COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL GROUP $49.73

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL GROUP $49.73 (Toronto symbol CIG ; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-202-695-4200; www.colliers.com; Shares outstanding: 37.3 million; Market cap: $1.9 billion; Dividend yield: 0.2%) is one of the world’s top three commercial real estate firms. It offers a range of services in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Latin America.

The company has 16,300 employees operating from over 500 offices in 66 countries.

In the three months ended March 31, 2016, Colliers’ revenue rose 12.0%, to $376.1 million from $335.8 million a year earlier (all figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). If you exclude one-time items, earnings jumped 105.8%, to $7.3 million from $3.6 million. Per-share profits rose 90.0%, to $0.19 from $0.10, on more shares outstanding.

The company continues to fuel its growth through acquisitions. One of its latest is WPM Groep NV, a leading property firm in the Netherlands. That business has 180 employees in five offices. It focuses on commercial real estate services, valuations and finding tenants for building owners.

The outlook for Colliers is positive, but the stock needs the continued recovery of global real estate markets to keep rising. Meanwhile, it trades at 15.6 times the $2.44 U.S. a share the company will likely earn in 2016. The stock yields 0.2%.

Colliers International Group is a hold.

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