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.

INNERGEX RENEWABLE ENERGY $12.84 (Toronto symbol INE; Shares outstanding: 103.9 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield 5.0%; www.innergex.com) operates 27 hydroelectric plants, six wind farms and one solar power facility in Quebec, Ontario, B.C. and Idaho. The company gets 77% of its power from hydroelectric plants, 22% from wind and 1% from solar. In contrast to Brookfield, Innergex is growing slowly, mostly by building its own hydroelectric and wind facilities, rather than through acquisitions. Right now, the company has four projects under construction. But like Brookfield, Innergex makes sure it has firm long-term power-purchase contracts in place before it starts building new plants....
ENBRIDGE INC. $46.75 (Toronto symbol ENB; Shares outstanding: 867.6 million; Market cap: $40.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Divd. yield: 4.5%; www.enbridge.com) has agreed to sell 56.6 million common shares at $40.70 a share to several major brokerage firms to raise $2.3 billion. Enbridge will put that cash toward $18.2 billion in spending on new pipelines, wind farms and other projects between 2016 and 2019. The company has already secured shipping commitments from oil producers and other clients. That should cut the risk for these new projects. The extra cash flow from the new operations will allow Enbridge to increase its dividend by 10% to 12% a year through 2019; the current annual rate of $2.12 a share yields 4.5%. However, the stock is somewhat expensive at 21.0 times its projected 2016 earnings of $2.23 a share....
IBM $136.30 (New York symbol IBM; Shares outstanding: 970.1 million; Market cap: $130.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%; www.ibm.com) will buy Truven Health Analytics, a private firm that provides hospitals and pharmaceutical companies with analytic data services. Truven will become part of IBM’s Watson Health business. It uses advanced artificialintelligence technology to process and analyze large volumes of data, including patient records, drug information and insurance claims. That helps hospitals and clinics reduce errors and cut their costs. IBM will pay $2.6 billion for Truven when it completes the purchase later this year....
PENGROWTH ENERGY $1.18 (Toronto symbol PGF; Shares outstanding: 543.0 million; Market cap: $564.8 million; TSINetwork Rating: Average; No dividends paid; www.pengrowth.com) produces oil and natural gas, mostly in Western Canada. This includes its Lindbergh oil sands project in Alberta. Pengrowth has suspended its $0.01-a-share quarterly dividend in response to the sharp decline in oil prices. It will also reduce its capital spending to between $60 million to $70 million in 2016, from $184 million in 2015. The company also laid off workers. That should save it $25 million in 2016. In addition, Pengrowth aims to sell $600 million of less important properties. These funds will probably go toward paying down its $2.1 billion debt. That’s now 3.7 times its depressed market cap....
ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $31.82 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The fund’s geographic breakdown includes China, 24.0%; South Korea, 15.3%; Taiwan, 12.8%; India, 8.0%; South Africa, 6.4%; Brazil, 5.7%; Mexico, 4.6%; Russia, 3.7%; Malaysia, 3.5%; Indonesia, 3.0%; Thailand, 2.3%; and Turkey, 1.5%. Its top holdings are Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.8%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.4%; Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 2.9%; China Mobile, 2.0%; China Construction Bank, 1.5%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 1.5%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.1%; and Hon Hai Precision (Taiwan), 1.0%....
ISHARES MSCI SOUTH KOREA INDEX FUND $48.28 (New York symbol EWY; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Korea Index. The ETF’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics, 21.2%; Hyundai Motor, 3.7%; SK Hynix Semiconductor, 2.9%; Hyundai Mobis (auto parts), 2.8%; Shinhan Financial, 2.7%; Naver (Internet), 2.6%; Korea Electric Power, 2.5%; LG Chemicals, 2.3%; Posco (steel), 2.2%; Kia Motors, 2.0%; AmorePacific Corp. (cosmetics), 2.0%; KT&G Corp. (tobacco), 1.9%; KB Financial, 1.9%; and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, 1.7%. The iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund was launched on May 9, 2000. Its expense ratio is 0.64%....
ISHARES MSCI GERMANY FUND $24.22 (New York symbol EWG; buy or sell through brokers) tracks the stocks in the MSCI Germany Index. This index aims to replicate 85% of the market capitalization of the German stock market. The remaining 15% is unavailable for investment, partly due to limitations on foreign ownership. The ETF’s top holdings are Bayer (diversified chemicals), 8.8%; SAP (software), 7.5%; Siemens (engineering conglomerate), 7.4%; Allianz (insurance), 6.8%; Daimler (automobiles), 7.3%; BASF (chemicals), 6.1%; Deutsche Telekom, 5.4%; Munich Reinsurance, 3.3%; BMW AG, 2.7%; Linde AG (industrial gases), 2.6%; Fresenius (health care), 2.6%; Deutsche Bank AG, 2.4%; and Deutsche Post AG, 2.3%....
ISHARES MSCI CHILE INVESTABLE MARKET INDEX FUND $34.42 (New York symbol ECH; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that aims to track the MSCI Chile Investable Market Index, which consists of stocks that mainly trade on the Santiago Stock Exchange. The fund’s largest holdings are Enersis SA (electricity), 10.3%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electricity), 9.0%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 7.9%; S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 6.5%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 5.8%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 5.8%; Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 4.7%; Colbun SA (utility), 4.6%; and Banco de Chile, 4.3%. The ETF’s industry breakdown consists of Utilities, 31.9%; Financials, 19.5%; Materials, 13.0%; Consumer Staples, 9.7%; Energy, 8.2%; Consumer Discretionary, 8.0%; Industrials, 4.4%; Telecommunication services, 2.5%; and Information Technology, 2.1%....
ISHARES MSCI AUSTRALIA ETF $18.36 (New York symbol EWA; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that holds the 73 largest Australian stocks. The fund’s top holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 11.2%; Westpac Banking Corp., 8.8%; National Australia Bank, 6.0%; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, 6.0%; BHP Billiton, 4.7%; CSL Ltd., 4.4%; Wesfarmers, 4.2%; Woolworths Ltd., 2.6%; Scentre Group, 2.2%; and Transurban Group, 2.1%. The ETF’s industry breakdown consists of Financials, 54.8%; Materials, 12.1%; Consumer Staples, 7.7%; Health Care, 6.5%; Industrials, 6.1%; Energy, 4.7%; Utilities, 2.6%; Consumer Discretionary, 2.4%; and Telecommunications, 2.3%....