Gilead Sciences, On Target

On November 16, 2015, when Gilead Sciences (GILD) was trading at $99 per share, we posted the following long-term downside targets for  the stock:

  • $56.93
  • $49.03
  • $41.12

At the same time, we contrasted our downside targets with commentary from TheStreet.com to ensure that there was some balance to the perspective for our readers.  TheStreet.com said the following of GILD:

“We rate GILEAD SCIENCES INC (GILD) a BUY. This is based on the convergence of positive investment measures, which should help this stock outperform the majority of stocks that we rate. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, notable return on equity, attractive valuation levels, expanding profit margins and good cash flow from operations. We feel its strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated. (TheStreet.com. Gilead Sciences (GILD) Stock Is the ‘Chart of the Day’. Albright, Amanada. November 16, 2015. ”

image

It is worth noting the buy rating that we gave to GILD on January 14, 2010.  At the time, the fundamentals seemed to be supported by the technicals and warranted due diligence and possible acquisition.  Below is our revised assessment of Gilead based on the technical attributes which is precipitated by investor reaction to the company fundamentals.

Continue reading

Review of 2015 Assessment of LL & SAM

On February 25, 2015, we posted Edson Gould’s Speed Resistance Lines [SRL] for Lumber Liquidator (LL) and Boston Beer Company (SAM).  Starting with LL, we said the following:

“Those interested in LL and willing to perform appropriate due diligence could engage in a three phase purchase plan beginning below $39.81, $31.64 and $23.47.  Investors, as opposed to speculators, should be willing to accept that there is no compensation for the wait when holding LL and that the decline to the ascending $23.47 level is a real risk.”

Since February 2015, LL has declined to the current level of $15.64.  While we might know the exact reasons why LL fell to the current level, we don’t know what to make of the dramatic decline other than the fact that the SRL gave every indication that this was possible.  Below is the updated SRL on Lumber Liquidator.

image

Upon further reflection, we examined the price of Lumber Liquidator and attempted to propose an alternative view on the stock price decline.  On March 3, 2015, we proposed the following thesis:

“The coincidence of Lumber Liquidator (LL) declining significantly at the same time as the futures price of lumber (as traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange) seems difficult to ignore.  Investors should take note of the fact that in three prior periods indicated in blue, LL has lost a minimum of –35% and as much as –53% when the price of lumber declined –33% or more. 

“So far, from December 2013 to March 2015, the price of lumber has declined –23% while LL has declined as much as –67.49%.  Much of the decline in LL has been exacerbated by concerns related to quality and sourcing of the flooring.  However,  the current decline is only slightly out of alignment from what has happened in the past.”

Continue reading

Analyst Estimates: U.S. Dividend Watch List

Performance Review

This is a review of the analyst estimates based on the U.S. Dividend Watch List dated February 12, 2016.  Companies on the far left were expected by analysts to underperform while companies on the far right were expected to outperform.

image

This past year was a vindication to analysts and their generally rosy outlook for the stocks that they cover.  Average gain for the entire list was 29.15%.  In the categories that we have indicated (high return, average return and low return) the group that did the best was the “average prospects, average returns”.

image

Overall, the various categorizations of the watch list performed in line with our expectations and exceed the most major indexes except the S&P MidCap 400 and the Russell 2000.  When an investor can managed to achieve small cap performance with tried & true mid to large-cap stocks, then we know that we’re on the right track.

In our continuing effort to refine our investment process, we added a high and low confidence ranking of the analyst estimates of stocks on our watch list.  Our thinking was that the low confidence stocks would outperform the high confidence stocks, on the theory that the analysts are usually wrong, most of the time.  The actual performance, in the last year, provided resounding evidence that there may be credence to the level of confidence in the range in earnings estimates of the coming year.

image

Analyst Estimates

Below are the price projections based on analyst earnings estimates for on our recent U.S. Dividend Watch List dated February 3, 2017. These estimates project the price change for the respective stocks over the next 12 months.  Additionally, we’ve included the high and low confidence stocks.

Transaction Alert

We executed the following transaction(s):

Continue reading

Berkshire Hathaway: Price Projections to 2022

In our May 6, 2012 posting on Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) titled “Should Berkshire Hathaway Be Trading at 1995 Prices?”, we gave price projections based on Edson Gould’s Altimeter using very conservative estimates if BRK-A paid a dividend.

The data based on that 2012 article has proven to be accurate as we’ve managed to achieve all of the undervalued levels for Berkshire Hathaway since then.

Year Undervalued Price
2012 158,030.31
2013 173,675.31
2014 190,869.16
2015 209,765.21
2016 230,531.97

Below is the remainder of the 10-year price where BRK-A would be considered undervalued.  As of February 3, 2017, BRK-A closed at a price of $245,646.  Additionally, we’ve included the fairvalue upside target for BRK-A in 2017.

Continue reading

Insurance Watch List: February 2017

Performance Review

This is a review of the nearly 1-year performance of the Insurance Watch List from February 21, 2016.

image

On the whole, the analyst estimates for insurance stocks were on target.  Although AmTrust Financial Services (AFSI) did not come close to the estimated gain projected on February 2016, at least the price of the stock did not register a loss in the period of time covered.

U.S. Dividend Watch List: February 3, 2017

The bull is back in charge as of Friday and is looking to take the market back to its all-time high. Despite political turmoil and uncertainly, the market appears to be looking onward and forward. At the end of the week, there are 28 companies on our list. Continue reading

Rising Rates Got You Down?

Some stock market bears think that rising interest rates will end the bull market.  History tells a different story.  We take the worst case scenario and break it down at the following link (found here).

Gully Bull and Bearly Bob

Feb 2016 Canadian Watch List Highlights

On our February 17, 2016 Canadian Dividend Watch List we listed quite a few companies.  This is a review of standout performers and what investors might want to look for going forward.  The first company we’ll highlight is Ag Growth International (AFN.TO).  At the time of the watch list, AFN.TO was trading at CAN$26.64.  After just short of one year, the stock price for AFN.TO has doubled.  Below we have set downside targets and take a look at the Altimeter to determine the best points to buy and sell.

Gold Stock Indicator: January 2017

Since our last posting on gold and gold stocks (as represented by the Philadelphia Gold and Silver Stock Index [XAU]), the change in price has been +3.28% and +10.64%, respectively.

image

As of the most recent reading, gold stocks are saying something that has yet to be confirmed by the price of gold.  With the price of the XAU increasing above 89.83 level set on November 9, 2016, gold stocks are saying that the trend should be higher.  Unfortunately, the price of gold needs to confirm the direction as well.  As we know, the price of gold typically lags gold and silver stock but in this case the lag is somewhat large.

Technically Speaking: Teva Pharmaceutical

On April 5, 2011, we said the following of the downside targets for Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA):

“Charles H. Dow indicated that the fair value of a stock is the average price that is paid by investors. The fair value is the point at which an investor, as opposed to speculators, will consider buying or selling a stock. The fair value that we’ve arrived is based on the low of July 2006. If Teva were to decline below $47.06, the prospects for $29.77 become almost inevitable.”

Since that article, as TEVA declined below the $47.06 level, the stock eventually declined to the the ascending $29.77 level by November 2013 as seen in the chart below.  After hitting the ascending $29.77 level, the price jumped to just north of $72.

image

We’ll have to accept that this is all mere coincidence and slight of hand rather than any kind of basis in facts.  However, our claim has always been, if the target is achieved then review & decide whether to invest or if it is never achieved then move on to other opportunities.

Let’s review the prospects for TEVA under the current price structure which includes the periods since the November 2013 low to the present.  But first, you need to see the July 12, 2013 Speed Resistance Lines that we posted for TEVA as it is instructive and in alignment with the Dow Theory targets.

The long-term downside targets for TEVA based on the SRL indicated that the $32.50 level was the time to consider acquisition of the stock.  At that time we said the following:

“We could not determine a conservative downside target.  Because of this, we had to run some calculations and came up with the trendline of $43.33 and $32.50 as tentative support levels.”

Since TEVA provided the best indications using Dow Theory and came close using Edson Gould’s Speed Resistance Lines, we’re going to give the Dow Theory perspective in the long and short run and see where it takes us.

image

The above chart indicates that at the current price Teva Pharmaceutical is considered below fair value ($38.23) as long as the fundamental data confirms what the price suggests.  Additionally, TEVA seems poised to achieve the downside target of the ascending $26.86 level (approx. $28.50).  Purchases of this stock are best made in stages with 50% of allotted funds at the current price and 25%+25% at predefined lower levels.

Nasdaq 100 Watch List: January 2017

Performance Review

This is a review of the 1-year performance of the watch list from January 29, 2016.

image

When we review our thesis on the analysts typically being wrong, this watch list is proof that analysts can get it right.  Leaving aside the two companies on the far right and left, companies like NetApp, Qualcomm, Cisco, Apple and EBay tore the cover off the ball.  The breakdown of our categorizations low, average and high return stocks had the following returns:

  • low returns: +16.25%
  • average returns: +15.73%
  • high returns: +4.33%

The Nasdaq 100, in the period since January 29, 2016, gained +20.38%.

Nasdaq 100 Watch List

NLO Interest Rate Monitor

On December 16, 2015, we published an article titled “Interest Rate Policy: Bizarre to the Uninitiated”.  In that hit job against the Federal Reserve, we said the following:

“The article [“Bizarre Theory That Says Fed Increases Will Fuel Inflation”] promotes the idea that the Federal Reserve somehow is on the leading edge of setting policy.  We don’t believe this to be the case.  In our November 2015 article on gold and interest rates, we said that market rate movements take place before the Federal Reserve takes action, rather than the other way around.”

In this piece, we track interest rates from the recent all-time lows and compare the Federal Reserve Bank Discount Rate to the 3-month Treasury Rates.  We will demonstrate how the Federal Reserve routinely follows the activity of market rates as reflected in the 3-month Treasury Rates.

image

Remember, The Discount Rate is the primary tool that the Federal Reserve is judged on in terms of it’s affect on the U.S. economy.  This excludes “emergency” measures such as ZIRP, TARP, TALF and QE∞.

Analyst Estimate: U.S. Dividend Watch List

Below are the price projections based on analyst earnings estimates for on our recent U.S. Dividend Watch List dated January 20, 2017. These estimates project the price change for the respective stocks over the next 12 months.  Additionally, we outline a breakdown for what to expect for the stocks on our watch list.

Continue reading

Canadian Dividend Watch List: January 2017

Performance Review

A review of our watch list from January 17, 2016 resulted in the following:

  • The entire list gained an average of +30.52%
  • The top five stocks gained an average of +44.85%
  • The top ten stocks gained an average of +38.18%

These totals compare to the +30.19% change in the TSX in the same period of time.