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
iwb2923 (June 22, 2009)
TFSA confusion… New pick: Dynamic Value Balanced Fund… Glenn Rogers: Time to go generic… Buy Perrigo, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories… Glenn Rogers’ updates: Terex, CEMEX, Veolia… Gordon Pape’s ETF updates: 6 iShares funds… Gordon Pape’s mutual fund updates: Sprott Canadian Equity Fund, Altamira Cash Performer, Dynamic American Value… Your Questions: Investing for newlyweds, LLC rules… Members’ Corner: Master limited partnerships
iwb2922 (June 15, 2009)
Time compression… Tom Slee: A long-term investment strategy… Buy Shoppers Drug Mart… Tom Slee’s updates: Canadian Tire, Philip Morris International… Tax alert: U.S. MLPs… Gordon Pape’s updates: Suncor, Viterra, Claymore Oil Sands ETF, Bronco Energy, TransCanada Corp…. Your Questions: XBB, Petro-Canada… Members’ Corner: Covered call writing
iwb2921 (June 8, 2009)
Currency dilemma… Irwin Michael on the market surge… Irwin Michael updates Danier Leather, Equitable Group, Onex Corp…. A covered call option strategy… IWB Defensive Portfolio reviewed… Your Questions: GrowthWorks takeover, wrap accounts… Members’ Corner: Disagrees on Stronach, GM bankruptcy
iwb2920 (June 1, 2009)
Invisible recession… Big dreams… May: Another winner… Wrap accounts: The real story… Gordon Pape’s updates: Brookfield Asset Management, Ensign Energy Services… Your Questions: Bond bubble, TFSA query, currency woes
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.