Our #1 stock pick for 2011

Article Excerpt

WESTJET AIRLINES $14.10 (Toronto symbol WJA; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-877-493-7853; www.westjet.com; Shares outstanding: 139.8 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; Dividend yield 1.4%) has gained 4.8% since we recommended it as our #1 stock pick for 2010 in January 2010. We liked the stock then, and that was before this year’s ticketing and baggage-transfer alliances with other airlines, including Cathay Pacific, British Airways and American Airlines. This lets it reach new markets, while limiting risk. WestJet also invested heavily in a state-of-the-art computer reservation system over the last year. We think the WestJet is just getting started, and its biggest gains still lie ahead. The company’s fleet of 90 fuel-efficient Boeing Next-Generation 737s serve 71 destinations in North America and the Caribbean. WestJet has 45 more of these planes on order through 2017. In the three months ended September 30, 2010, WestJet’s revenue rose 14%, to $684.6 million from $600.3 million a year earlier. Earnings per share jumped 54.2%, to $0.37 from $0.24….