Alimentation Couche-Tard $53.33 - Toronto symbol ATD.B

Alimentation Couche-Tard $53.33, symbol ATD.B on Toronto, was our #1 pick for 2012 in Stock Pickers Digest at $30.55. Its shares are now up 74.6%.

WestJet, our #1 pick for this year (see left), was trading at $14.10 when we made it our #1 Stock of the Year for 2011. It was a year late getting started, but it’s now up 58.1% since then.

Even with that jump, we think WestJet has big gains ahead. In an industry that thrives on passenger satisfaction and trust, the company’s non-unionized workforce is a huge plus.

WestJet employees get profitsharing bonuses and can buy company shares with up to 20% of their yearly salaries—and the company will match these purchases dollar for dollar. Over 85% of workers are shareholders.

We took a very close look at Aimia Inc. (see next page) as our #1 pick. The company is successfully expanding beyond Aeroplan internationally, and its outlook is bright.

However, it faces a number of challenges in 2013—and while we think the company’s growth path remains strong, the stock could be more volatile this year than we like to see in a #1 pick.

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.