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Doubling Down on Digital Infrastructure Thematic Leader

Doubling Down on Digital Infrastructure Thematic Leader

Key point inside this issue

  • We are doubling down on Dycom (DY) shares on the Thematic Leader board and adjusting our price target to $80 from $100, which still offers significant upside from our new cost basis as the 5G and gigabit fiber buildout continues over the coming quarters.

We are coming at you earlier than usual this week in part to share my thoughts on all of the economic data we received late last week.

 

Last week’s data confirms the US economy is slowing

With two-thirds of the current quarter behind now in the books, the continued move higher in the markets has all the major indices up double-digits year to date, ranging from around 11.5-12.0%% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 to nearly 18% for the small-cap heavy Russell 2000. In recent weeks we have discussed my growing concerns that the market’s melt-up hinges primarily on U.S.-China trade deal prospects as earnings expectations for this year have been moving lower, dividend cuts have been growing and the global economy continues to slow. The U.S. continues to look like the best economic house on the block even though it, too, is slowing.

On Friday, a round of IHS Markit February PMI reports showed that three of the four global economic horsemen — Japan, China, and the eurozone — were in contraction territory for the month. New orders in Japan and China improved but fell in the eurozone, which likely means those economies will continue to slug it out in the near-term especially since export orders across all three regions fell month over month. December-quarter GDP was revealed to be 2.6% sequentially, which equates to a 3.1% improvement year over year but is down compared to the 3.5% GDP reading of the September quarter and 4.2% in the June one.  Slower growth to be sure, but still growing in the December quarter.

Before we break out the bubbly, though, the IHS Markit February U.S. Manufacturing PMI fell to its lowest reading in 18 months as rates of output and new order growth softened as did inflationary pressures. This data suggest the U.S. manufacturing sector is growing at its slowest rate in several quarters, as did the February ISM Manufacturing Index reading, which slipped month over month and missed expectations. Declines were seen almost across the board for that ISM index save for new export orders, which grew modestly month over month. The new order component of the February ISM Manufacturing Index dropped to 55.5 from 58.2 in January, but candidly this line item has been all over the place the last few months. The January figure rebounded nicely from 51.3 in December, which was down sharply from 61.8 in November. This zig-zag pattern likely reflects growing uncertainty in the manufacturing economy given the pace of the global economy and uncertainty on the trade front. Generally speaking though, falling orders translate into a slower production and this means carefully watching both the ISM and IHS Markit data over the coming months.

In sum, the manufacturing economy across the four key economies continued to slow in February. On a wider, more global scale, J.P. Morgan’s Global Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.6 in February, its lowest level since June 2016. Per J.P. Morgan’s findings, “the rate of expansion in new orders stayed close to the stagnation mark,” which suggests we are not likely to see a pronounced rebound in the near-term. We see this as allowing the Fed to keep its dovish view, and as we discuss below odds are it will be joined by the European Central Bank this week.

Other data out Friday included the December readings for Personal Income & Spending and the January take on Personal Income. The key takeaway was personal income fell for the first time in more than three years during January, easily coming in below the gains expected by economists. Those pieces of data not only help explain the recent December Retail Sales miss but alongside reports of consumer credit card debt topping $1 trillion and record delinquencies for auto and student loans, point to more tepid consumer spending ahead. As I’ve shared before, that is a headwind for the overall US economy but also a tailwind for those companies, like Middle-class Squeeze Thematic Leader Costco Wholesale (COST), that help consumers stretch the disposable income they do have.

We have talked quite a bit in recent Tematica Investing issues about revisions to S&P 500 2019 EPS estimates, which at last count stood at +4.7% year over year, down significantly from over +11% at the start of the December quarter. Given the rash of reports last week – more than 750 in total –  we will likely see that expected rate of growth tweaked a bit lower.

Putting it all together, we have a slowing U.S. and global economy, EPS cuts that are making the stock market incrementally more expensive as it has moved higher in recent weeks, and a growing number of dividend cuts. Clearly, the stock market has been melting up over the last several weeks on increasing hopes over a favorable trade deal with China, but last week we saw President Trump abruptly end the summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un with no joint agreement after Kim insisted all U.S. sanctions be lifted on his country. This action spooked the market, leading some to revisit the potential for a favorable trade deal between the U.S. and China.

Measuring the success of any trade agreement will hinge on the details. Should it fail to live up to expectations, which is a distinct possibility, we could very well see a “buy the rumor, sell the news” situation arise in the stock market. As I watch for these developments to unfold, given the mismatch in the stock market between earnings and dividends vs. the market’s move thus far in 2019 I will also be watching insider selling in general but also for those companies on the Thematic Leader Board as well as the Tematica Select List. While insiders can be sellers for a variety of reasons, should we see a pronounced and somewhat across the board pick up in such activity, it could be another warning sign.

 

What to Watch This Week

This week we will see a noticeable drop in the velocity of earnings reports, but we will still get a number of data points that investors and economists will use to triangulate the speed of the current quarter’s GDP relative to the 2.6% print for the December quarter. The consensus GDP forecast for the current quarter is for a slower economy at +2.0%, but we have started to see some economists trim their forecasts as more economic data rolls in. Because that data has fallen shy of expectations, it has led the Citibank Economic Surprise Index (CESI) to once again move into negative territory and the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow current quarter forecast now sat at 0.3% as of Friday.

On the economic docket this week, we have December Construction Spending, ISM’s February Non-Manufacturing Index reading, the latest consumer credit figures and the February reports on job creation and unemployment from ADP (ADP) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With Home Depot (HD) reporting relatively mild December weather, any pronounced shortfall in December Construction Spending will likely serve to confirm the economy is on a slowing vector. Much like we did above with ISM’s February Manufacturing Index we’ll be looking into the Non-Manufacturing data to determine demand and inflation dynamics as well as the tone of the services economy.

On the jobs front, while we will be watching the numbers created, including any aberration owing to the recent federal government shutdown, it will be the wage and hours worked data that we’ll be focusing on. Wage data will show signs of any inflationary pressures, while hours worked will indicate how much labor slack there is in the economy. The consumer is in a tighter spot financially speaking, which was reflected in recent retail sales and personal spending data. Recognizing the role consumer spending plays in the overall speed of the U.S. economy, we will be scrutinizing the upcoming consumer credit data rather closely.

In addition to the hard data, we’ll also get the Fed’s latest Beige Book, which should provide a feel for how the regional economies are faring thus far in 2019. Speaking of central bankers, next Wednesday will bring the results of the next European Central Bank meeting. Given the data depicted in the February IHS Markit reports we discussed above, the probability is high the ECB will join the Fed in a more dovish tone.

While the velocity of earnings reports does indeed drop dramatically next week, there will still be several reports worth digging into, including Ross Stores (ROST), Kohl’s (KSS), Target (TGT), BJ’s Wholesale (BJ), and Middle-class Squeeze Thematic Leader Costco Wholesale (COST) will also issue their latest quarterly results. Those reports combined with the ones this week, including solid results from TJX Companies (TJX) last week should offer a more complete look at consumer spending, and where that spending is occurring. Given the discussion several paragraphs above, TJX’s results last week, and the monthly sales reports from Costco, odds are quite good that Costco should serve up yet another report showcasing consumer wallet share gains.

Outside of apparel and home, reports from United Natural Foods (UNFI) and National Beverage (FIZZ) should corroborate the accelerating shift toward food and beverages that are part of our Cleaner Living investing theme. In that vein, I’ll be intrigued to see what Tematica Select List resident International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has to say about the demand for its line of organic and natural solutions.

The same can be said with Kroger (KR) as well as its efforts to fend off Thematic King Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT). Tucked inside of Kroger’s comments, we will be curious to see what the company says about digital grocery shopping and delivery. On Kroger’s last earnings conference call, Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen shared the following, “We are aggressively investing to build digital platforms because they give our customers the ability to have anything, anytime, anywhere from Kroger, and because they’re a catalyst to grow our business and improve margins in the future.” Now to see what progress has been achieved over the last 90 or so days and what Kroger has to say about the late-Friday report that Amazon will launch its own chain of supermarkets.

 

Tematica Investing

As you can see in the chart above, for the most part, our Thematic Leaders have been delivering solid performance. Shares of Costco Wholesale (COST) and Nokia (NOK) are notable laggards, but with Costco’s earnings report later this week which will also include its February same-store sales, I see the company’s business and the shares once again coming back into investor favor as it continues to win consumer wallet share. That was clearly evident in its December and January same-store sales reports. With Nokia, coming out of Mobile World Congress 2019 last week, we have confirmation that 5G is progressing, with more network launches coming and more devices coming as well in the coming quarters. We’ll continue to be patient with NOK shares.

 

Adding significantly to our position in Thematic Leader Dycom Industries

There are two positions on the leader board – Aging of the Population AMN Healthcare (AMN) and Digital Infrastructure Dycom Industries (DY) – that are in the red. The recent and sharp drop in Dycom shares follows the company’s disappointing quarterly report in which costs grew faster than 14.3% year over year increase in revenue, pressuring margins and the company’s bottom line. As we’ve come to expect this alongside the near-term continuation of those margin pressures, as you can see below, simply whacked DY shares last week, dropping them into oversold territory.

 

When we first discussed Dycom’s business, I pointed out the seasonal tendencies of its business, and that likely means some of the February winter weather brought some added disruptions as will the winter weather that is hitting parts of the country as you read this. Yet, we know that Dycom’s top customers – AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), Comcast (CMCSA) and CenturyLink (CTL) are busy expanding the footprint of their connective networks. That’s especially true with the 5G buildout efforts at AT&T and Verizon, which on a combined basis accounted for 42% of Dycom’s January quarter revenue.

Above I shared that coming out of Mobile World Congress 2019, commercial 5G deployments are likely to be a 2020 event but as we know the networks, base stations, and backhaul capabilities will need to be installed ahead of those launches. To me, this strongly suggests that Dycom’s business will improve in the coming quarters, and as that happens, it’s bound to move down the cost curve as efficiencies and other aspects of higher utilization are had. For that reason, we are using last week’s 26% drop in DY shares to double our position size in DY shares on the Thematic Leader board. This will reduce our blended cost basis to roughly $64 from the prior $82. As we buy up the shares, I’m also resetting our price target on DY shares to $80, down from the prior $100, which offers significant upside from the current share price and our blended cost basis.

If you’re having second thoughts on this decision, think of it this way – doesn’t it seem rather strange that DY shares would fall by such a degree given the coming buildout that we know is going to occur over the coming quarters? If Dycom’s customers were some small, regional operators I would have some concerns, but that isn’t the case. These customers will build out those networks, and it means Dycom will be put to work in the coming quarters, generating revenue, profits, and cash flow along the way.

In last week’s Tematica Investing I dished on Warren Buffett’s latest letter to Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) shareholders. In thinking about Dycom, another Buffett-ism comes to mind – “Opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble.” Since this is a multi-quarter buildout for Dycom, we will need to be patient, but as we know for the famous encounter between the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.

  • We are doubling down on Dycom (DY) shares on the Thematic Leader board and adjusting our price target to $80 from $100, which still offers significant upside from our new cost basis as the 5G and gigabit fiber buildout continues over the coming quarters.

 

As the pace of earnings slows, over the next few weeks I’ll not only be revisiting the recent 25% drop in Aging of the Population Thematic Leader AMN Healthcare to determine if we should make a similar move like the one we are doing with Dycom, but I’ll also be taking closer looks at wireless charging company Energous Corp. (WATT) and The Alkaline Water Company (WTER). Those two respectively fall under our Disruptive Innovators and Cleaner Living investing themes. Are they worthy of making it onto the Select List or bumping one of our Thematic Leaders? We’ll see…. And as I examine these two, I’m also pouring over some candidates to fill the Guilty Pleasure vacancy on the leader board.

 

 

Weekly Issue: Thematic M&A and Adding Back a Digital Infrastructure Position

Weekly Issue: Thematic M&A and Adding Back a Digital Infrastructure Position

Key points inside this issue

  • Despite the stock market’s year to date gains, concerns remain for December quarter earnings season
  • Thematic M&A was rampant in 2018
  • Our price targets on AMN Healthcare (AMN), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) and Netflix (NFLX) remain $75, $550 and $500, respectively.
  • Putting shares of Guilty Pleasure thematic leader Altria (MO) on watch
  • We are issuing a Buy on and adding back shares of Digital Infrastructure company, USA Technologies (USAT), to the Tematica Select List with a price target of $10.

 

Despite the stock market’s year to date gains, concerns remain for December quarter earnings season

Over the last week, stocks continued to move higher placing all the major domestic stock market averages higher. Quite the turn from what we saw in much of the December quarter that evaporated all of 2018’s gains. Part of the rebound reflects the harsh beating that many stocks received as investors came to grips with the various factors that I’ve been discussing here over the last two months. The down and dirty summation of those factors is this: the global economy continues to slow and it is raising questions over not only GDP prospects for the coming year but also earnings.

Stoking those earnings growth concerns were negative pre-announcements from Apple (AAPL), Samsung, LG, Macy’s (M), Target (TGT) and Kohl’s (KSS) over the last two weeks. That combination points to slower smartphone demand, but I continue to see it picking up in the coming quarters as the Disruptive Innovation that is 5G ripples its way across our Digital Infrastructure and Digital Lifestyle investing themes.  This week we can add Delta Airlines (DAL), Dialog Semiconductor (DLGNF), Nordstrom (JWN), Electronics for Imaging (EFII), Sherwin Williams (SHW) and Ford Motor Company (F) to that list as well as earnings misses from Wells Fargo (WFC), BlackRock (BLK) and others. Not exactly a vote of confidence for the December quarter earnings season.

Adding fuel to the uncertainty, this morning rail company Genesee & Wyoming (GWR) reported traffic volumes for December fell 4.8% year over year. That piles on the limited data we are getting, which included the January reading for the Empire State Manufacturing Survey General Business Conditions Index that fell to 3.9 from 11.5 in December. That drop was led by a deceleration in new orders, inventories, and the number of employees. The survey’s six-month outlook also dropped, falling to 17.8 from 30.6 last month. These data points fit the view that there is a slowdown in manufacturing activity, which has piqued concerns about a broader slowdown in economic activity unfolding in 2019.

On top of that, yesterday Sen. Chuck Grassley said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer saw little progress on “structural issues” in last week’s talks with China. These issues include intellectual property, stealing trade secrets, and putting pressure on corporations to share information with the Chinese government and industries. These issues are the very ones I was concerned about in terms of the trade negotiations. With China cutting its growth forecast some days ago to 6% from 6.5% and more data pointing to that economy cooling, there is likely room for the trade talks to include those issues, but my concern remains the ticking timeline until tariffs jump further. If that comes to pass, it would be another headwind to the global economy and corporate earnings for the coming quarters.

Given all of that, I remain concerned with the December quarter earnings season that will kick into gear next week and what it could do for the stock market’s recent rebound. We’ll continue to keep the long position in ProShares Short S&P 500 (SH) in play as we watch and listen to the thematic signals we see. One great thematic signal this week for our Guilty Pleasures investing theme is that Pizza Hut, owned by Yum Brands (YUM) is expanding beer delivery to 300 restaurants across seven states later this month. Amazing to think that only now Pizza Hut is realizing one of the great culinary pairings of Pizza and beer as it looks to offer customer one-stop shopping as well as capture that incremental revenue and profits. Odds are there will be some element of our Digital Lifestyle theme at play, given the push toward mobile orders we are seeing across the restaurant industry. Now to see what beer they offer… hopefully, it will be more than just the big brand beers like Budweiser.

Another signal that points to the bleeding over of our Digital Lifestyle, Disruptive Innovators and Aging of the Population themes is the partnering between Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Microsoft (MSFT). Over the next several years, the two will research and develop new methods of delivering healthcare services through digital devices, including virtually connecting people with Walgreens stores.

We at Tematica see thematic signals for our 10 investing themes practically everywhere… and that means we will continue using them to build and refine our investing mosaic in the days, weeks and months ahead. As we navigate the next few weeks, we may have a change or two on the Thematic Leaders and a few companies that make it onto the Contender List for when the stock market finds its footing.

 

Thematic M&A was rampant in 2018

Over the last two weeks, we here at Tematica have been reviewing the thematic database of more than 2,400 stocks that we’ve ranked based on their exposure to our 10 investment themes. That was no small project let me tell you, and it was a key initiative for 2018. In looking back over that body of work, I noticed more than a dozen companies that were in the database at the start of last year had been acquired during the second half of 2018. Here’s a short list of what I’m talking about:

As you can see, the acquisition activity was spread across a number of our themes and included both strategic and financial buyers. In each case, the buyer looked to fill a competitive hole be it a product, market or technology. That’s the classic finance take on it, but we know those buyers were looking to solidify their exposure to the thematic tailwinds that are powering their businesses or in some cases expose themselves to another one.

Are we likely to see more thematically based M&A in the coming months?

My view is yes, particularly as the global economy slows and companies look to deliver top and bottom line growth be it on an organic or acquired basis.

Adding back shares of Digital Infrastructure company USA Technologies

Today I am calling shares of mobile payments company, USA Technologies (USAT),  back onto the Tematica Select List following news earlier this week about the results of an internal investigation into its accounting practices. You may recall that last year, USAT shares were a high flyer for the Select List. However, upon learning that the USAT board would conduct an internal investigation into the accounting of certain of its present and past contractual arrangements and its financial reporting controls and would miss filing the company’s 10-K, we smartly jettisoned the shares near $10.25 last September.

We had been trimming the position at higher levels near $14 in the preceding months, but in light of those developments we “got out of Dodge”, so to speak, and did not stick around for the free fall to $3.44 by early December. While we continued to see growing adoption of mobile payments, especially at USAT’s core market of vending machines and unattended retail, we also saw the stock price pain associated with these investigations and potential financial restatements. “No thanks” was my thinking.

The company on Monday announced both the findings of its internal investigation and remedial actions to be implemented by the board. It also shared that it is working to file its 10-K as soon as possible and disclosed the departures of both its chief financial officer (CFO) and chief services officer (CSO). In tandem with those announcements, USAT also shared it is in negotiations for a new CFO.

In terms of the investigation and the planned responses, the company’s Audit Committee found that, for certain transactions, USAT had prematurely recognized revenue and, in some cases, the reported number of connections associated with the transactions under review. The committee went on to recommend the company enhance its internal controls and its compliance and legal functions; expand its public disclosures; and consider appropriate employment actions related to certain employees as well as splitting the roles of chairman and CEO.

These measures, along with the departure of the CFO and CSO, are not surprising, but they do put USAT on the path to restoring investor confidence in its reporting. While this investigation was happening the market for mobile payments continued to be on a tear as companies such as PepsiCo (PEP) inked a new five-year agreement with USAT.

Clearly, there is more work to be completed, and there is the risk that we are re-entering these shares on the early side. However, as we have seen in the past, as these clouds lift investors will focus on the tailwinds of the business, which in this case are centered on mobile payments and are improving. Therefore, we will resume ownership of USAT shares and look to scale on potential stock price weakness when the company formally restates its revenue and other key metrics. Better a bit early than too late is my thinking on this one.

Our previous price target on USAT shares was $16. However, we should prudently assume that several of the underlying financial metrics will be restated lower. Consequently, I’m taking a haircut relative to our prior target and putting out a new price target of $10. As the company releases its updated financials, I’ll look to fine-tune that price target as needed

  • We are issuing a Buy on and adding back shares of Digital Infrastructure company, USA Technologies (USAT), to the Tematica Select List with a price target of $10.

 

The Thematic Leaders

As the stock market moved higher week over week as of last night’s close, we saw several Thematic Leaders move higher. These included Aging of the Population leader AMN Healthcare (AMN), and Clean Living leader Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) as well as Thematic King Amazon (AMZN). The big winner, however, was Digital Lifestyle leader Netflix (NFLX), which yesterday announced it would boost prices for its monthly memberships by 13% to 18%. This marks the company’s biggest price increase and I suspect was well thought out by the management team, given the increasingly competitive playing field. That price increase should drive Wall Street’s revenue expectations higher and improve its ability to not only spend on proprietary content but also its ability to service its quarterly debt costs.

  • Our price targets on AMN Healthcare (AMN), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) and Netflix (NFLX) remain $75, $550 and $500, respectively.

 

Putting Altria shares on watch

Even though we’re just a few weeks into 2019, shares of Guilty Pleasure leader Altria have been underperforming on both an absolute basis and a relative one compared to the S&P 500. Weighing the shares down are questions over its ability to recoup the $12.8 billion investment for a 35% stake, in e-vapor market leader Juul Labs (JUUL). While this is part of the company’s efforts to reposition itself, given prospects for continued declines in its core tobacco market, complicating things is the FDA’s move to stub out youth access to e-vapor and flavored cigarettes.

Odds are this will take several years to come about but it raises questions as to whether Altria is trading one shrinking market for another. Candidly, I would have preferred Altria take that $12.5 billion and spread it across several cannabis investments. I’ll continue to be patient for now with this thematic leader, however, I’ll be looking at several in the coming days that could offer a far better risk to return tradeoff.

 

Looking past this week’s market relief rally

Looking past this week’s market relief rally

As expected, the last few days in the market have been a proverbial see-saw, which culminated in the sharp market rally following the mid-term elections. The outcome, which saw the Democrats gain ground in Washington, was largely expected. We’ll see in the coming weeks and months the degree of gridlock to be had in Washington and what it means for the economy, but we have to remember several other concerning items remain ahead of us. To jog memories, these include the next round of budget talks between Italy and EU, which should occur next week; continued rate hikes by the Fed as it looks to stave off inflation and get more tools back for the next eventual recession; and upcoming trade talks between the US-China.

While we like the mid-week, market rebound and what it did for the Thematic Leaders as well as positions on the Select List, the upcoming events outlined above suggest near-term caution is still warranted. Shares of McCormick & Co. (MKC) International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) as well as Altria (MO), AMN Healthcare (AMN) and Costco Wholesale (COST) have been on a tear of late. Earlier this week, Costco reported its October same-store sales results, which once again confirmed this Middle-class Squeeze company is taking wallet share.

Yesterday, mobile infrastructure company Ericsson (ERIC) held its annual Capital Markets event at which it spoke in a bullish tone over 5G rollouts, so much so that it raised its 2020 targets. I see that along with other similar comments in the last few weeks as very positive for our positions in Digital Infrastructure leader Dycom (DY) and Disruptive Innovator Nokia Corp. (NOK) as well as AXT Inc. (AXTI) shares.

 

Axon’s – September quarter earnings and an upgrade

Over the last few weeks, share of Safety & Security Thematic Leader Axon Enterprises (AAXN) have come under considerable pressure, but on Tuesday night the company reported September quarter earnings of $0.20 per share, crushing the consensus view of $0.13 per share as both revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) soared. Axon then reiterated its full-year guidance which hinged on the continued adoption of its Axon camera and cloud-storage business. Year over year, the number of cloud seats booked by customers rose to 325,200 exiting September up from 187,400 twelve months earlier. The combination of the 25% pullback in the shares quarter to date and that upbeat outlook led JPMorgan Chase to upgrade the shares to Overweight from Neutral.

Yes, we are down with the shares, but as the market settles out I’ll look to add to the position and improve our cost basis along the way. I continue to expect Axon will eventually acquire rival Digital Ally (DGLY) and its $31 million market cap, removing the current legal overhang on the shares. Our price target remains $90.

 

Disney earnings on deck tonight

After tonight’s market close, Disney (DIS) will report its quarterly results, and while we are not expecting any surprises for the September quarter, it’s the comments surrounding the company’s streaming strategy and integration of the Fox assets that will be in focus. Expectations for the September quarter are EPS of $1.34 on revenue of $13.73 billion. Our position on Disney has been and continues to be that based on the success of its streaming services, investors will need to revisit how they value DIS shares as it goes direct to the consumer with a cash-flow friendly subscription business model. Our price target for DIS shares remains $125.

 

Del Frisco’s earnings to follow next week

Monday morning, Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group (DFRG) also postponed its quarterly earnings report from until Tuesday, Nov. 13, citing “additional time required to finalize the accounting and tax treatment of our acquisition of Barteca Restaurant Group, disposition of Sullivan’s Steakhouse, a secondary offering of common stock and debt syndication.”

Coincidence? Perhaps, but it raises questions over the bench strength of these companies as they reshape their business. If you’ve ever been in a negotiation, you know things can slip, but following GNC’s postponement, we are at heightened alert levels with Del Frisco’s. We knew this was going to be a sloppy earnings report and we clearly have confirmation; our only question is why didn’t the management team wait to announce its earnings date until it had dotted its Is and crossed its Ts on all of these items?

To some extent, I am expecting a somewhat messy report in light of the sale of its Sullivan’s business and its common stock offering early in the quarter that raised more than $90 million. In parsing the company’s report, I will be focusing on revenue growth for the ongoing business as well as its profit generation considering that earnings-per-share comparisons could be challenging if not complicated versus the year-ago quarter. Nonetheless, the reported quarterly results will be gauged at least initially against the consensus view, which heading into the weekend sat at a loss per share of $0.25 on revenue of $120 million. For the December quarter, one of the company’s seasonally strongest, Del Frisco’s is expected to guide to EPS near $0.23 on revenue of $144 million.

So far this earnings season we’ve heard how restaurant companies including Bloomin’ Brands Inc. (BLMN), Ruth’s Hospitality Group (RUTH), Del Taco Restaurants Inc. (TACO), Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) and more recently Wingstop Inc. (WING) are seeing their margins benefitting from food deflation. Along with a pickup in average check size owing to prior price increases, these companies have delivered margin improvement and expanding EPS. I expect the same from Del Frisco’s. When coupled with an expected uptick in holiday spending and consumer sentiment running at high levels, we remain bullish on DFRG shares heading into Monday’s earnings report. Our price target on DFRG shares remains $14.

 

What to Watch Next Week

On the economic front, we’ll get more inflation data in the form of the October CPI report next week, which follows tomorrow’s October PPI one. In both we hear at Tematica will be scrutinizing the year over year comparisons and given the growing number of companies issuing price increases we expect to see those reflected in these October as well as November inflation reports. If the figures come in hotter than expected, expect that to reignite Fed rate hike concerns. Also, next week, we have the October reports for Retail Sales and Industrial Production as well as the first look at November with the Empire Manufacturing and Philly Fed indices.

With the October Retail Sales report, we’ll be once again parsing it to compare against the October same-store sales reported yesterday by Costco Wholesale (COST), which were up 8.6% year over year (+6.6% core). Odds are we will once again have formal confirmation that Costco is taking consumer wallet share.

Compared to the more than 1,200 earnings reports we had this week, the 345 or so next week will be a proverbial walk in the park. there will be several key reports to watch including Home Depot (HD), Macy’s (M), JC Penney (JCP), Williams Sonoma (WSM), and WalMart (WMT). We’ll be matching their forecasts for the current quarter up against the 2018 holiday shopping forecasts from the National Retail Federation, Adobe (ADBE) and others that call for overall holiday shopping to rise 4.0%-5.5% with online shopping climbing more than 15% year over year. I continue to see that as very positive for our shares in Amazon (AMZN), Costco and United Parcel Service (UPS) as well as McCormick & Co. (MKC).

Perhaps the biggest wild card next week will be the Italian budget and as we near the end of this week, things are already getting heated on that front. Today, the Italian government said it is sticking with its plan to rapidly increase public spending despite the budget dispute with the European Union, and it has no intention of revising its plan by next week. As background, Italy is the third largest economy in the EU, and if a joint resolution is not reached we expect this to reignite talk of “Italeave,” which will stoke once again questions over the durability of the EU. Given its size compared to Greece, the Italian situation is one we will be watching closely in the coming days.

Introducing The Thematic Leaders

Introducing The Thematic Leaders

 

Several weeks ago began the arduous task of recasting our investment themes, shrinking them down to 10 from the prior 17 in the process. This has resulted in a more streamlined and cohesive investment mosaic. As part of that recasting, we’ve also established a full complement of thematic positions, adding ones, such as Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) and Altria (MO) in themes that have been underrepresented on the Select List. The result is a stronghold of thematic positions with each crystalizing and embodying their respective thematic tailwinds.

This culmination of these efforts is leading us to christen those 10 new Buy or rechristened Buy positions as what are calling The Thematic Leaders:

  1. Aging of the Population – AMN Healthcare (AMN)
  2. Clean Living – Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG)
  3. Digital Lifestyle – Netflix (NFLX)
  4. Digital Infrastructure –  Dycom Industries (DY)
  5. Disruptive Innovators – Universal Display (OLED)
  6. Guilty Pleasure – Altria (MO)
  7. Living the Life – Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group (DFRG)
  8. Middle-Class Squeeze – Costco Wholesale (COST)
  9. Rise of the New Middle-Class – Alibaba (BABA)
  10. Safety & Security – Axon Enterprises (AAXN)

 

By now you’ve probably heard me or Tematica’s Chief Macro Strategist Lenore Hawkins mention how Amazon (AMZN) is the poster child of thematic investing given that it touches on nearly all of the 10 investing themes. That’s true, and that is why we are adding Amazon to the Thematic Leaders in the 11th slot. Not quite a baker’s dozen, but 11 strong thematic positions.

One question that you’ll likely have, and it’s a logical and fare one, is what does this mean for the Select List?

We wouldn’t give up on companies like Apple (AAPL), Alphabet (GOOGL), Disney (DIS), McCormick & Co. (MKC) and several other well-positioned thematic businesses that are on the Select List. So, we are keeping both with the Thematic Leaders as the ones that offer the most compelling risk-to-reward tradeoff and the greater benefit from the thematic tailwinds. When we have to make an adjustment to the list of Thematic Leaders, a company may be moved to the Select List in a move that resembles a move to a Hold from a Buy as it is replaced with a company that offers better thematic prospects and share price appreciation. Unlike Wall Street research, however, our Hold means keeping the position in intact to capture any and all additional upside.

Another way to look at it, is if asked today, which are the best thematically positioned stocks to buy today, we’d point to the Thematic Leaders list, while the Select List includes those companies that still have strong tailwinds behind their business model but for one reason or another might not be where we’d deploy additional capital. A great example is Netflix vs. Apple, both are riding the Digital Lifestyle tailwind, but at the current share price, Netflix offers far greater upside than Apple shares, which are hovering near our $225 price target.

After Apple’s Apple Watch and iPhone event last week, which in several respects underwhelmed relative to expectations despite setting up an iPhone portfolio at various price points, odds are the iPhone upgrade cycle won’t accelerate until the one for 5G. The question is will that be in 2019 or 2020? Given that 5G networks will begin next year, odds are we only see modest 5G smartphone volumes industry-wide in 2019 with accelerating volumes in 2020. Given Apple’s history, it likely means we should expect a 5G iPhone in 2020. Between now and then there are several looming positives, including its growing Services business and the much discussed but yet to be formally announced streaming video business. I continue to suspect the latter will be subscription based.  That timing fits with our long-term investing style, and as I’ve said before, we’re patient investors so I see no need to jettison AAPL shares at this time.

The bottom line is given the upside to be had, Netflix shares are on the Thematic Leaders list, while Apple shares remain on the Select List. The incremental adoption by Apple of the organic light emitting diode display technology in two of its three new iPhone models bodes rather well for shares of Universal Display (OLED), which have a $150 price target.

Other questions…

Will we revisit companies on the Select List? Absolutely. As we are seeing with Apple’s Services business as well as moves by companies like PepsiCo (PEP) and Coca-Cola (KO) that are tapping acquisitions to ride our Clean Living investing tailwind, businesses can morph over time. In some cases, it means the addition of a thematic tailwind or two can jumpstart a company’s business, while in other cases, like with Disney’s pending launch of its own streaming service, it can lead to a makeover in how investors should value its business(es).

Will companies fall off the Select List?

Sadly, yes, it will happen from time to time. When that does happen it will be due to changes in the company’s business such that its no longer riding a thematic tailwind or other circumstances emerge that make the risk to reward tradeoff untenable. One such example was had when we removed shares of Digital Infrastructure company USA Technologies (USAT) from the Select List to the uncertainties that could arise from a Board investigation into the company’s accounting practices and missed 10-K filing date.

For the full list of both the Thematic Leaders and the Select List, click here

To recap, I see this as an evolution of what we’ve been doing that more fully reflects the power of all of our investing themes. In many ways, we’re just getting started and this is the next step…. Hang on, I think you’ll love the ride as team Tematica and I continue to bring insight through our Thematic Signals, our Cocktail Investing podcast and Lenore’s Weekly Wrap.

 

 

WEEKLY ISSUE: Revisiting Aging of the Population theme and introducing a new position

WEEKLY ISSUE: Revisiting Aging of the Population theme and introducing a new position

Key points inside this issue

  • We are issuing a Buy on and adding shares of AMN Healthcare (AMN) to the Tematica Investing Select List with a price target of $75.

Today we complete the recasting of our 10 investment themes that we’ve undertaken over the last several weeks. That process has led to several new investment positions and today we have a new one as well as we revisit our Aging of the Population investing theme.

Stepping back a few paces, I recognize that we’ve introduced several new positions in as many weeks. Hang tight for a day or two, and I’ll share the logic behind what we’ve been up to, and I suspect you’re going to nod your head as you read it. For now, let’s get to Aging of the Population and that new pick.

 

There Is Just No Fighting Father Time

As we look around us, it’s rather obvious that people are living longer, which in many respects is a good thing, but those extra years have a significant impact on society. As we age our needs and abilities change, and with that so do the services and products that we consume.

According to a National Center for Health Statistics report released in 2016, the average life expectancy in the U.S. stands at 78.8 years on average, with women outlasting men by a few years 81.2 years of age vs. 76.6 years. By 2030, the Administration on Aging (AOA) estimates there will be about 72.1 million people aged 65 or older, more than twice their number in 2000. In 2010, the baby boom generation was between 46 and 64 years old, and that generation is now beginning to enter their 70s.

Over the next 13 years, all of the baby boomers will have moved into the senior generation, resulting in a major structural shift in demographics. From 2010 to 2030, the percent of the population over 65 will increase from 13 percent to 19 percent while the percent of the U.S. population aged 20-64, the primary working years, will decrease from 60 percent to 55 percent. The broadening of the upper age pyramid is poised to significantly impact demands on healthcare, housing and transportation and question the ongoing viability of social service programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Ah, yes more fun times to be had in Washington over the next decade.

 

We in the United States are hardly alone in this demographic shift 

Canada, Japan, and most of Europe have an even higher percentage of their populations in the older age brackets. According to population projections from the United Nations published in its 2013 “World Population Ageing” report, the global population aged 65 and older will triple over the next 40 years, from 500 million in 2010 to 1.5 billion by 2050, thus doubling the share of this demographic across the world from 8 percent to 16 percent. There is a shift toward older age brackets in almost every country as people live longer and have fewer children. Digging into the specifics of that UN report one sees that:

  • Roughly 26 percent of Japan’s population is aged 65 or older, and 32.2 percent are expected to be senior citizens there by 2030
  • Germany has 17 million people who are aged 65 and older, and that number is expected to swell to 21 million by 2030.
  • By 2030, there are projected to be nearly 16 million retirees in Italy with 25.5 percent of Italian citizens anticipated to be 65 or older.
  • There are 8.4 million Spaniards age 65 or older, and they comprise 17.6 percent of Spain’s population. Those numbers are estimated to grow to 11.5 million in 2030 when this age group is expected to make up 22 percent of the population.

How does this stack up against what it used to be?

Per historical data from the UN, life expectancy was 65 years in 1950 in the more developed regions, as compared with 42 years in the less developed regions. (Note that the latter number was heavily skewed by higher child-mortality rates.) Between 2010 and 2015, these figures are estimated to be 78 years in the more developed regions and 68 years in the less developed regions. The gap is expected to narrow even further: By 2045 to 2050, life expectancy is projected to reach 83 years in the more developed regions, and 75 years in the less developed regions.

As the life expectancy gap narrowed between developed and less developed regions, the average age expectancy of both groups increased. The number of people 65 and older was 841 million in 2013, four times higher than the 202 million seen in 1950. This population is expected to nearly triple by 2050 when its number is expected to surpass the two billion mark. The proportion of the world’s 65-or-older population is expected to increase to 21 percent in 2050 from just 12 percent in 2013 and 8 percent in 1950.

This living longer is the basis for our Aging of the Population investment theme. It will lead to new products and services that cater to the needs of this increasing “older population ”demographic, but it also means greater demands on savings and investments. Unfortunately, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the average household aged 56-61 has amassed a retirement nest egg of just $163,000 which equates to an average monthly income of just $681 across a 20-year retirement according to EPI. Worse yet, an estimated 41% of households aged 55-64 have no retirement savings at all and over 20% of married Social Security recipients and 43% of single recipients 65 and over rely on their monthly benefit checks to provide at least 90% of their income.

The big issue facing the nation is the assumption of a 20-year retirement time period when data from the Social Security Administration shows one out of every four 65-year-olds today will live past the age of 90, while one out of 10 will live past 95. It’s no wonder 60% of baby boomers claim they’re more afraid of outliving their savings than actually dying. This is a massive problem across much of the world as rising life expectancies place much greater strains on government managed retirement programs while the percent of the population paying into those programs declines. Payout levels are growing while relative contribution levels are declining.

 

Who will ride the Aging of the Population tailwind?

The bottom line with this massive worldwide demographic shift towards a more senior population is a reallocation of spending and consumption habits. Money that was once dedicated to supporting a young and growing family will increasingly shift toward spending that serves an aging population. Pronounced spending shifts such as these can have a dramatic impact and in this case, the snowballing of the “older population” likely means an even greater compounding effect will be had.

How big will this overall aging lifestyle-spending shift be?

According to research firm A.T. Kearny, worldwide spending (remember the aging of the population is global) by mature consumers is forecasted to reach $15 trillion annually by 2020. That’s a large opportunity for industries that are meeting the particular needs of consumers age 65 and older and with the aging population only expected to grow further between 2020 and 2030, spending by this cohort will grow substantially in the coming decade-plus. It also likely means that more companies will tailor products and services to meet this opportunity.

There are a number of industries that will likely be beneficiaries. Some are obvious — healthcare, pharmaceuticals and medical technology are what come to mind for most people and certainly receive significant weighting in the Aging of the Population index. Others are less obvious but just as important and likely to feel the same thematic impact. We’re talking about:

  • A shift in demand for different types of housing as seniors give up on the homestead and move into easier to maintain condos and townhouses.
  • An even greater focus on online retailers that will deliver purchases directly to the home, rather than having to go out and carry purchases from the store to the car and then into the home. Also driving this shift will be younger children making purchases for their aging parents and having them shipped directly to their home.
  • Financial Services stands right in the middle of the storm as the wealthiest generation in history starts to draw down on assets to fund retirement rather than accumulate more and more each year.
  • Fountain of Youth goods and services will be in even higher demand as Baby Boomers have shown they are not likely to let go of their youth easily.
  • And finally, technology and services that will help maintain independence— we’re talking about robots, digital assistants, monitoring equipment and even things such as the autonomous car.

 

Enter AMN Healthcare

One of the key aspects of our Aging of the Population investing theme centers on the aging of the baby-boomer generation and the corresponding needs and pain points. Looking at the domestic population, no matter the data or the source, it all points to the same thing — more people over age 65 than ever before.

Now for the real whammy: According to the National Council on Aging, 80% of older adults have at least one chronic condition, and 68% have at least two. Combined with the underlying demographic shift, this will place far greater demands on the domestic health care system in the coming years.

While many tend to focus on any one of the various aspects of the health care systems, the combination of the aging population and chronic conditions is a demand driver for nurses. But here’s the problem: The U.S. has been dealing with nursing constraints over the last few decades. Viewed against the aging population and an aging nursing workforce with limited capacity at nursing schools, that constraint is looking more and more like an outright shortage.

  • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2014-2024, Registered Nursing (RN) is listed among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2024. The RN workforce is expected to grow from 2.7 million in 2014 to 3.2 million in 2024, an increase of 439,300 or 16%. The Bureau also projects the need for 649,100 replacement nurses in the workforce bringing the total number of job openings for nurses due to growth and replacements to 1.09 million by 2024.
  • By 2025, the shortfall is expected to be “more than twice as large as any nurse shortage experienced since the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in the mid- 1960s,” according to Vanderbilt University nursing researchers.
  • Roughly a million registered nurses (RNs) are older than 50, according to the American Nurses Association. What this means is roughly one-third of the current nursing workforce will reach retirement age in the next 10 to 15 years. Some estimates place the total number of nurses expected to exit the position as high as 700,000 over the next eight years.

 

Where does this leave us?

The nursing shortage that we’ve identified as part of our Aging of the Population theme looks to benefit from both a significant increase in demand but also a scarce-resource tailwind as well. That combined tailwind has been extremely beneficial to the shares of AMN Healthcare Services (AMN), a healthcare workforce and staffing solutions company with an emphasis on the nursing industry. Tematica Investing subscribers should be familiar with the company given the AMN shares resided on the Tematica Investing Select List from August 2016 until May 2017, when we were stopped out of the position.

Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) estimates that the segments of the target market in which AMN primarily operate have an aggregate 2018 estimated market size of $17 billion, of which travel nurse, per diem nurse, locum tenens and allied healthcare comprise $5.4 billion, $3.7 billion, $3.7 billion and $4.2 billion, respectively. Based on the consensus revenue forecast of $2.15 billion this year for AMN, the company has approximately 12.5% market share across those aggregate markets. And as the population continues ages, those figures will continue to rise, giving the opportunity for AMN to place not only nurses but assist in other physician leadership searches as part of its Managed Service Program offering. Generally speaking, AMN’s revenue and profit stream reflect the number of healthcare professionals it has placed on assignment multiplied by the average bill rate. More than likely as the shortage continues, the company’s average bill rate is poised to move higher making for nice incremental margin gains.

The question to be asked now is if there is sufficient upside in AMN shares to have them rejoin the Select List at current levels?

Looking at the discrepancy in the monthly JOLTS reports between the number of healthcare job openings vs. the number of filled healthcare jobs, we know the healthcare workers shortage pain point remains. Over the 12 months ending June 2018, per the monthly JOLTS report, the ratio of healthcare and social assistance job openings to hires has remained near 1.9x.  The analysis of the nursing shortage over the last few pages also tells us that it’s not going to be solved in one year’s time let alone in the coming few years, which means the sting of that pain point of that shortage will be felt some time to come. This will likely translate into continued top and bottom line growth for AMN as its revenue model capitalizes on that pain point. Should we see an increase in the number of new nurses coming into the market, this will likely augment AMN’s revenue stream as it leverages its market position and places a percentage of those new entrants.

Over the 2012-2020E period, AMN is expected to grow its bottom line at roughly a 17% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). As the nursing shortage pain point has intensified over the last several years, AMN shares have peaked at more than 21x earnings and bottomed out at an average P/E multiple at 14x. Applying these historic multiples implies upside from current levels to $72, with downside risk to $48. With more Baby Boomers turning 70 years old every day, odds are those historic PE multiples, particularly to the downside, will move higher in the coming years as the severity of the nursing and aging pain point is more fully recognized. While we could stretch the P/E multiple to warrant a $75-$85 price target (and downside to just under the current share price), a better way to view it would be to place a discounted P/E placed on expected EPS of $4.00 in 2020, which gives us a $75 price target.

  • We are issuing a Buy on and adding shares of AMN Healthcare (AMN) to the Tematica Investing Select List with a price target of $75.

 

Companies riding the Aging of the Population investing theme

  • A V Homes (AVHI)
  • Amedisys Inc. (AMED)
  • ANI Pharmaceuticals (ANIP)
  • Athene Holding (ATH)
  • Brookdale Senior Living (BKD)
  • Caretrust (CTRE)
  • Charles Schwab (SCHW)
  • Cross Country Healthcare (CCRN)
  • CVS Health (CVS)
  • Ensign Group (ENSG)
  • Estee Lauder (EL)
  • Express Scripts (ESRX)
  • Lab Corp. (LH)
  • Lindblad Expeditions (LIND)
  • Omega Healthcare (OHI)
  • Nu Skin (NUS)
  • Physicians Services (DOC)
  • Quest Diagnostics (DGX)
  • Service Corp (SCI)
  • Spok Holdings (SPOK)
  • StoneMor Partners (STON) – basically the same and AMN
  • Wright Medical Group (WMGI)
  • Zimmer Biomet Holdings (ZBH)
  • Zoetis (ZTS)

 

The Stock Market Marches Higher and So Does the Tematica Select List

The Stock Market Marches Higher and So Does the Tematica Select List

The last week has been a barn burner for a number of our positions on the Tematica Select List. We had earnings from AMN Healthcare (AMN) and International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) that led both positions to move higher, January Retail Sales that were bullish for our Amazon (AMZN) shares and to a lesser extent our Alphabet (GOOGL) shares, and big move in our Universal Display (OLED) shares. Part of the catalyst for that move in Universal Display (OLED) shares was bullish comments from Applied Materials (AMAT) on the rising capacity for organic light emitting diode displays. On the back of that as well as accelerating growth in chip demand, we added Applied Materials shares as a Disruptive Technology play on the Tematica Select List with a $47 price target.

Yesterday’s Flash February PMI reports from Markit Economics point to an improving global economy complete with input prices moving higher. We suspect this will be on the Fed’s mind as we get more data ahead of the March FOMC meeting that is just a few weeks out. Our position is the Fed is likely to wait until firm details of President Trump’s economy stimulus plans and tax overhaul have been announced and digested. Given the likelihood that won’t happen ahead of the March FOMC meeting, we think there is a higher probability the next Fed rate hike will be had at its May meeting. Of course, the coming data will be key and that means pouring over the next iteration of Fed meeting minutes that will be published later today.

Later in the week, we have earnings from Universal Display (OLED). Consensus expectations for Universal’s December quarter results are EPS of $0.42 on $68.6 million in revenue. We expect a bullish outlook to be had when Universal reports its results this Thursday. Our price target on OLED shares sits at $80.

Before we get to some housekeeping items, here’s a quick recap of where our various positions sit on the Tematica Select List. Remember, our thematic style of investing is long-term in nature, which means we are inclined to use share price weakness to scale into Buy rated positions provided the thematic thesis remains intact:

 

Buy rated stocks on the Tematica Select List continue to be:

  • Alphabet (GOOGL) – Asset-Lite Business Models
  • Amazon (AMZN) – Connected Society
  • Applied Materials (AMAT) – Disruptive Technology
  • CalAmp Corp. (CAMP) – Connected Society
  • Disney (DIS) – Content is King
  • Dycom Industries (DY) – Connected Society
  • Facebook (FB) – Connected Society
  • International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) – Rise & Fall of the Middle Class
  • McCormick & Co, (MKC) – Rise & Fall of the Middle Class
  • Nuance Communications (NUAN) – Disruptive Technology
  • PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF (HACK) – Safety & Security
  • Starbucks (SBUX) – Guilty Pleasure
  • United Natural Foods (UNFI) – Foods with Integrity

 

Subscribers should continue to hold shares of: 

  • AMN Healthcare (AMN) – Aging of the Population
  • AT&T (T) – Connected Society
  • Costco Wholesale (COST) – Cash-strapped Consumer
  • PowerShares NASDAQ Internet Portfolio ETF (PNQI – Connected Society

 

Remember, the full list of positions on the Tematica Select List, along with detailed price targets, recommended stop-limit prices and returns are always listed on the Holdings / Performance page you can access by clicking here or on the white and green “Select List Performance” box on the top right of this page.

 

Exciting Updates to Your Tematica Investing Service . . .

Amazing as it might seem, we’ve got less than one week to go until we close the book on February. We suspect you’re likely thinking that means before too long mild temperatures will be on the way, and we’re right there alongside you. Here at Tematica, we’ll be coming up on the one-year anniversary since we opted to self-publish our products. As we said at the time, we wanted more editorial control to provide the kind of service and insight we think our subscribers deserve.

Over the last year, you’ve probably noticed several happenings that build on our Monday Morning Kickoff and premium products, like Tematica Investing. We added weekly Thematic Signals, which is our Tematica take on “ripped from the headlines” but with a thematic perspective. As we see it, Thematic Signals is a constant reminder of our 17 investment themes at work in and around us each and every day. Those signals are posted to our website on nearly a daily basis and then an email is sent out summarizing all of them on Friday afternoons.

Lenore Hawkins
Tematica Research Chief Macro Strategist

A few months ago we brought Lenore Hawkins on as Tematica’s Global Macro Strategist, and if you’re not checking out Elle’s Economy over at TematicaResearch.com on a regular basis, we have to say you’re missing out.

More recently in a move that has Chris Versace’s as happy as a dog getting his belly scratched, we are back podcasting with Lenore chiming in as well with her usual wit and insights. We’ve already had the CEO of US Concrete (USCR) on the program as well as the CEO of mobile advertising disruptor Digital2Go, and we’ve got a number of great guests coming up in the coming weeks including IBM (IBM), InterDigital (IDCC), Skyworks Solutions (SWKS), Boxed, and several cyber security companies. Versace always enjoys these conversations because you never know what useful tidbits a guest might drop. You can find the Cocktail Investing podcast each and every week right here on TematicaResearch.com

 

After all of that, one might think we’d take it easy for a while . . . We’re not.

Rather, we’ve kicked things up even further by sharing our thoughts on a more frequent basis. You’ve probably noticed the “Tematica Investing Posts for XX/XX/2017” that have started to hit your email. Our thinking is the stock market is a quick moving and dynamic animal, not one that should only be addressed once per week. Each day, you’ll get a mid-day recap of what we’ve published in the last 24 hours including our latest thoughts on the economy, key thematic data points, new positions on the Tematica Select List (like yesterday’s Applied Materials (AMAT) addition), and position updates.

The goal is not to overwhelm you, but rather share in real-time digestible thematic insights and action that much like the Hippocratic oath is aimed at helping you be a smarter investor without doing any harm in the process.

We’d love to hear your feedback at customerservice@tematicaresearch.com