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Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: I know you do not follow this company in depth but I was hoping you might do some digging. I have held this company for a while trading around it. Do you see any issues with growth or profit. Recent announcements seem to be positive going forward. I am looking to reload at current levels as winter months seem to be the time to lighten up.

Virtu Financial Inc.. symbol VIRT

Thank you again

Jason N
Read Answer Asked by JASON on July 28, 2016
Q: A recent negative article in Seeking Alpha by Timberwolf Equity Research raised a few points that I hope you can comment on. The company was not calling for a short on the stock so the article does not appear to be self serving, although that in itself is not much proof. So while the article appears to be based "on facts", it does not agree with your recent review of the company.

The article as best as I can understand it raises 4 points.

1. That Starbucks accounts for 35% of the company's sales (23% of revenue). They acknowledge the company does not state this but that they have figured it out.

2. Inside ownership. and therefore an alignment of management interests with that of other shareholders, is a mirage because the company has provided these particular shareholders with low interest loans that require the value of the stock as collateral and for the dividends to cover the principle repayment costs. Therefore, the company's management has an incentive to raise the dividend whether warranted or not.

3. Cash flow is miss-stated because the company excludes working capital changes as it only includes replacement capital expenditures and leaves out expansion capital expenditures (I won't pretend that I understand this). The upshot is that the company's cash flow is closer to $28 million rather than the $81 million stated by the company.

4. Share count is ever increasing because the company finances its takeovers with low interest convertible debentures which almost assuredly means that the debenture holders convert their holdings into stock. The authors estimate that this resulted in a 22% dilution in 2015.

Appreciate your insight into these matters.

Paul F.
Read Answer Asked by Paul on July 28, 2016
Q: First, let me say thank you for your excellent advice. I appreciate your service to assist us.

I have an investment in PIF and I am thinking of adding as the stock seems to be technically strong with an attractive dividend. Since the stock split in May, 2015 it has done very little and it was in a decline prior to the stock split. Do you know much about the Company's history and what are your thoughts on Company's future? More specifically would you be comfortable buying?

Don
Read Answer Asked by Donald on July 27, 2016
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