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Recent Articles
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Cisco’s Fiscal Fourth Quarter Results Exceed Expectations
Aug 15, 2024
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Image Source: Cisco.
Cisco ended its fiscal year with $31 billion in short- and long-term debt and $17.9 billion in cash and investments. Free cash flow of $10.2 billion during fiscal 2024 easily covered its cash dividends paid of $6.4 billion. We continue to like Cisco as an idea in the newsletter portfolios. Though it has a net debt position and revenue has been under pressure, it trades at a below-market multiple, pays a nice dividend, and is working aggressively to transform its business model into one that is more recurring in nature. Shares yield 3.5% at the time of this writing.
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Home Depot’s Results Show Weaker Spending on Home Improvement Projects
Aug 14, 2024
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Image: Home Depot’s shares have been choppy the past few years.
Looking to fiscal 2024 guidance, which includes 53 weeks of operating results, Home Depot expects sales to advance 2.5%-3.5% on the year, and comparable sales to decline 3%-4% for the 52-week period compared to 2023. Adjusted operating margin rate is targeted between 13.8%-13.9%, while diluted earnings per share for the 53-week period is targeted to decline 2%-4%. Though Home Depot is navigating a weaker home-improvement spending environment, we like its dividend quite a bit, and the firm remains a key holding in the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio. Shares yield 2.6% at the time of this writing.
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Procter & Gamble’s Organic Growth Fails to Impress
Aug 12, 2024
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Image Source: P&G’s Citizenship Report.
Procter & Gamble’s fiscal fourth quarter disappointed a number of investors as organic growth failed to outpace expectations. Looking to fiscal 2025, all-in sales growth is expected in the range of 2%-4%, with organic growth in the range of 3%-5%. P&G is targeting fiscal 2025 core net earnings per share growth in the range of 5%-7% versus fiscal 2024 core earnings per share of $6.59. We like P&G a lot, but shares are trading well above our fair value estimate.
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Starbucks' Mixed Results Speak to Cautious Consumer Environment
Aug 12, 2024
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Image Source: Starbucks' Global Impact Report.
Starbucks’ fiscal third quarter results weren’t great. Consolidated revenue fell 1%, comparable store sales dropped, while the firm’s non-GAAP earnings per share faced additional pressures. During the fiscal third quarter, Starbucks opened 526 net new stores, ending the period with 39,477 stores -- broken down into 52% company-operated and 48% licensed. Stores in the U.S. and China made up 61% of its global portfolio. Starbucks is getting squeezed by a cautious consumer and higher labor costs, and while we like the company, we’re just not interested in shares at this time.
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