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.

IGM FINANCIAL INC. $33 (Toronto symbol IGM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 244.8 million; Market cap: $8.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.7; Dividend yield: 5.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.igmfinancial.com) had $131.0 billion worth of assets under management as of January 31, 2016, down 9.9% from $145.5 billion a year earlier. The company’s fee income rises and falls with the value of the mutual funds and other securities it manages, so its revenue and earnings decline when the price of these assets falls. The drop is mainly due to the recent volatility in global stock markets. In January 2016, the S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 1.4%, while the S&P 500 Index declined 5.1%. However, IGM sells most of its funds through its own salesforce. This leaves it less dependent on selling through the brokerage industry than its competitors. This salesforce also lets IGM form close relationships with clients, and keep redemption rates down....
RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. $43 (Toronto symbol QSR; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 467.6 million; Market cap: $20.1 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 1.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.rbi.com) is the world’s thirdlargest fast-food operator, after McDonald’s and Yum Brands, with 4,845 Tim Hortons and 14,669 Burger King outlets locations in 100 countries. The company recently announced that its North American locations plan to use only eggs from chickens raised outside of cages. The move will help enhance its appeal with health-conscious, environmentally aware consumers. It will also help it compete with other fast-food chains also switching to cage-free eggs. Farmers need time to adjust, so Restaurant Brands plans to complete the switch by 2025....
SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $40 (Toronto symbol SNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 149.8 million; Market cap: $6.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.snclavalin.com) has won a contract from the United Arab Emirate’s state-owned aluminum company to supply engineering services to its two smelters. SNC did not say how much the deal is worth, but it should complete the work in July 2018. The company’s $12.7-billion order backlog, as of September 30, 2015, is equal to 1.3 times its annual revenue. However, oil and mining jobs account for a third of that total. Low commodity prices could force these clients to postpone or cancel these projects. SNC-Lavalin is a hold.
AGRIUM INC. $114 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 138.2 million; Market cap: $15.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 4.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) continues to benefit from its shift away from making fertilizers to selling them, along with seeds and other products, to farmers. That cuts its exposure to volatile bulk-fertilizer prices. In 2015, Agrium’s 1,250 retail stores in North America, South America and Australia supplied 82% of its sales, and 70% of its earnings. The remaining 18% of sales and 30% of earnings came from making nitrogen-based fertilizers from natural gas. Agrium also operates potash and phosphate fertilizer mines....
TORONTO-DOMINION BANK $50 (www.td.com) owns 41.54% of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (Nasdaq symbol AMTD), one of the largest online brokerage firms in the U.S. TD expects Ameritrade will contribute $109 million (Canadian) to its earnings in its 2016 first quarter, which ended January 31, 2016, up 21.1% from $90 million a year earlier....
ATCO INC. $38 (www.atco.com) has increased its quarterly dividend by 15.2%, to $0.285 a share from $0.2475. The new annual rate of $1.14 yields 3.0%. ATCO has now raised the rate each year for the past 22 years. Best Buy.
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