Late August 2026 Random Ramblings
Higher rates could compress equity multiples and raise AI data center lease costs, while UWMC and Cogent raise questions about CEO-driven capital allocation.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Back to today 
From X
catechwilliams on X
$NX Rapidly declining levered (4x) commodity biz. Q1’25 guide -12% sales, mgmt hoping for 2H’25 recovery. End-mkts deteriorating ($OC -20% Q4 guide, $JELD), customer losses, internal controls issues, integrating a large acq, 0 prior M&A experience. +30x P/E on best case 2025 #s
catechwilliams on X
@StockJabber Thank you. As a read on $PLUS Q3 is tracking in October, $CSCO just reported -23% sales in networking (products account for ~50% of $PLUS revenue) for the Oct quarter-end. Further confirmation that PLUS Q3 is going to be ugly and no turnaround in sight.
catechwilliams on X
$PLUS Accelerating, sales -14% y/y in Q2, noted Q3 not improving yet implied FY guide is for flat sales (downward revisions to come). Margins benefitted from 1-time financing segment gain-on-sale. Still trading at a premium to higher quality industry leader CDW, makes zero sense.
catechwilliams on X
$NX Just acquired peer Tyman. >3x leverage, never done a deal before, commodity business, customers all cutting numbers w deteriorating resi remodel activity ($AMWD yesterday, $MBC, $OC, $JELD). Stock is trading at close to 14x EPS. Seen this movie before. Earnings next week.
catechwilliams on X
$PLUS Earnings on 8/5, expectations & stock disconnected from reality. Suppliers ($CSCO – 50% of product sales), competitors & customers all reporting sharp sales declines. Non-event PR today re a service they’ve been offering for 3 yrs is pumping stock; suggests mgmt is grasping
catechwilliams on X
Meanwhile disintermediation by OEMs going direct is accelerating. See recent commentary from partners $CSCO, $PANW $DELL, etc. $PLUS has zero discernable benefit from $NVDA and AI.
catechwilliams on X
Answer: aggressive revenue booking, financing sales, selling products at/ below cost to boost revenue and hoping to “then try to build it back up over time” per CEO. Contrast $PLUS performance w competitor and industry leader $CDW.
catechwilliams on X
$PLUS Numbers don’t add up. 50% sales $CSCO product (sales -13% MRQ, guided -11%). MRQ $PLUS sales +13% (reported yesterday). Earnings call question: “OEM Cisco have talked about bottlenecks, weak orders. You’ve been unscathed…how are you outperforming the market significantly?”
Investor Letters
All letters- Alluvial Capital Management Second Quarter 2026 ZEG $5.4BGTX $4.9B
- Royce Investment Partners Year-to-Date Through 6/30/26 AAP $2.6BCBZ $3B
- Greenhaven Road Capital second quarter CLBT $2.9BHGTY $4.7B
- First Eagle Investments second quarter 2026 NE $7.1B
- RGA Investment Advisors Q2 2026 GTLB $8.2B
- Southeastern Asset Management 2Q26 ACI $5.9BCNX $4.9B
- Horizon Kinetics 2nd Quarter 2026 LB $6.8BMIAX $3.8B
- Ariel Investments Quarter Ended June 30, 2026 HAE $4.9BMSGE $3.7B
SA 2026-08-20 Seabridge Gold: Fairly Valued Now But Big Upside
Seabridge Gold's KSM gold-copper project could re-rate on a joint venture, 2027 feasibility study and infrastructure progress, with gold…
Redfern Research 
NCLH or her grandma Saga?
Norwegian Cruise Line’s $15 billion debt and 2026-27 capex delay deleveraging, despite fuel-efficient new ships and stronger projected 2028…
ZETA 2026-08-19 Zeta Global's AI Story Just Became Measurable (Rating Downgrade)
Zeta Global’s Athena AI superusers grow four times faster, while comprehensive adopters generate 70% of revenue.
Alpha Line 1 click
$DNOW: the boring distributor that could double on 2029 numbers | Firebird Management
DNOW’s MRC Global merger targets $75 million of synergies, with a 2029 bull case of $30 to $32 per share driven by cash flow and rerating.
Are Department Stores Finally Shortable?
Macy’s and Kohl’s face renewed short cases as their recent reratings ignore fading store-refresh gains, credit-card earnings exposure and…
$UWMC lost $600m hedging a deal they'd already lost
UWMC booked a roughly $600 million Q2 hedging loss tied to TWO months after the deal collapsed, contributing to an expensive capital raise.
$HIMS: Paul Cerro wouldn't trust the CEO to walk his dog. He's still long. Why? | Cedar Grove
Hims & Hers investor Paul Cerro is long again on lab and patient data driving retention and LTV, despite management concerns, GLP-1…
Perimeter Solutions: 2Q26 Business Recap
Perimeter Solutions’ 2Q26 revenue rose 31%, while operating income fell 11% as USDA pricing and DLA delivery timing hurt Fire Safety; it…
Floor & Decor: 2Q26 Business Update
Floor & Decor’s same-store sales improved to minus 2%, while $45 million of tariff refunds lifted second-quarter gross profit and operating…
[scuttleslops] BLDR, RYAN, APG, GFL, FND
Builders FirstSource reported Q2 2026 sales down 9% to $3.9 billion as weak housing demand and aggressive competitor pricing cut EBITDA…
GPK · long Graphic Packaging Holding CO
Graphic Packaging (GPK) is pitched as a long with $22 fair value, implying roughly 100% upside, based on its low-cost paper-based packaging…
BHVN 2026-08-27 Biohaven: Sale Of Opakalim Rights To SK Biopharmaceuticals Makes Sense On Many Levels
Biohaven’s $795 million global opakalim licensing deal with SK Biopharmaceuticals boosts cash, lowers R&D spending and extends its funding…
Edmund Ingham 1 click
Floor & Decor 2Q'26: Tentative Green Shoots
Floor & Decor held 2026 guidance after a 2Q beat, with comps improving through June; tariff refunds lifted margins and may fund pricing…
$CBZ: stop the buybacks and restart the M&A flywheel? | Reference Equity
CBIZ activist Ryan Bunn urges ending buybacks, issuing equity and resuming bolt-on acquisitions to delever after the $2.3 billion Marcum…
Under The Hood - Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Sprouts Farmers Market’s 483-store fresh-food format combines dedicated distribution, curated assortments and long-built site selection,…
$VEON: a busted EM telecom hiding a 4x? | Samit Umatiya, UIG Funds
VEON’s 84% Kyivstar stake and JazzCash underpin a sum-of-the-parts case for 4x upside, despite its sanctioned shareholder, capital…
Pershing Square Challenge 2026 finalists on MSA Safety: a hidden quality compounder? $MSA
MSA Safety’s Pershing Square Challenge finalists pitch gas-detection subscriptions, mandated SCBA replacement cycles and a 2023 liability…
Under The Hood, Wingstop Inc. ($WING)
Wingstop generates most of its $697 million revenue from franchise royalties across a 3,153-restaurant, 98%-franchised system while…
A Hardware Multiple on a Software Powerhouse
A software powerhouse posts a record quarter while trading at a 52-week low, raising a valuation disconnect between its business model and…
Vidrala
Vidrala has grown from a Spanish glass-container maker into a multi-country packaging platform with expanding Latin American exposure.
Publications we follow
Every publication on this site, hand-picked.
Newsletters 91
- 310 Value’s Newsletter
- Absurdly Cheap Stocks
- Altay Capital - Mostly Value Investing
- AmsterdamStocks
- Aurelion Research
- Base Hit Investing
- Bearhold Research
- Bearstone
- Behind the Balance Sheet
- Best Anchor Stocks
- Bilbel's Substack
- Bison Insights
- Brevarthan Research
- Bristlemoon Capital
- Byron Street Research
- Calvin Blissett
- Cannibal Stocks
- Capital Employed
- Capitalist Letters
- Cassandra Unchained
- Citrini Research
- Cluseau Research
- D Invests
- Daniel Romero
- Deep Value Insights
- Doomberg
- Eagle Point Capital
- Easy Value
- Exploring with Alluvial Capital
- Fabricated Knowledge
- First Strike Research
- Flyover Stocks
- Global Outperformers
- Guardian Research
- Hated Moats
- Healthy Stock Picks
- HFI Research
- Hidden Gems Investing
- Hidden Rock Capital's Newsletter
- Ian’s Insider Corner
- Iggy on Investing Newsletter
- Inglenook Growth
- Invariant
- Investing 501
- Irrational Analysis
- John Hempton's Newsletter
- Kairos Research
- Kakashii's Materials
- Key Context by Tae Kim
- Latticework by MOI Global
- Lewistown Capital
- Maius Partners
- MBI Deep Dives
- Mispriced Assets
- Modern Value Investing
- Monte Independent Investment Research
- Multibagger Monitor
- Nat Stewart - Stock Picking Newsletter
- Net Interest
- Nongaap Investing
- Nugget Capital Partner's Substack
- Obscure Stocks
- Open Insights
- PETITION
- Phynvesting
- Raging Bull Investments
- Rebound Capital
- Rod’s Ruminations
- ROE The Boat
- scuttleblurb
- Sector Stories
- Singularity Research
- SixSigmaCapital: Navigating the Financial Markets
- Sleep Well Investments
- smallvalue.
- Speedwell Memos
- Stock Thoughts
- Substack von Philipp
- Sunday's Idea Brunch
- Sylence Capital
- The Curious Compounder
- The Mikro Kap
- The Oak Bloke
- The Value Road
- Treasure Hunting
- Triple S Special Situations Investing
- TSOH Investment Research
- Underlying Value
- Value Don't Lie
- XIX Value
- Yet Another Value Blog
Blogs 12
Seeking Alpha 29 of 162
Andres Veurink
Bay Area Ideas
Capital Connoisseur
Dhierin Bechai
Equity Eagle
Eudaemon Research
High Alpha Professor
Investor Overview
IWA Research
Jaden Mealy
LL Insights
Marc Gerstein
Mike Zaccardi, CFA, CMT
Miletus Research
Myriam Alvarez
Petri Dish Reports
Philip Wang
Prakhar Agarwal, CFA
PV Research
Robert J. Lake
Sam Mancini
Sharon McArd
SiliconBytes Insights
Simple Investment Ideas
Steven Fiorillo
The Bullionaire
The Curious Analyst
The Undercovered Dozen
Value Capital Research
X accounts we follow
Every account on this site, hand-picked.
⚽️📡
💥PETITION💥
A Capital
AltayCap
Bank Reg Blog
Barbarian Capital
BDC
Bill Ackman
Broken Moats
BuccoCapital Bloke
catechwilliams
Charles Frischer
Chris Camillo
Clark Square Capital
Cluseau Investments
Colin King
Connor Haley
Conor Maguire | Value Situations
Convequity
David Orr
Deep Sail Capital
Devin LaSarre
DOMO Capital Management, LLC
Edwin Dorsey
Evan Tindell
Farmer
Fierce_beast
Fred Liu
Gavin Baker
Ian Bezek
Idea Brunch
JabroniCoin.USD
John_Hempton
junkbondinvestor
kab60
KEDM.com
Laughing Water Capital
Lee Roach
Little Owl Research
Maius
Maj Soueidan
marginofdanger
mavix
Mike
Mikro Kap David
Multiples Capital
Myles
Nat Stewart
Negligible Capital
Odd Diligence
Odd Lot Arbitrageur
PAA Research
Pernas Research
Porter Collins
Prepared Remarks
Psyop Capital
Raging Capital Ventures
Red Dog Capital
RiverRoadPartners
Rusholme Capital
Sahil Khetpal
SG
Tim Eriksen
Timyan Bank Alert
Todd Wenning
ToffCap
Trevor Scott
Voss Capital
Yaron Naymark
Investor letters we follow
- 1851 Capital
- Aikya Investment Management
- Akre Capital Management, LLC
- Alluvial Capital Management
- Alpinum Investment Management AG
- Ariel Investments
- Artisan Partners
- Askeladden Capital
- Asset Value Investors Ltd
- Baron Funds
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Biglari Holdings
- Bireme Capital
- Bristlemoon Capital
- Broyhill Asset Management
- Cantor Fitzgerald Asset Management
- Cedar Creek Partners
- Choice Equities
- Confluence Investment Management
- CrossingBridge Advisors
- Crossroads Capital, LLC
- Distillate Capital
- Dodge & Cox Stock Fund
- Donville Kent Asset Management Inc.
- FPA Crescent Fund
- First Eagle Investments
- Forager Funds Management
- Fred Alger Management, LLC
- Giverny Capital
- Grandeur Peak Global Advisors
- Greenhaven Road Capital
- GreensKeeper Asset Management
- Grey Owl Capital Management
- Halvio Capital
- Hayden Capital
- Heartland Advisors
- Hoisington Investment Management
- Horizon Kinetics
- Intrepid Capital
- Invenomic Capital Management
- Janus Henderson Investors
- Kaydan Wealth Management
- Kernow Asset Management
- LVS Advisory
- Laughing Water Capital
- Lindsell Train Limited
- Macro Ops
- Maran Capital Management
- Markel Group
- Massif Capital
- McIntyre Partnerships
- Merion Road Capital
- Myrmikan Capital, LLC
- O'Keefe Stevens Advisory
- Oakmark Funds
- Palm Harbour Capital
- Palm Valley Capital
- Patient Capital Management
- Pendelhaven Asset Management B.V.
- PenderFund Capital Management Ltd.
- Pershing Square Holdings
- Polaris Capital Management
- Polen Capital 5Perspectives Growth Opportunities
- Polen Capital U.S. Opportunistic High Yield
- Praetorian Capital
- Protean Funds
- RGA Investment Advisors
- Rowan Street Capital
- Royce Investment Partners
- Sequoia Fund
- Southeastern Asset Management
- Third Avenue Management
- Tweedy, Browne
- Upslope Capital Management
- Vulcan Value Partners
- Wedgewood Partners
- Weitz Investment Management
- White Falcon Capital Management
Sectors
Ordered by how often our editor reaches for them.
