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Recent Articles
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Booking Holdings Experiencing Strong Performance in Europe
Oct 31, 2024
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 Image: Booking Holdings’ shares soar to all-time highs.
Booking’s free cash flow of $7.25 billion through the first nine months of the year is nearly 40% of revenue, showcasing its cash-rich business model. The company declared a cash dividend of $8.75 per share to stockholders of record as of the close of business December 6. The high end of our fair value estimate range for Booking Holdings stands north of $5,000. We continue to like shares as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Shares yield 0.75% at the time of this writing.
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Microsoft Remains a Net-Cash-Rich, Free-Cash-Flow Generating Powerhouse
Oct 30, 2024
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 Image: Microsoft’s shares continue to flirt with all-time highs.
Microsoft ended the quarter with $78.4 billion in cash and short-term investments against long-term debt of $42.9 billion. Cash flow from operations increased to $34.2 billion from $30.6 billion in the year-ago period, while capital spending swelled to $14.9 billion from $9.9 billion in the year-ago quarter. Free cash flow in the quarter of $19.3 billion handily covered cash dividends paid of $5.6 billion over the same time. Microsoft remains one of our top ideas in both the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio.
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Republic Services Pricing Strength Continues to be Evident
Oct 30, 2024
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 Image Source: Republic Services.
Year-to-date, Republic Services returned $834.3 million to shareholders in the form of $329.5 million of share buybacks and $504.8 million in dividends paid. Looking to 2024, Republic Services now expects revenue near the low end of its 2024 guidance range ($16.075-$16.125 billion) and adjusted EBITDA at the high end of the range ($4.9-$4.925 billion). We like Republic Services moaty business model and its pricing strength, and the company remains a core holding in the newsletter portfolios.
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Chipotle Targets 7,000 Restaurants in North America
Oct 30, 2024
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For 2024, management is targeting full-year comparable restaurant sales growth in the mid to high-single digit range, while it adds 285-315 new company-operated restaurant openings with 80% having a Chipotlane. For 2025, Chipotle is targeting opening 315-345 company-operated restaurants with over 80% having a Chipotlane. Though comparable restaurant sales were lower than the consensus forecast in the third quarter, we like Chipotle’s long-term plans calling for 7,000 restaurants in North America, up from the 3,600 restaurants it currently has in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Kuwait. Chipotle remains a key idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio.
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