May 11, 20200Comments

The Hidden Dangers of Passive Investing

We believe that passive investing has become a sufficiently crowded trade that indexers will see lower returns than fundamentally rigorous active investors over the next few years.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

January 20, 20200Comments

Earnings Distortion Scorecard: Week of 1/27/20-1/31/20

For the week of 1/27/20-1/31/20, we focus on the Earnings Distortion scores for 127 companies.

by Sam McBride

December 10, 20190Comments

Big Tech Leads Decline in Core Earnings

Reported earnings have not been this overstated, relative to core earnings, for the Tech sector since the Tech bubble.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

December 10, 20190Comments

Podcast: Why The Technology Sector is in the Danger Zone

CEO David Trainer sat down with Chuck Jaffe of Money Life to talk about our Danger Zone pick this week: Big Tech Leads Decline in Core Earnings.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

September 10, 20190Comments

Pre-IPO Coverage: Cloudflare (NET)

This report aims to help investors sort through Cloudflare’s financial filings to understand the fundamentals and valuation of this IPO.

by Sam McBride

June 17, 20192Comments

Is Slack’s Expected Valuation Spot On?

Slack has impressive growth numbers and some real competitive advantages, but it also faces significant competition as it expands the breadth of its offerings.

by Sam McBride

June 5, 20190Comments

How Much Should Investors Pay for Slack?

We sort through Slack’s fundamentals, project plausible scenarios for the company’s future, and determine the a fair value using our reverse DCF.

by Sam McBride

April 16, 20190Comments

Big Tech Still Dominates Economic Earnings Growth

GAAP earnings don’t just mislead investors about the amount of growth in 2018, they also present a misleading picture of the breadth of earnings growth.

by Sam McBride

December 3, 20180Comments

The “Earnings Recovery” Remains an Accounting Mirage

U.S. equities may have rebounded from 2015 lows, but economic earnings – which reverse accounting distortions and account for the weighted average cost of capital – remain in a persistent downturn.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

September 26, 20180Comments

Micro-Bubble Winners Part 2

We think these stocks will see a lot of capital flow to them when the second micro bubble bursts.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

August 23, 20180Comments

This Value-Add Reseller Creates Real Value

This tech firm has a long history of profit growth, prudent capital stewardship, an undervalued stock, and it’s business model creates more value than peers.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

June 20, 20180Comments

Beat Private Equity to the Punch on This Value Opportunity

This week, we’re highlighting another cheap retailer that was recently confirmed as a buyout target. This firm also has a high and sustainable dividend yield and upside potential even without an acquisition.

by Sam McBride

May 18, 20183Comments

Average Invested Capital: Explanation and Examples

In our calculation of ROIC, we use a time-weighted average invested capital, to most accurately capture the capital available to a business that can be used to generate NOPAT over the course of a year.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

April 23, 20184Comments

The Impacts of Operating Leases Moving to the Balance Sheet

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) introduced a new accounting standard (ASU 2016-02) that requires companies to recognize operating lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

April 16, 20180Comments

Overstated Profits Can’t Even Justify this Stock’s Valuation

This firm’s lack of resources (relative to competitors) and low profitability make the expectations baked into the stock price look overly optimistic.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

March 19, 20180Comments

Don’t Buy What “Smart Money” Sells

Is the market hungry enough to justify the expected $7 billion valuation? Or, is this IPO how insiders sell stock and raise capital after the “smart money” (i.e. private equity, hedge funds, etc.) has dried up?

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

March 5, 20180Comments

This David Stands Little Chance Against Industry Goliaths

As the market matures and competition firmly establishes itself, this firm’s lack of resources and highly negative margins create an uphill battle.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA

February 5, 20180Comments

Competition Taking Market Share Could Sink This Stock

Risk of losing market share, when coupled with highly negative margins, unsustainable cash burn, and a soaring stock price mean this firm lands in the Danger Zone.

by Kyle Guske II, Senior Investment Analyst, MBA