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.

ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD $57.58 (Toronto symbol ATD.B: TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couchetard.com; Shares outstanding: 567.4 million; Market cap: $32.7 billion; Dividend yield: 0.4%) completed its $1.7-billion acquisition of The Pantry in March 2015. The move added 1,500 convenience stores in 13 southern U.S. states, bringing Couche-Tard’s total to 7,848 locations throughout North America.

In Europe, the company operates 2,230 stores across Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), Poland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Russia.

In the three months ended April 26, 2015, Couche-Tard’s sales fell 18.6%, to $7.29 billion from $8.95 billion a year earlier (all figures except share price in U.S. dollars).

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MCCOY GLOBAL $4.53 (Toronto symbol MCB; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative)(780-453-8451; www.mccoyglobal.com; Shares outstanding: 27.7 million; Market cap: $128.2 million; Dividend yield: 4.4%) sold its heavy-duty truck-trailer unit last year and is now focused on its Energy Products and Services segment, which sells hydraulic gear, including power tongs, for drilling rigs. (Power tongs are large wrench-like tools that tighten and loosen the pipe in the drill hole.)

McCoy has international sales and service centres in Singapore, Dubai and Aberdeen, Scotland.

Profits up despite tough markets

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p>WAJAX CORP. $20.60 (Toronto symbol WJX; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (905-212-3300; www.wajax.ca; Shares outstanding:20.0 million; Market cap: $414.1 million; Dividend yield: 4.9%) sells and services cranes, forklifts and other heavy equipment. It also provides related parts (such as bearings, motors, hoses and fittings) and power systems (including diesel engines and transmissions). The company’s customers are in the natural resource, construction, manufacturing and transportation industries.

In the three months ended March 31, 2015, Wajax’s revenue fell 4.3%, to $317.2 million from $331.4 million a year earlier, as mining, oil and gas and oil sands firms made fewer purchases.

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ALAMOS GOLD $4.36 (Toronto symbol AGI TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (604-681- 2802; www.alamosgold.com; Shares outstanding: 127.4 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; No dividends paid) is the company formed by the merger of Alamos Gold and Stock Pickers Digest recommendation AuRico Gold.

The combined firm owns the Mulatos mine in Mexico and the Young-Davidson project in northern Ontario, which holds as much as 5.6 million ounces of gold. Young- Davidson started up in 2013 and will reach full production in 2016. But meanwhile, it’s moving from open-pit to underground mining, which will sharply increase its costs.

Alamos Gold holds cash of $358.0 million, which it will use to fund the Young-Davidson mine and boost the combined firm’s gold output from 400,000 ounces this year to 700,000 in 2018.

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RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL $39.97 (New York symbol QSR; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (905-845-6511; www.rbi.com; Shares outstanding: 467.0 million; Market cap: $18.47billion; Dividend yield: 1.0%) took its current form on December 12, 2014, after Burger King Worldwide acquired Tim Hortons.

Burger King successfully launched six new meatless burgers at its outlets in India last year. As a result, it’s now considering expanding its vegetarian menu outside of that country.

Meatless burgers have sold poorly in the U.S. and other developed nations in the past. However, interest in vegetarianism is rising. Offering meatless products also makes it more likely that families with one or more vegetarians will visit Burger King instead of looking elsewhere for vegetarian options.

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AEROPOSTALE INC. $1.51 (New York symbol ARO; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk)(646-485-5410; www.aeropostale.com; Shares outstanding: 79.5 million; Market cap: $121.7 million; No dividends paid) plans to open licensed stores in India and Indonesia under agreements with Arvind Lifestyle Brands Ltd. in India and PT Mitra Adiperkasa TBK in Indonesia.

In India, the plan includes 50 stand-alone outlets, 150 in-store shops in select locations and the launch of e-commerce operations over the next five years, beginning in March 2016.

In Indonesia, Aeropostale expects to open 10 to 12 stand-alone stores over the next five years, with its first outlet opening in Jakarta in late 2016.

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WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE $87.29 (New York symbol WYN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (973- 753-6000; www.wyndhamworldwide.com; Shares outstanding: 120.0 million; Market cap: $10.4 billion; Dividend yield: 1.9%) is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, with 7,670 franchised hotels worldwide.

In addition to hotels, Wyndham manages vacation resorts, rental properties, luxury clubs and time-shares. This wide range of operations gives it more consistent cash flow than most of its competitors, which mainly focus on hotels.

Wyndham has just bought ResortQuest Whistler, which manages nearly 600 vacation properties at the popular ski resort, for an undisclosed amount. ResortQuest’s properties are fully furnished and offer amenities like full kitchens, fireplaces and large living areas. This is Wyndham’s first acquisition in Canada.

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p>DOMINO’S PIZZA $112.31 (New York symbol DPZ; TSINetwork Rating: Average)(734-930-3008; www.dominos.com; Shares outstanding: 55.2 million; Market cap: $6.1 billion; Dividend yield: 1.1%) reports that its earnings per share jumped 20.9% in the three months ended June 14, 2015, to $0.81 from $0.67 a year earlier. Sales gained 8.5%, to $488.6 million from $450.5 million. Same-store sales rose 6.7% internationally—but more importantly, they increased 12.8% in the U.S., home to most of the company’s stores.

The company’s outlook is positive, and it continues to profit from its move into online ordering and smartphone apps. However, the stock is up over 52% for us in the past year. Domino’s now trades at a high 32.8 times its forecast 2015 earnings of $3.42 a share.

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ALARMFORCE INDUSTRIES $10.55 (Toronto symbol AF; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (1-800- 267-2001; www.alarmforce.com; Shares outstanding: 11.6 million; Market cap: $122.7 million; Dividend yield: 1.7%) sells twoway voice-alarm systems and monitoring services in Canada and increasingly in the U.S.

In the three months ended April 30, 2015, Alarm- Force’s sales rose 6.5%, to $14.0 million from $13.2 million a year earlier. Earnings per share were unchanged at $0.15. Sales gained along with the company’s subscriber base and higher monthly revenue per subscriber. Earnings were flat because it spent more on product development and marketing.

In August 2014, the company launched AlarmForce Connect, an add-on service that lets subscribers control their home-security systems with a smartphone or tablet. About 40% of its subscribers have since added AlarmForce Connect.

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