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Valens Research

Valens Equity Insights and Inflections - 2021 07 06

BERY has positioned itself as a market leader in making plastics greener. This, and the
company's steady consolidation of its industry, prime it to maintain its above industry average UAFRS-based (Uniform) ROA and above industry average growth. While the market is pricing returns to collapse to cycle lows, the company's strong strategy is likely to prime it for returns to remain strong going forward.

On top of that, management's compensation aligns them to focus specifically on maintaining high returns and stronger than industry average growth. Their compensation, around asset efficiency and margin expansion first and foremost point them to focus on the right drivers to maintain the company's strong execution. Management is specifically confident about their focus around strategies driving above average growth, innovation, and debt management that will lead to better performance than the market expects.

Considering low market expectations, management's smart strategy, favorable management alignment, and positive management outlook, there appears to be equity upside potential for BERY.

TGNA Q1 2021 Embedded Expectations Analysis – Market expectations are for Uniform ROA to erode, but management is excited about the Supreme Court ruling and confident about Premion and cost management

PLNT Q1 2021 Embedded Expectations Analysis – Market expectations are for Uniform ROA to rebound, but management may have concerns about member retention, advertising, and gym reopening

EPAM Q1 2021 Embedded Expectations Analysis – Market expectations are for Uniform ROA to reach new peaks, but management may have concerns about pricing, utilization, and Just-BI

BERY, EPAM, PLNT, TGNA, AMKR, BAH, CAT, CHGG, CPRT, DXC, GO, KTOS, LDOS, LEVI, MA, NVAX, XRAY
Underlyings
Amkor Technology Inc.

Amkor Technology is a provider of outsourced semiconductor packaging and test services, which include semiconductor wafer bump, wafer probe, wafer back-grind, package design, packaging, system-level and final test and drop shipment services. The company's Advanced Products include flip chip chip scale packages, wafer-level packages and flip chip ball grid array packages, while its Mainstream Products include leadframe packages, substrate-based wirebond packages and micro-electro-mechanical systems packages. The company provides its services to integrated device manufacturers, fabless semiconductor companies and contract foundries.

Berry Global Group Inc

Berry Global Group is a supplier of a range of non-woven products used within consumer and industrial end markets. The company's segments are: Consumer Packaging International, which includes recycling, bottles and canisters, containers, polythene films, and technical components product groups; Consumer Packaging North America, which includes containers and pails, foodservice, and tubes product groups; Engineered Materials, which includes stretch and shrink films, converter films, food and consumer films, retail bags, polyvinyl chloride films, and agriculture films product groups; and Health, and Hygiene and Specialties, which includes health products, hygiene products, and specialties products.

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation Class A

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding is a holding company. The company provides management and technology consulting, analytics, engineering, digital solutions, mission operations, and cyber knowledge to U.S. and international governments, corporations, and non-profit organizations. The company's services are: Consulting, which focuses on solving client problems and developing mission-oriented solutions; Analytics, which includes decision analytics, automation, and data science solutions; Digital Solutions, which develops, designs, and implements solutions; Engineering, which delivers engineering services and solutions; and Cyber, which focuses on active prevention, detection, and cost effectiveness.

Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company segments include: Construction Industries, which supports customers using machinery in infrastructure, forestry and building construction; Resource Industries, which supports customers using machinery in mining, heavy construction, quarry and aggregates, waste and material handling applications; Energy and Transportation, which supports customers in oil and gas, power generation, marine, rail and industrial applications, including Cat? machines; and Financial Products, which provides financing and related services.

Chegg Inc.

Chegg provides products and services that help students improve their outcomes throughout their educational journey. The company's offerings fall into two categories: Chegg Services, which encompasses all of its digital products and services such as Chegg Study, Chegg Writing, Chegg Tutors, Chegg Math Solver, and Other Services; and Required Materials, which primarily includes its print textbook and eTextbook offering. To deliver services to students, the company partners with a variety of third parties. The company sources print textbooks, eTextbooks, and supplemental materials directly or indirectly from publishers including Cengage Learning, Pearson, McGraw Hill, Sage Publications, and MacMillan.

Copart Inc.

Copart is a provider of online auctions and vehicle remarketing services. The company provides vehicle sellers with a range of services to process and sell vehicles primarily over the Internet through its Virtual Bidding Third Generation Internet auction-style sales technology. Vehicle sellers consist primarily of insurance companies, but also include banks, finance companies, charities, fleet operators, dealers and vehicles sourced directly from individual owners. The company sells the vehicles principally to licensed vehicle dismantlers, rebuilders, repair licensees, used vehicle dealers and exporters and, at certain locations, to the general public.

DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.

DENTSPLY SIRONA is a manufacturer of dental products and technologies. The company's Consumables segment is responsible for the design, manufacture, sales and distribution of the company's dental consumable products which include preventive, restorative, endodontic, and dental laboratory products. The company's Technologies and Equipment segment includes responsibility for the design, manufacture, sales and distribution of the company's dental technology and equipment products and healthcare consumable products, including dental implants, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing systems, orthodontic clear aligner products, imaging systems, treatment centers, instruments, and consumable medical device products.

DXC Technology Co.

DXC Technology is an end-to-end IT services company. The company provides a range of information technology services and solutions primarily in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company operates through two segments: Global Business Services, which provides technology solutions that help the company's clients address main business challenges and improve digital transformations tailored to each client's industry and objectives; and Global Infrastructure Services, which provides a portfolio of offerings that deliver predictable outcomes and measurable results, while reducing business risk and operational costs for clients.

EPAM Systems Inc.

Epam Systems is a provider of software product development and digital platform engineering services to customers located around the world, primarily in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company's industry services include financial services, travel and consumer, software and hi-tech, business information and media, life sciences and healthcare, as well as other industries.

Grocery Outlet Holding

Grocery Outlet is a holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the company owns and operates a chain of grocery stores in the United States. The company offers products in various categories, such as grocery, dairy and deli, produce, refrigerated and frozen, floral, beer and wine, general merchandise, and health and beauty care, as well as fresh meat and seafood; and natural, organic, specialty, and healthy products. As of Mar. 30, 2019, the company operates 323 stores across the West Coast and Pennsylvania, including the company's expansion into Southern California.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is a technology, intellectual property, proprietary product and system company focused on the U.S. and its allies' national security. The company operates in three segments. The Kratos Government Solutions segment is comprised of an aggregation of operating segments, including the company's microwave electronic products, space and satellite communications, modular systems and rocket support operating segments. The Unmanned Systems segment consists of the company's unmanned aerial system and unmanned ground and seaborne system businesses. The Public Safety and Security segment provides independent integrated solutions for government and commercial applications.

Leidos Holdings Inc.

Leidos Holdings is a holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the company is engaged in a science, engineering and information technology that provides services and solutions in the defense, intelligence, civil and health markets. The company's defense solutions segment deploys solutions in the areas of intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, enterprise information technology, integrated systems, cybersecurity and global services. The company's civil segment integrates and protects physical, digital and data domains. The company's health segment delivers solutions to federal and commercial customers that are responsible for the health and well-being of people including service members and veterans.

Levi Strauss & Co. Class A

Levi Strauss & Co. is an apparel company. Under its Levi's?, Dockers?, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.? and Denizen? brands, the company designs, markets and sells, directly or through third parties and licensees - products that include jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories for men, women and children around the world. The company licenses its Levi's? and Dockers? trademarks for a variety of product categories in multiple markets in each of its regions, including footwear, belts, wallets and bags, outerwear, sweaters, dress shirts, kidswear, sleepwear and hosiery. The company's operates its business via three geographic regions: Americas, Europe and Asia.

MASTERCARD INCORPORATED

Mastercard is a technology company in the global payments industry. The company's solutions enabling consumers to use electronic forms of payment instead of cash and checks. The company provides a range of payment solutions and services using its brands, including Mastercard?, Maestro? and Cirrus?. The company is a multi-rail network that provides customers one partner to turn to for their domestic and cross-border payment needs. The company has additional payment capabilities that include automated clearing house transactions. The company also provides offerings such as cyber and intelligence products, information and analytics services, consulting, loyalty and reward programs and processing.

Novavax Inc.

Novavax is a late-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases. The company's vaccine candidates, including its primary candidates, ResVax? and NanoFlu?, are genetically engineered, three-dimensional nanostructures of recombinant proteins critical to disease pathogenesis. The company's product pipeline targets a variety of infectious diseases. The company is also developing immune stimulating saponin-based adjuvants through its wholly owned Swedish subsidiary, Novavax AB. The company's primary adjuvant, Matrix-M?, has been shown to improve immune responses and was well-tolerated in multiple clinical trials.

Planet Fitness Inc. Class A

Planet Fitness is a holding company. Through its subsidiries, the company is engaged as a franchisor and operator of fitness centers. The company's stores include co-branded cardio equipment, free weights, strength machines, a workout area, a small retail area and a drink cooler. The company operates and manages its business in three business segments: Franchise, which includes operations related to its franchising business in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the Dominican Republic and Panama; Corporate-owned stores, which includes operations with respect to all corporate-owned stores throughout the U.S. and Canada; and Equipment, which includes the sale of equipment to franchisee-owned stores in the U.S.

TEGNA Inc.

TEGNA is a media company. The company's business provides television programming and digital content. Each television station also has a digital presence across online, mobile and social platforms. The company provides advertising and marketing services, which include local and national non-political television advertising, digital marketing services, and advertising on stations' websites and tablet and mobile products; subscription by satellite, cable, Over the Top and telecommunications providers; political advertising; and other services, such as production of programming and advertising material. The company's portfolio of Big 4 NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX stations operate under long-term affiliation agreements.

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Valens Research
Valens Research

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  • GAAP and IFRS have failed to provide rules for reliable financial statement reporting
  • Stock analyst recommendations are not grounded in disciplined financial analysis
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Many years later, our business model remains because little has changed on Wall Street.

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