Pat McKeough

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.

As early as 1980, Pat was recognized as #1 in the world of published investment advice by the Washington, DC–based Newsletter Publishers Association, and he was the first multi-year winner of The Globe and Mail’s stock picking contest.

Both CBS MarketWatch and The Hulbert Financial Digest recognized Pat as one of North America’s top stock analysts. The Wall Street Journal called him “one of only four investment newsletter advisors who have managed to serve their readers well over the long haul.”

A best-selling Canadian author, he wrote Riding the Bull, his 1993 book that predicted the stock-market boom of the last half of that decade. Through his many television appearances, he is well-known to investors for his insightful analysis and his candid, unpretentious style.

Bottom line: Pat’s conservative, reduced-risk strategy is a proven approach to safe investing.

Posts by the author
To determine when to buy an ETF, some investors use technical analysis and other tools. But you need to dig deeper.
SONY CORP. ADRs $26 (New York symbol SNE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $33.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield 0.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.sony.com) has also had to shut down two plants in Japan due to earthquake damage. These facilities make image sensors for smartphones. The company has also warned that slowing demand for high-end smartphones has hurt sales of these sensors. In addition, negative interest rates in Japan are hurting earnings at Sony’s banking and insurance operations. The company has now cut its operating profit forecast for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, by about 9% to $2.6 billion. Sony is a hold.
PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. ADRs $28 (New York symbol PHG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 917.1 million; Market cap: $25.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.philips.com) had a deal to sell 80.1% of its Lumileds subsidiary, which makes lightemitting- diode (LED) components, to a Chinese firm. However, U.S. regulators blocked the sale. As a result, Phillips now plans to sell shares in its entire lighting division, including Lumileds, to the public. That could raise $6 billion, and set the stage for a possible spinoff. It would also allow the company to focus on its health care products, including X-ray scanners and ultrasound systems, and consumer goods such as electric shavers and coffee makers. Philips is still a buy.
ABB LTD. ADRs $21 (New York symbol ABB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.2 billion; Market cap: $46.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 3.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.abb.com) makes transformers, transmission systems and circuit breakers for electrical utilities. It also produces automation systems and robotics for industrial clients. Slowing growth in China and a higher U.S. dollar caused ABB’s sales in the first quarter of 2016 to fall 7.6%, to $7.9 billion from $8.6 billion a year earlier. But thanks to a new restructuring plan, earnings per ADR were flat at $0.28. ABB expects its restructuring to save it $1 billion annually by the end of 2017. ABB is a buy....
NORDSTROM INC. $53 (New York symbol JWN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 172.9 million; Market cap: $9.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 2.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nordstrom.com) mainly sells upscale clothing, accessories and footwear. It owns and operates 326 stores in the U.S. and Canada. The company is facing stronger competition from online retailers. In response, it plans to cut jobs at its corporate and regional support centres. In all, these layoffs represent 1% of its workforce. The cuts should save Nordstrom $60 million a year; it earned $600 million, or $3.15 a share, in the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016. The company will invest the savings in its own e-commerce operations....
NVIDIA CORP. $37 (Nasdaq symbol NVDA; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 544.6 million; Market cap: $20.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.9; Dividend yield: 1.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nvidia .com) is a leading designer of 3D-capable video chips, which help video games run more smoothly and appear more lifelike. In the fiscal year ended January 31, 2016, Nvidia’s revenue rose 7.0%, to a record $5.0 billion from $4.7 billion a year earlier. Sales of its graphic video chips (84% of the total revenue) gained 9.1%. That’s because Nvidia is doing a good job developing chips for virtual reality devices, self-driving cars and data centres. However, sales of its Tegra chips for mobile devices (11%) fell 3.5%. Licensing revenues (5%) were flat. Nvidia earned $929 million in fiscal 2016. That’s up 16.0% from $801 million a year earlier. Per-share profits rose 17.6%, to $1.67 from $1.42, on fewer shares outstanding....
MICROSOFT CORP. $51 (Nasdaq symbol MSFT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 7.9 billion; Market cap: $402.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.6; Dividend yield: 2.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.microsoft.com) is the world’s largest software company. Its Windows operating system powers about 90% of the world’s personal computers. Microsoft’s other main product— its Office suite, which includes a word processor (Word) and spreadsheet program (Excel)— controls 90% of its market. The company also makes computer-hardware products, including its Xbox video game console and Surface tablet computer. High U.S. dollar dampens results ...
NEWMONT MINING CORP. $32 (www.newmont.com) earned $0.34 a share in the first quarter of 2016, down 26.1% from $0.46 a year earlier. Higher gold and copper production pushed up its operating costs and offset a 3.0% rise in revenue, to $2.03 billion from $1.97 billion....
L BRANDS INC. $79 (www.lb.com) owns several home and apparel retail chains, including the Victoria’s Secret lingerie stores. As part of a new strategy, it will reorganize this business into three divisions: Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, Pink (aimed at younger shoppers), and Victoria’s Secret Beauty....
BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS $60.43 New York symbol BR; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (201-714-3000; www.broadridge.com; Shares outstanding: 118.8 million; Market cap: $7.2 billion; Dividend yield: 2.0%) serves the investment industry in two main areas: investor communications, and securities processing and transaction clearing. It processes 90% of all proxy votes in the U.S. and Canada. Excluding one-time items, Broadridge earned $46.5 million in its fiscal 2016 first quarter, which ended December 31, 2015. That’s up 16.5% from $39.9 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 18.8%, to $0.38 from $0.32, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue gained 11.1%, to $638.9 million from $574.6 million. Investor communications makes up 72% of Broadridge’s revenues. Back-office securities processing and transaction clearing make up the remaining 28%; they also provide the company with strong long-term growth prospects in the U.S. and globally....