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
The pendulum theory grew out of Sir Isaac Newton’s 17th-century studies of gravity and physics, particularly his second law of motion. Yet the theory turns up in discussions of all sorts of non-mechanical topics. This includes investors’ efforts at understanding the stock market.
TRANSCANADA CORP. $49 (Toronto symbol TRP; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 702.3 million; Market cap: $34.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.1; Dividend yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.transcanada.com) has cancelled its contracts to buy electricity from three coal-fired power plants in Alberta. That’s because higher costs to comply with the province’s new carbon taxes and emission controls have hurt the profitability of these deals. As a result, TransCanada will record a non-cash, after-tax charge of $175 million. That’s equal to 10% of its 2015 earnings of $1.8 billion, or $2.48 a share. However, cancelling these deals will improve its cash flow and earnings. TransCanada is a buy.
SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $35 (Toronto symbol SU; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.5 billion; Market cap: $52.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. suncor.com) has now acquired 84.2% of Canadian Oil Sands (Toronto symbol COS). That firm owns 36.74% of the Syncrude oil sands project in northern Alberta. The takeover gives Suncor 48.74% of Syncrude, and allows it to improve the project’s efficiency and profits. Under the terms of its takeover offer, Canadian Oil Sands investors each received 0.28 of a Suncor share for every share they own. If you include Canadian Oil Sands’ debt, the deal is worth $6.6 billion. Suncor expects to acquire the remaining shares in the next few weeks. Suncor is a buy.
TORSTAR CORP. $1.82 (Toronto symbol TS.B; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 80.5 million; Market cap: $146.5 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.2; Dividend yield: 14.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. torstar.com) launched a digital version of The Toronto Star, its flagship newspaper, for tablet computers in September 2015. In addition to newspaper content, this free app, called Star Touch, gives users quick access to related information like photos, maps and videos. So far, Star Touch has attracted over 65,000 weekly and 26,000 daily users. The company spent $14 million in 2015 to set up Star Touch, and maintaining and updating it will cost a further $10 million this year. It expects Star Touch will break even in 2017....
POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN $25 (Toronto symbol POT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 836.6 million; Market cap: $20.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 5.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.potashcorp.com) continues to see weak demand and prices for its potash and other fertilizers. In response, the company will suspend production at two of its Saskatchewan mines for one month. That will reduce its 2016 output by 400,000 tonnes; in 2015, it sold 8.8 million tonnes. These latest closures are in addition to the company’s recent decision to shut down its potash mine in Picadilly, New Brunswick. Potash Corp. is still a hold.
SHAWCOR LTD. $28 (Toronto symbol SCL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 64.5 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.shawcor.com) makes sealants and coatings that keep oil and gas pipelines from rusting. It also makes electrical wire and protective sheaths. In 2015, its revenue fell 4.2%, to $1.8 billion from the $1.9 billion in 2014. That’s because weaker demand for its pipeline coating services offset the benefit of the low Canadian dollar. Favourable exchange rates added $106.5 million to ShawCor’s revenue in 2015. Earnings rose 3.6%, to $98.2 million from $94.9 million, thanks to fewer losses from its joint ventures. Due to more shares outstanding, per-share profits fell 0.7%, to $1.52 from $1.53. ShawCor’s backlog was $452 million at the end of 2015. Currently, it has $900 million worth of bids outstanding on new jobs. It also expects to bid on an additional $500 million worth of contracts. ShawCor’s strong reputation should continue to help it win bids....
LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD. $71 (Toronto symbol L; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 410.1 million; Market cap: $29.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 1.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.loblaw.ca) purchased the Shoppers Drug Mart chain in March 2014 for $12.3 billion in cash and shares. The company now operates over 1,100 supermarkets and 1,300 drug stores across Canada. Thanks to its purchase of Shoppers, Loblaw’s sales have jumped 45.3%, from $31.3 billion in 2011 to $45.4 billion in 2015. Earnings fell 13.9%, from $2.88 a share (or a total of $811 million) in 2011 to $2.48 a share (or $696 million) in 2013. With the addition of Shoppers, earnings rose to $3.06 a share (or $1.2 billion) in 2014 and $3.46 a share (or $1.4 billion) in 2015....
CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE $96 (www.cibc.com) earned $2.55 a share in the quarter ended January 31, 2016. That’s up 8.1% from $2.36 a year earlier. Strong gains at the bank’s main personal and business banking operations offset weaker earnings from wealth management and securities trading....
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA $73 (www.rbc.com) recently completed its $7.1-billion acquisition of Los Angeles-based City National Bank. This business added $53 million to its latest quarterly profits. Even so, Royal’s overall earnings fell 0.4%, to $2.45 billion from $2.46 billion a year earlier; earnings per share fell 4.2%, to $1.58 from $1.65, on more shares outstanding....
THOMSON REUTERS INC. $50 (www.thomsonreuters.com) plans to sell its intellectual property and science information businesses. It would probably apply the expected proceeds of $3 billion—equal to 8% of its $38.2-billion market cap—on share repurchases. Buy.