ROYAL BANK OF CANADA $75

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA $75 (www.rbc.com) earned $9.9 billion in its 2015 fiscal year, which ended October 31, 2015, up 8.6% from $9.1 billion in fiscal 2014. Earnings per share gained 9.4%, to $6.66 from $6.09, on fewer shares outstanding. Strong gains at its retail banking, securities trading and custodial operations offset weaker results at the wealth management and insurance operations. Royal recently completed its $5.4-billion U.S. cash-and-stock purchase of Los Angeles-based bank City National, which specializes in serving wealthy individuals and loaning money to businesses in the entertainment, technology and health care industries. It will probably take two years for City National to start contributing to Royal’s earnings. Buy.

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.