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
TERADATA CORP. $43 (New York symbol TDC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 163.1 million; Market cap: $7.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.teradata.com) makes computers and software that capture and store large amounts of a business’s data, including its sales and inventory. It then analyzes this information and identifies buying habits and trends, which helps its clients make better decisions.

In the three months ended June 30, 2013, the company’s earnings fell 4.5%, to $126 million from $132 million a year earlier.

Teradata spent $91 million on share buybacks in the latest quarter. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share fell at a slower pace of 1.3%, to $0.76 from $0.77.
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CANON INC. ADRs $32 (New York symbol CAJ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $38.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 4.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.canon.com) gets 50% of its revenue by making office equipment, mainly printers and copiers. It also makes consumer products, such as cameras and inkjet printers (40% of revenue) and industrial components, including chips and other parts for TV sets, medical gear and mobile devices (10%).

The Bank of Japan’s move to lower the value of the yen has made the company’s products more affordable outside of Japan. However, the slow global economy is prompting companies to hold off on buying new office equipment.

At the same time, more consumers are using their smartphones to take pictures, which is hurting sales of entry-level digital cameras. In response, Canon plans to focus on more expensive models.
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HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. $24 (New York symbol HPQ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $45.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.hp.com) is a leading maker of personal computers and printers. It also makes server computers and networking products for businesses.

Demand for computers and printers, which account for half of Hewlett’s sales, continues to suffer as consumers shift to mobile devices. As a result, the company’s sales will likely fall to $111 billion in its 2013 fiscal year, which ends October 31, 2013, from $120.4 billion in 2012. However, Hewlett believes its sales will stabilize in 2014 and rise in 2015.

Meanwhile, it continues to make progress on a major restructuring plan that includes merging its computer and printing divisions, simplifying its product lines and cutting 8% of its workforce. Hewlett expects to complete these moves in 2014.
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GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $26 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 10.2 billion; Market cap: $265.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.9; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) continues to shrink its GE Capital subsidiary, which provides loans and other financial services to buyers of its industrial products, such as power-transmission gear, jet engines and locomotives.

GE Capital supplies around 30% of GE’s overall revenue and earnings. As part of a plan to focus on its main industrial businesses, the company aims to cut GE Capital’s assets to half of what they were prior to the 2008 financial crisis. It plans to complete these reductions by 2014.

Due to GE Capital’s smaller size, the company’s overall revenue in the three months ended September 30, 2013 fell 1.5%, to $35.7 billion from $36.3 billion a year earlier. Earnings fell 5.1%, to $3.3 billion from $3.5 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share fell 3.0%, to $0.32 from $0.33, on fewer shares outstanding. If you exclude unusual items, earnings per share rose 11.1%, to $0.40 from $0.36.
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UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. $106 (New York symbol UTX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 917.5 million; Market cap: $97.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 2.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.utc.com) has four main divisions: Building & Industrial Systems (formed in September 2013) makes heating and air-conditioning equipment under the Carrier brand, as well as burglar alarms, fire-safety products and Otis elevators (50% of 2012 revenue, 61% of earnings); Pratt & Whitney manufactures aircraft engines (24%, 19%); Aerospace Systems makes aircraft controls (14%, 11%); and Sikorsky makes helicopters (12%, 9%).

The recession cut United Technologies’revenue by 11.1%, from $56.8 billion in 2008 to $50.5 billion in 2009. Revenue quickly turned around and rose to $57.7 billion in 2012. The U.S. government is the company’s biggest customer and accounts for roughly 18% of its yearly revenue.

Earnings fell 17.0%, from $4.9 billion in 2008 to $4.1 billion in 2009. The company is an aggressive buyer of its own shares. As a result, its earnings per share fell at a slower pace of 15.6%, from $4.74 to $4.00. Thanks to the higher revenue, earnings improved to $5.2 billion, or $5.35 a share, in 2012.
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Improved efficiency is keeping our 2012 Stock of the Year rising
In choosing a Stock of the Year, we aim for a “heads you win, tails you break even” situation. These stocks can put on above-average rises, but they’re unlikely to be disasters if they disappoint....
investing-direction
Compass and canadian dollar close up shot
A year ago, Pat McKeough was asked to contribute his “best financial tip” to the Blog for Financial Literacy. It proved to be one of our most popular daily posts of 2012. Thanksgiving Monday seems like a good time to re-visit this essential piece of investment advice from Pat. “My Best Financial Tip” is to take a sound fundamental approach to investing in stocks. That’s especially true at a time like today when interest rates are near historic lows and bonds and other fixed income investments offer sparse returns....
Computer chip maker has cutting edge products like the world’s smallest gyroscope
Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific advice on stocks as well as questions on investment strategy and the economy. Every week, his comments and recommendations on the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. While we reserve our buy-hold-sell advice for Inner Circle members, these excerpts provide a great deal of information and analysis on stocks we’ve covered for members of Pat’s Inner Circle....
Adobe aims for a profit rebound from cloud computing subscriptions
ADOBE SYSTEMS (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; www.adobe.com) makes software that lets computer users create, edit and share documents in the popular PDF format. As well, graphic designers use its software to create print publications and web pages....