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
iwb20103 (January 18, 2010)
TFSA strategies… Glenn Rogers looks at security stocks… Glenn Rogers updates iShares High-Yield ETF, Gannett Corp., New York Times, Terex… Gordon Pape’s updates: Suncor Energy, Shaw Communications… New Bloom fund… Your Questions: Safety concerns, confused reader, dividend tax credit… World Money Show… TFSA book
iwb20102 (January 11, 2010)
Interest rates hold the key to 2010/11… Tom Slee expects a good year… New pick: BCE Preferreds… Tom Slee updates BMO, Manulife notes… Flow-through flood… Gordon Pape’s updates: Progress convertibles, bond funds and ETFs, PH&N Dividend Income Fund… Your Questions: Superficial loss rule, can’t decide which stock… Best Books: 2010 Essential Tax Facts
iwb20101 (January 4, 2010)
Predictions past… Predictions future… Stocks to watch in 2010… Irwin Michael: Best of times, worst of times… Irwin Michael updates Fortress Paper, Morguard Corp. … Your Questions: Lithium, EnCana split… New TFSA book published
iwb2944 (December 14, 2009)
The pension summit… Tom Slee: The jury’s still out… Tom Slee: Buy Norfolk Southern… Tom Slee’s updates SNC-Lavelin, Enbridge, Gildan Activewear… Glenn Rogers says get smart… Glenn Rogers updates Cisco Systems, Diageo, New Flyer, Churchill Corp., Walgreens… Irwin Michael updates Onex, Lakeview REIT… Gordon Pape updates Student Transportation Inc…. Your Questions: TFSA dilemma… Check out these videos… Year-end housekeeping… 2010 prices… Holiday hours
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
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.