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
iwb20143 (December 6, 2010)
Fees: What’s “fair”?… New accounting rules: REITs win, insurers lose… Tom Slee updates Finning, Toromont, Manulife, SNC-Lavalin… Irwin Michael: Market rise good sign for 2011… Irwin Michael updates Flint Energy… Gordon Pape’s updates: PetroBakken, Tim Hortons… Quick Takes: Enbridge, Cameco, Gildan Activewear… Your Questions: Stop losses, foreign stocks in TFSAs… Members’ Corner: Editorial content – the last word
iwb20142 (November 29, 2010)
A new trust twist… How China cornered the rare earths market… Glenn Rogers updates ProShares Materials ETF, iShares Xinhua China 25 Index Fund, iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund, ING Clarion Global Real Estate Fund, Cisco Systems… Gavin Graham: Time to sell Cresud… Your Questions: Silver Wheaton, windfall RRSP profit, U.S. withholding tax, smaller institutions
iwb20141 (November 22, 2010)
Why currencies matter… Tom Slee: European debt crisis is manageable… Tom Slee updates Bank of Montreal and Manulife notes, Rogers Communications, Gildan Activewear, Stantec, Finning, Toromont… Gordon Pape’s updates: Canadian Utilities, Shaw Communications… Your Questions: Worthless shares, TFSA contributions, portfolio funds, India and China… Bulletin – sell Cresud
iwb20140 (November 15, 2010)
Buying U.S. property? Know the rules… Estate tax coming back?… Irwin Michael on the market rally… Irwin Michael updates Danier Leather, Flint Energy Services, Genworth MI Canada… Gordon Pape’s updates: Fortis, Cameco… Members’ Corner: The Potash decision, Yellow Media, newsletter content
Recent Updates
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
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
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.
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.