Report
Valens Research

Valens Equity Insights and Inflections - 2019 05 15

CVS currently trades near historical averages relative to UAFRS-based (Uniform) Earnings, with a 16.9x Uniform P/E. At these levels, the market is pricing in expectations for Uniform ROA to fade from 19% in 2018 to 14% by 2023, accompanied by 3% Uniform Asset growth going forward. However, analysts have relatively optimistic expectations, projecting Uniform ROA to remain at 19% levels through 2020, accompanied by 13% Uniform Asset growth. Meanwhile, management is confident in their store comp sales growth, generics performance, and the potential of their HealthHUB expansion project. Should CVS just sustain profitability near current levels, as positive management sentiment would suggest, upside would be warranted.

THRM Q1 2019 Embedded Expectations Analysis – Although management has concerns about labor costs and growth, market expectations are far too bearish, suggesting longer-term upside remains warranted

ITW Q4 2018 Embedded Expectations Analysis – Market expectations are for Uniform ROA expansion, but management has concerns about raw material costs, revenue declines, and restructuring

LRCX Q3 2019 Embedded Expectations Analysis – Although management's negative sentiment suggests the potential for near-term headwinds, market expectations are still too bearish, suggesting longer-term upside remains warranted

CVS, ITW, LRCX, THRM, AMN, DISC.A, DVA, FSLR, GILD, GRMN, IBM, NI, PTC, SCCO, SLB, SNA
Underlyings
AMN Healthcare Services Inc.

AMN Healthcare Services provides talent solutions for the healthcare sector. The company's talent solutions provides management, staffing, recruitment, technology, analytics, and related services to manage healthcare workforce needs. The company provides its healthcare personnel, from nurses, doctors, and allied health personnel to healthcare leaders and executives. The company's workforce solutions and staffing services include: travel nurse staffing; rapid response nurse staffing and labor disruption services; local, or per diem, staffing; locum tenens staffing; allied staffing; physician permanent placement services; interim leadership staffing and executive search services; and recruitment process outsourcing.

CVS Health Corporation

CVS Health is a health company. The company's segments are: Pharmacy Services, which provides a range of pharmacy benefit management solutions, including plan design offerings and administration, formulary management, and retail pharmacy network management services; Retail/Long-Term Care (LTC), which sells prescription drugs and general merchandise, including over-the-counter drugs, provides health care services through its MinuteClinic? walk-in medical clinics and conducts LTC pharmacy operations; and Health Care Benefits, which provides a range of voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental and behavioral health plans.

DaVita Inc.

DaVita is a healthcare provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients. The company's United States dialysis business provides kidney dialysis services for patients suffering from end stage renal disease (ESRD). The company's dialysis services include outpatient hemodialysis services, hospital inpatient hemodialysis services, home-based dialysis services, ESRD laboratory services, and management services. The company's ancillary services and strategic initiatives businesses include disease management services, physician services, ESRD Seamless Care Organization joint ventures, clinical research programs, vascular access services, as well as international dialysis operations.

Discovery Inc. Class A

Discovery, through its subsidiaries, is a media company that provides content across distribution platforms, including pay-television, free-to-air and broadcast television, and direct-to-consumer subscription products. The company's portfolio of networks includes nonfiction television brands such as Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and MotorTrend . The company's portfolio includes Eurosport, a sports entertainment provider. The company classifies its operations in two segments: U.S. Networks, consisting of domestic television networks and digital content services, and International Networks, consisting of international television networks and digital content services.

First Solar Inc.

First Solar is a provider of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions. The company designs, manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology, and also develops and sells PV solar power systems that mainly use the modules it manufactures. The company also provides operations and maintenance (O&M) services to system owners. The company's modules segment involves the design, manufacture and sale of cadmium telluride solar modules, which convert sunlight into electricity. The company's second segment is its systems segment, through which it provides power plant solutions, which include project development, engineering, procurement, and construction services and O&M services.

Garmin Ltd.

Gentherm Incorporated

Gentherm designs, develops, and manufactures thermal management technologies. The company's products provide solutions for automotive passenger comfort, battery thermal management, remote power generation, patient temperature management, and other consumer and industrial temperature control needs. The company has two segments: Automotive, which includes climate comfort systems, automotive cable systems, battery thermal management, and automotive electronic and software systems; and Industrial, which includes the company's remote power generation systems business, its patient temperature management systems business, its environmental testing equipment business and its research and product development division.

Gilead Sciences Inc.

Gilead Sciences is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes medicines. The company's primary areas of focus include viral diseases, inflammatory and fibrotic diseases and oncology. The company's products include: Biktarvy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in certain patients; Vosevi?, a single tablet regimen of sofosbuvir, velpatasvir and voxilaprevir for the re-treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in adults; Vemlidy? for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in adults with compensated liver disease; and Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Illinois Tool Works manufactures a range of industrial products and equipment. Automotive OEM segment produces components and fasteners for automotive-related applications. Food Equipment segment is engaged in commercial food equipment. Test and Measurement and Electronics segment produces equipment for testing and measuring of materials and structures. Welding segment produces arc welding equipment, consumables and accessories. Polymers and Fluids segment produces adhesives, sealants, lubrication and cutting fluids for auto aftermarket maintenance. Construction Products segment supplies fastening systems and solutions. Specialty Products segment is focused on patent protection.

International Business Machines Corporation

International Business Machines provides integrated solutions and products that utilize data, information technology, capability in industries and business processes. The company has five segments: Cloud and Cognitive Software, which provides a range of software offerings; Global Business Services, which provides consulting, systems integration, application management and business process outsourcing services; Global Technology Services, which provides project services, managed and outsourcing services, cloud-delivered services, and technical and IT support services; Systems, which provides technology and service; and Global Financing, which provides client financing, among others.

Lam Research Corporation

Lam Research is a supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry. The company designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes, and services semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company's customer base includes semiconductor memory, foundry, and integrated device manufacturers that make products such as non-volatile memory, dynamic random-access memory, and logic devices. The company's services include customer service, spares, improvement, and refurbishment of its deposition, etch, and clean products. The company sells its products and services to companies in the United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan.

NiSource Inc

NiSource is an energy holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the company is a natural gas distribution company. The company's reportable segments are: Gas Distribution Operations and Electric Operations. For its gas distribution operations, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, NiSource Gas Distribution Group, Inc., the company owns distribution subsidiaries that provide natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and Massachusetts. Through its electric operations, the company generates, transmits and distributes electricity through its subsidiary, Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC, and engages in wholesale and transmission transactions.

PTC INC.

PTC is a software and services company. The company's products and services include: 3D Modeling, which enables users to create designs, analyze designs, perform engineering calculations and utilize the information created downstream using 2D, 3D, parametric and direct modeling; Lifecycle Management, which enables product data management, as well as communication and collaboration across the enterprise, including product development, manufacturing and the supply chain; Data Orchestration, which delivers tools, technologies, and solutions that enable companies to develop and deploy industrial IoT applications; and Experience Creation, which provides a way to capture, create, and deliver content.

Schlumberger NV

Schlumberger provides technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production and processing to the oil and gas industry. The company has four segments: Reservoir Characterization, which consists of the principal technologies involved in finding and defining hydrocarbon resources; Drilling, which consists of the principal technologies involved in the drilling and positioning of oil and gas wells; Production, which consists of the principal technologies involved in the lifetime production of oil and gas reservoirs; and Cameron, which consists of the principal technologies involved in pressure and flow control for drilling and intervention rigs, oil and gas wells and production facilities.

Snap-on Incorporated

Snap-on is a manufacturer and marketer of tools, equipment, diagnostics, repair information and systems solutions. Products and services include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, handheld and PC-based diagnostic products, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions for vehicle dealerships and repair centers, as well as for customers in industries, such as aviation and aerospace, agriculture, construction, government and military, mining, natural resources, power generation and technical education. The company also provides financing programs designed to facilitate the sales of its products and support its franchise business.

Southern Copper Corporation

Southern Copper is a copper producer. The company's mining, smelting and refining facilities are located in Peru and Mexico and the company conducts exploration activities in those countries and in Argentina, Chile and Ecuador. The company's Peruvian copper operations involve mining, milling and flotation of copper ore to produce copper concentrates and molybdenum concentrates, the smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper, and the refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes. The company's Mexican operations are conducted through its subsidiary, Minera Mexico, S.A. de C.V., which engages primarily in the mining and processing of copper, molybdenum, zinc, silver, gold and lead.

Provider
Valens Research
Valens Research

In 2009, just as the dust was settling from the last major equity and credit market crises, we launched a boutique research firm with the intention of breaking Wall Street’s biases and broken incentives:

  • GAAP and IFRS have failed to provide rules for reliable financial statement reporting
  • Stock analyst recommendations are not grounded in disciplined financial analysis
  • Credit agencies have been set up to grossly fail in their responsibilities to investors and the public markets
  • Utter lack of willingness of major research firms to employ the the most advanced forensic analysis available

We sought to provide investors and company analysts with a source of information that changed all that.
Many years later, our business model remains because little has changed on Wall Street.

  • Corporate credit ratings remain years behind the fundamental underpinnings of company performance
  • Stock analysts continue to make recommendations with deeply inherent biases
  • Research firms have failed to break down the walls between credit, equity, and macroeconomic research
  • The governing accounting bodies have created more leeway for mis-estimates and mis-classifications as financials have become unwieldy and overwhelming

The integrity of Valens Research is founded in our disciplined processes and analytics. No “star” analysts. No corporate advisory relationships. No-nonsense opinions and recommendations.

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