One of the most important principles of sound investment management is staying on top of what’s happening in the world and how those events affect finances. Conditions change quickly, and keeping up-to-date on developments and trends can be challenging. The team of experts producing IWB have been advising Canadian investors for over 25 years.
Edited and Published by Gordon Pape. Associate Editor: Richard Croft
With Gavin Graham, Ryan Irvine, Glenn Rogers, Shawn Allen, Adam Mayers, Paul Bamford & Michael Corcoran.
Recent Issues
iwb20115 (April 19, 2010)
Protecting RRSP savings… How the CPPIB works… U.S. health care: Everyone wins, sort of… Glenn Rogers recommends Covidien, CVS Caremark… Glenn Rogers updates Cemex, Sony, GDF Suez, Heineken… Last-minute tax ideas… Your Questions: Fee-based accounts
iwb20114 (April 12, 2010)
Loonie strategies… Canadian banks put the recession behind them… Tom Slee updates TD Bank, BMO, Shoppers Drug Mart… Tom Slee’s tax tips… Best bang for your charity buck… Your Questions: BMO ETF… Members’ Corner: Pension reform, tax software
iwb20113 (April 5, 2010)
Dull markets are just fine… Irwin Michael: Sidelined cash could fuel markets… Irwin Michael updates Daylight Resources Trust, E-L Financial, Fortress Paper… Watch out for charity scams… IWB Defensive Portfolio reviewed… Gordon Pape’s updates: Yellow Pages, Research in Motion… Your Questions: REIT taxes, Yellow Pages distributions… Members’ Corner: Pension reform, tax software
iwb20112 (March 29, 2010)
Fixing the retirement system… Ryan Irvine goes back to China… China and the TSX… Ryan Irvine updates Western Financial… Electronic services make taxes easier… Your Questions: Interest rates and preferred shares… Members’ Corner: Tax software
Recent Updates
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. (TSX: L, OTC: LBLCF)
Loblaws owns the Shoppers Drug Mart chain and PC Financial, which offers banking services. It also sells clothing under the Joe Fresh name. Loblaws brands include President’s Choice, No Name, Exact, No Frills, Provigo, Valu-Mart, Fortino’s, and Real Canadian. It is 53% owned by George Weston Ltd.
Hold
Telus Corp. (TSX: T, NYSE: TU)
Telus claims to be Canada’s fastest-growing national telecommunications company. The company provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video, and is Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider.
Hold
Dollarama (TSX: DOL)
Dollarama has 1,570 stores in Canada. Its highly profitable business model includes directly sourcing its products at low cost, generally from Asia and from China in particular. All stores are company-owned and operated and are in leased premises. It also owns 60% of the fast-growing 547-store Dollar City chain with locations in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Peru. Dollar City recently opened its first store in Mexico.
Hold
WSP Global (TSX: WSP, OTC: WSPOF)
WSP is an international engineering and design firm that provides a wide range of services, from urban planning to environmental remediation. Based in Montreal, the company employs approximately 54,000 people, including engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, surveyors, and environmental specialists, as well as other design, program and construction management professionals. It has more than 500 offices across 40 countries, on five continents.
WSP has seen strong gains over the years. It’s up another 12% this year. And the stock is up 1,187% since the original recommendation in 2012.
Hold
Canadian Tire Corp. (TSX: CTC.A, OTC: CDNAF)
In addition to its 503 dealer-operated Canadian Tire stores, CTC also owns and directly operates Mark’s, with 383 stores, and 354 sports stores (SportChek, Sports Expert, Atmosphere, Athlete’s World, and others). As well, it has 279 gasoline bar locations, plus PartSource, Party City, and Pro Hockey Life, which total 169 stores.
Canadian Tire, through its bank subsidiary is also a large MasterCard issuer with 2.3 million active credit card holders with average account balances of $3,224 each. That’s $7.4 billion in credit card receivables.