduce 2025 capital expenditures by $100 million, to the range of $700-$800 million, down more than 50% on a year-over-year basis. Albemarle noted that it has a “line of sight to breakeven free cash flow in 2025,” which should alleviate some pressure on its stock.

Republic Services Remains a Cash Cow Feb 19, 2025: Image Source: Republic Services.

For the full year, Republic’s cash provided by operating activities was $3.94 billion, up 8.8% from last year. Adjusted free cash flow was $2.18 billion, an increase of 10% versus the prior year. The company returned $1.18 billion in cash to shareholders during 2024, consisting of $490 million of share repurchases and $687 million of dividends paid. Looking to 2025, Republic expects revenue in the range of $16.85-$16.95 billion and adjusted EBITDA in the range of $5.275-$5.325 billion. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is targeted in the range of $6.82-$6.90 for the year, while adjusted free cash flow is expected in the range of $2.32-$2.36 billion. We continue to like Republic Services as an idea in the newsletter portfolios.