Jim Bates

Jim is an associate editor at TSI Network. He is the lead reporter and analyst for The Successful Investor and Wall Street Stock Forecaster and a member of the Investment Planning Committee. Jim has held the Chartered Financial Analyst designation since 1992 and spent more than a decade at the Financial Post DataGroup before joining TSI Network. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto.

Posts by the author

Value Stocks

Finning International Has a Surging Backlog Amid Mining and Infrastructure Boom

Finning Int’l Inc. has a bright outlook spurred by mining and infrastructure growth.

2 min read

Jim Bates

McDonald's Corp. plans to keep aggressively opening locations to continue to power its sales.

Blue Chip Stocks

McDonald’s Reports Higher Sales Despite Economic Headwinds

2 min read

Jim Bates

Dividend Stocks

T. Rowe Price Group Offers a High 4.8% Yield Enhanced by a Key New Strategic Alliance

1 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Aecon aims to sustain fast growth with big new construction contracts

Thinking of buying Aecon Group Inc. stocks. Get answers why or why not.

3 min read

Jim Bates

Energy Stocks

Russian deal brings hurdles and opportunities for offshore drilling firm

Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific advice on specific stocks as well as questions on investment strategy and the economy. Every week, his comments and recommendations on the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. While we reserve our buy-hold-sell advice for Inner Circle members, these excerpts provide a great deal of information and analysis on stocks we’ve covered for members of Pat’s Inner Circle. This week we had a question from an Inner Circle member about an offshore drilling company that has grown quickly in less than 10 years in business. Pat looks at the advantages Seadrill derives from its modern, high-quality drilling rigs as well as the pressure building new rigs puts on the company’s balance sheet. He also examines a recent deal Seadrill made with Russian oil producer Rosneft and the complications that may arise from European Union economic sanctions against Russia. Q: Hi Pat: What are your thoughts on Seadrill? Thanks....

3 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Developing nations are key to growth for ATM makers

North American and European consumers continue to shift away from cash and toward credit and debit cards. As a result, banks on those two continents are buying fewer automated teller machines. But ATM demand remains high in developing nations, where many stores only accept cash. ATM makers NCR and Diebold are also diversifying into related products and offering more software and support services. We cover both of these stocks in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster. NCR CORP. (New York symbol NCR; www.ncr.com) gets 52% of its revenue from ATMs. It also makes cash registers and self-serve checkouts (32% of revenue) and kiosks for theatres and arenas (10%). Maintenance services supply the other 6%. Overseas markets account for 60% of NCR’s revenue....

3 min read

Jim Bates

Energy Stocks

Bombardier strives to rise above CSeries jet delay

Bombardier recently had to suspend test flights of its CSeries passenger plane because of a problem with its Pratt & Whitney engines, which are 20% more fuel-efficient than current models. This was the first major issue with this new engine in over three years of testing. The delay will probably add to the CSeries’ development costs, but Bombardier still expects to begin deliveries in the second half of 2015. BOMBARDIER INC. (Toronto symbols BBD.A and BBD.B; www.bombardier.com) is the world’s third-largest commercial aircraft maker, behind Boeing and Airbus. It is also the world’s leading passenger railcar manufacturer....

3 min read

Jim Bates

Energy Stocks

Natural gas powered trucks are Clean Energy’s key to profits

Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific advice on specific stocks as well as questions on investment strategy and the economy. Every week, his comments and recommendations on the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. While we reserve our buy-hold-sell advice for Inner Circle members, these excerpts provide a great deal of information and analysis on stocks we’ve covered for members of Pat’s Inner Circle. This week an Inner Circle member asked us about one of the energy stocks involved in developing alternate sources of fuel. Clean Energy Fuels serves customers who operate commercial vehicles powered by natural gas. T. Boone Pickens, a leading proponent of alternative energy to reduce American dependence on foreign oil, is a major shareholder in the company. Pat examines Clean Energy’s business and assesses its prospects as various alternatives to the internal combustion engine continue to compete for government support and consumer confidence. A: Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (symbol CLNE on Nasdaq; www.cleanenergyfuels.com), is a North American seller of compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its customers operate natural-gas-powered vehicles in the refuse, transit, ports, shuttle, taxi, regional trucking, airport and municipal fleet markets....

3 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Online shopping rings up profits for these 2 stocks

The shift toward online shopping continues to pick up speed: over the next 10 years, e-commerce could account for 40% of all retail sales in developed nations and 30% in emerging markets. We feel the best way to profit from this trend is through shares of companies that process online payments and fulfill orders. Here are two such stocks we cover in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster. VISA INC. (New York symbol V; www.visa.com) operates the world’s largest electronic payments network, through which it processes credit, debit, prepaid and commercial transactions....

4 min read

Jim Bates

Energy Stocks

Production and shares both rising for 2 growing energy stocks

Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific advice on specific stocks as well as questions on investment strategy and the economy. Every week, his comments and recommendations on the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. While we reserve our buy-hold-sell advice for Inner Circle members, these excerpts provide a great deal of information and analysis on stocks we’ve covered for members of Pat’s Inner Circle. This week we had a question from an Inner Circle member on two Canadian energy stocks. In spite of its name, Tourmaline Oil has 85% of its output in natural gas. Whitecap Resources has the greater part of its production in oil. Both companies enjoy rising production—in Whitecap’s case, spurred in part by acquisitions. Pat examines both companies’ prospects for continued production increases and whether their share prices—and Whitecap’s dividend—can keep on rising. Q: Hi Pat: Can I have your view on Tourmaline Oil and Whitecap Resources? Thanks....

3 min read

Jim Bates

Energy Stocks

Expanded retail operations spur growth for Agrium

AGRIUM INC. (Toronto symbol AGU; www.agrium.com) continues to benefit from its plan to expand its retail operations, which sell seed, fertilizer and other products to farmers. Steady sales from the company’s stores help offset its exposure to volatile fertilizer prices. Agrium’s 1,400 outlets in North America, South America and Australia now supply 75% of its sales and 40% of its earnings. The remaining 25% of sales and 60% of earnings mainly comes from making fertilizers from natural gas. Agrium also operates potash and phosphate fertilizer mines. Sales jumped 82.8%, from $9.1 billion in 2009 to $16.7 billion in 2012 (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars), thanks to rising fertilizer prices and acquisitions of retail stores, particularly in Australia. However, lower fertilizer prices cut its 2013 sales to $15.7 billion. Earnings were $7.31 a share (or $1.1 billion) in 2013....

2 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Acquisitions of Lucasfilm and YouTube studio swell Disney empire

Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific advice on stocks to buy as well as questions on investment strategy and the economy. Every week, his comments and recommendations on the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. While we reserve our buy-hold-sell advice for Inner Circle members, these excerpts provide a great deal of information and analysis on stocks we’ve covered for members of Pat’s Inner Circle. This week an Inner Circle members asked us about one of the world’s best known entertainment companies. Walt Disney now has five separate businesses and continues to add to its assets. Pat examines the company’s entertainment empire and the impact of several recent high-profile acquisitions. He also consider the company’s financial outlook and whether the shares can continue their recent rise. Q: What is your opinion about Disney? Thanks....

4 min read

Jim Bates