Although growth stock picks can be highly volatile, they can make good long-term investments. They may be well-known stars or quiet gems, but they do share one common attribute—they are growing at a higher-than-average rate within their industry, or within the market as a whole, and could keep growing for years or decades.
And keep in mind that we focus on growth stocks, which have a good long-term history and favourable prospects. We downplay momentum stocks that tend to attract many investors simply because they are moving faster than the market averages, but are liable to fall sharply when their momentum fades.
There’s room for growth stock investing in your portfolio, but make sure you follow our TSI Network three-part Successful Investor strategy for your overall portfolio:
- Invest mainly in well-established companies;
- Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; Utilities);
- Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.
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The company continues to shrink GE Capital, which mainly provides loans to GE’s clients. In 2014, this business supplied 42% of the company’s operating earnings, but it aims to cut that to 25% by 2016.
As part of this plan, GE recently agreed to sell GE Capital’s consumer-lending operations in Australia and New Zealand for $6.3 billion. The proceeds will help cover the cost of the company’s recent alliance with France’s Alstom SA, a leading maker of parts for power plants and transmission gear.
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The company has four divisions:
FedEx Express (59% of 2014 revenue, 34% of earnings) offers air-delivery services to over 220 countries. This business has 650 aircraft and 55,000 ground vehicles.
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3D Systems Corp. (symbol DDD on New York; www.3dsystems.com), makes and services 3-D printers and provides print materials.
The company’s sales rose 23.0% in the three months ended September 30, 2014, to $166.9 million from $135.7 million a year earlier, though its earnings per share fell 30.7%, to $0.18 from $0.26, on higher research and marketing spending.
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In 2013, this division opened its first two international sales and service centres. One is in Aberdeen, Scotland, and supports customers in the North Sea area. The other is in Singapore and serves clients in the Asia-Pacific region. McCoy recently opened another centre, in Dubai, to supply the Middle East.
Global client base lowers risk
The company’s customers are in the natural resource, construction, manufacturing and transportation industries.
In the three months ended December 31, 2014, Wajax’s revenue fell 1.4%, to $386.1 million from $391.7 million a year earlier. The decline was mostly due to lower sales to mining companies and oil and gas customers.
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In the three months ended December 31, 2014, Russel’s revenue rose 24.9%, to $1.01 billion from $811.1 million a year earlier.
Earnings gained 36.4%, to $31.1 million, or $0.50 a share. A year earlier, the company earned $22.8 million, or $0.37. Russel has invested in new plants and processing equipment in the past three years, which has cut its costs and improved its efficiency. That’s paying off with higher profit margins.
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The company’s sales declined 45% in Russia in February 2015, to 9,447 vehicles. Mass-market brands like Nissan and GM were down the most among automakers in a month that saw overall Russian car and truck sales plunge 38%, to 128,298.
The decline was the result of the weakening Russian economy and the sharply lower ruble. Overall, Russian vehicle sales were down just 10% in 2014, but volumes were helped by a surge in December sales from Russians buying vehicles to make the most of their rapidly devaluing rubles.
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In the three months ended December 31, 2014, Calian’s revenue rose 8.1%, to $56.0 million from $51.8 million a year earlier.
Even with the higher revenue, earnings fell 1.4%, to $2.74 million, or $0.37 a share, from $2.78 million, or $0.38. That was mostly because Calian added workers to fulfill new contracts.
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Earnings gained 11.4%, to $29.9 million, or $0.38 a share. A year earlier, Leon’s earned $26.3 million, or $0.34 a share. Earnings rose more than sales because the company sold more high-profit-margin furniture rather than appliances and electronics.
Leon’s is a buy.
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WestJet has ordered three more 767s for delivery later this year. The bigger planes will offer greater range than the company’s current fleet of Boeing 737s and let it compete with Air Canada on international routes.
Right now, WestJet flies to Dublin, Ireland, at the maximum range of its 737s. The new 767s will let it serve additional European cities, as well as South America or Asia.
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