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

Growth Stocks

Baxter International’s Low Valuation Is Weighed Against Turnaround Potential by Investors

Baxter International Inc. has been under pressure from a skeptical market as it continues its turnaround strategy.

2 min read

Jim Bates

Dividend Stocks

J.P. Morgan Chase Extends Streak of Rising Revenues and Shareholder Payouts

2 min read

Jim Bates

Growth Stocks

Stantec Posts Double‑Digit Earnings Growth

2 min read

Jim Bates

Growth Stocks

Computer chipmaker expands markets with aggressive acquisition policy

Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific stock advice 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 one of the many tech stocks on the Nasdaq market. ON Semiconductor serves a diverse clientele, although almost a third of its customers are in the automotive industry. The company is pursuing growth by acquisition. Pat examines this strategy as well as the company’s financial outlook and its ability to increase its chip sales in the competitive markets in which it operates. Q: Pat: What is your opinion on ON Semiconductor Corp.?...

3 min read

Jim Bates

Why “averaging down” to buy stocks can be a bad bargain

Growth Stocks

Adobe, Symantec aim to capture cloud customers with high research spending

Businesses will likely spend more on software this year, as the global economy continues to recover. That’s good news for two market leaders we cover regularly in our advisory on U.S. stocks, Wall Street Stock Forecaster. We analyze which is in a better position to benefit as more companies adopt cloud computing. Note: This article updates our recent report on Symantec, issued just after the company had fired its CEO (see the article here). ADOBE SYSTEMS INC. (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; www.adobe.com) earned $151.3 million, or $0.30 a share, in its fiscal 2014 first quarter, which ended February 28, 2014. That’s down 14.9% from $177.9 million, or $0.35, a year ago. Revenue fell 0.8%, to $1.00 billion from $1.01 billion. The declines are mainly because Adobe is now selling its Creative Cloud package of photo-editing and desktop-publishing programs as a subscription instead of a one-time purchase. That hurts the company’s short-term growth, but it should provide stable revenue streams as more users switch over. Subscriptions now supply over half of Adobe’s revenue....

2 min read

Jim Bates

Acquisitions help Canadian tech stock build on niche market

How To Invest

Aggressive acquisition strategy lets high-yielding service stock tap into Western resource boom

Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific advice on buying 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. Recently an Inner Circle member asked us about a Canadian stock that is tapping into the economic growth of Western Canada. WesternOne operates through a series of smaller acquisitions that build up its business in construction heating, aerial equipment and modular buildings. Pat looks at the company’s expanding business and the potential risks and rewards of its growth-by-acquisition strategy in a very competitive market. Q: Pat, could you give me your opinion on WesternOne, please?...

2 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Pfizer moves on from failed AstraZenica bid

PFIZER INC. (New York symbol PFE; www.pfizer.com) is the world’s largest maker of prescription drugs. Its main brands include Lyrica (epilepsy), Celebrex (arthritis), Viagra (erectile dysfunction) and Prevnar (a pneumonia vaccine). Pfizer also makes popular over the-counter drugs, including Advil (pain relief), Centrum (vitamins) and Robitussin (cough syrup)....

2 min read

Jim Bates

Dividend Stocks

2 U.S. banks build on good “stress test” grades

Wells Fargo and J.P. Morgan passed the Federal Reserve’s latest “stress test,” which measures how well financial firms would cope with a sharp jump in unemployment, falling stock prices and other unfavourable conditions. Here is our analysis of the two banks, both of which we cover regularly in our advisory on U.S. stocks, Wall Street Stock Forecaster....

2 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Metro continues to trim the fat in fierce grocery competition

METRO INC. (Toronto symbol MRU; www.metro.ca) operates about 600 supermarkets in Quebec and Ontario. It also has over 250 drugstores that operate under the Brunet, The Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners. Metro continues to cut costs in response to competition from larger Canadian chains, like Loblaw and Sobeys, and big box stores like Wal-Mart and Costco. It is also converting some of its underperforming Metro outlets in Ontario to the faster-growing Food Basics discount banner....

1 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Company banking on retirement homes for well-to-do boomers

Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific advice on stock tips 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 concerning a proprietor of retirement homes in Canada. Amica Mature Lifestyles aims its appeal to members of the baby boom generation who are looking for luxury residences. Pat analyzes the company’s business and looks at its prospects as a premium brand competing in a growing retirement home market....

2 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

Monsanto aims for product diversity as shares rise

MONSANTO CO. (New York symbol MON; www.monsanto.com) sells technology-based agricultural products, such as genetically modified seeds, to farmers, grain processors and food producers. The company’s seeds make crops more resistant to pests, diseases and bad weather. Monsanto gets about 70% of its revenue from genetically modified seeds for corn, soybeans and other crops. The remaining 30% comes from selling herbicides, mainly under the Roundup brand....

2 min read

Jim Bates

How To Invest

CN moves ahead with improved efficiency, lower Canadian dollar

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY CO. (Toronto symbol CNR; www.cn.ca) operates Canada’s largest railway. Its 32,350-kilometre network stretches across the country and through the U.S. Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks to strong shipping volumes in the wake of the recession, CN’s revenue rose 43.5%, from $7.4 billion in 2009 to $10.6 billion in 2013....

2 min read

Jim Bates