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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However, IBM will not get any payment for these assets. Instead, it will pay $1.5 billion to Globalfoundries to take over this money-losing business. IBM has also agreed to buy chips from Globalfoundries for the next 10 years.
This move is part of IBM’s plan to focus on its more-profitable computer services and software divisions.
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The company has five main business lines: fabric and home care products, such as Tide laundry detergent and Duracell batteries (32% of fiscal 2014 sales, 26% of earnings); baby and family care goods, including Pampers diapers (25%, 25%); beauty items like Olay cosmetics (24%, 23%); grooming products, including Gillette razors (10%, 17%); and health care items, such as Crest toothpaste (9%, 9%). Wal-Mart accounts for 14% of the company’s sales.
Procter’s sales rose 6.6%, from $78.9 billion in 2010 to $84.2 billion in 2013 (fiscal years end June 30). However, sales fell 1.3%, to $83.1 billion, in 2014. That’s because Procter sold 80% of its pet food business to Mars, Inc. for $2.9 billion. It expects to complete the sale of the remaining 20% in 2015.
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In the three months ended June 30, 2014, the company earned $2.9 million, or $0.39 a share. That’s down 12.5% from $3.3 million, or $0.43 a share, a year earlier. Revenue declined 7.4%, to $53.8 million from $58.1 million.
Government clients add stability
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In the quarter ended June 30, 2014, Stantec’s revenue rose 13.0%, to $530.3 million from $469.4 million a year earlier. Earnings gained 22.6%, to $44.3 million, or $0.95 a share, from $36.1 million, or $0.78.
Timely move into Quebec
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Zargon continues to sell properties to fund high development spending at its alkaline surfactant polymer (ASP) enhanced oil recovery project at Little Bow, Alberta. ASP is a new process that floods oil wells with a chemical mixture when water is no longer effective. The alkali in the mixture penetrates the rock and frees trapped oil.
This project is costly, and it’s diverting funds from Zargon’s conventional oil drilling. That’s lowering the company’s cash flow— per-share cash flow fell 26.4% in the latest quarter, to $0.39 from $0.53 a year ago.
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Bellatrix originally listed its common shares on the NYSE MKT (formerly the American Stock Exchange) on September 20, 2012. Switching to the main New York exchange should raise its profile and increase its liquidity.
The company has also formed a new joint venture with Grafton Asset Management. Under the deal, Grafton will contribute $250 million toward the development of some of Bellatrix’s extensive landholdings in Alberta. Bellatrix will also commit $250 million. To put that in context, Bellatrix’s cash flow was $148.7 million, or $0.84 a share, in the first half of 2014.
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Atlantic closed the sale of its Alltel wireless business to AT&T (symbol T on New York) late last year. It now holds cash of $407.6 million, or $24.64 a share, and has paid off its $271.1 million of debt.
The company could use its high cash balance to make acquisitions or expand its remaining operations. It could also make further dividend increases or pay special dividends.
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The company plans to spend $375 million on exploration this year, down 5.5% from the $397 million it spent in 2013. As well, it’s now focusing on its shale oil prospects at Kaybob, Alberta and spending less on its more mature oil pools in the same area.
That shift could push Trilogy’s average daily output to over 42,000 barrels late next year, but it will continue to weigh on the company’s production growth in the meantime.
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Cimarex’s properties are mostly in the Wolfcamp shale area of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico, and the Cana-Woodford shale area in western Oklahoma.
In the three months ended June 30, 2014, the company’s production averaged 838.7 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day (including oil). That’s up 22.1% from 686.8 million cubic feet a year earlier.
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In 2011, Devon sold all of its international and Gulf of Mexico properties, which it saw as risky and expensive to develop.
The company narrowed its focus even further with the July 2014 sale of some of its properties to Linn Energy for $2.3 billion. The sale included Devon’s holdings in the Rockies, the onshore Gulf Coast and the Mid-Continent region (which includes Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas).
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