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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In the quarter ended March 31, 2013, revenue rose 2.4%, to $821.8 million from $802.9 million a year earlier. The steel-distribution division’s revenue fell 26%, and the metal-services business saw a 10% decline. The slower economy cut steel demand.
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Chemtrade’s Marsulex subsidiary provides a range of environmental services, including improving air quality and treating and handling industrial waste.
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Chemtrade’s revenue fell 7.8%, to $210.0 million from $227.9 million a year earlier. The decline mostly reflects lower prices for sulphuric acid on international markets. However, cash flow per unit rose 7.6%, to $0.71 from $0.66.
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Excluding one-time items, earnings per share rose 7.0%, to $0.61 from $0.57. The latest earnings missed the consensus estimate of $0.77 a share, but that was because the latest quarter included upfront costs related to Statoil’s new computer systems and reporting software.
The company’s outlook is positive. But while high gasoline prices are pushing up the company’s sales, they’re also causing motorists to cut back on driving. That’s hurting its fuel sales volumes, which is cutting its profit margins on the fuel it does sell. As well, fewer customers at the pumps means less traffic through the company’s stores.
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The latest is its first gluten-free snack, the Gluten- Free Coconut Macaroon. Gluten-free baked goods are for people who can’t digest wheat or are concerned about the possible unhealthy effects of eating gluten, first popularized in the 2011 book Wheat Belly.
Tim Hortons is a buy....
Pason rents equipment for monitoring and managing land-based oil rigs. It also provides communication systems that companies use to remotely collect data from their drilling operations. Pason serves oil and gas firms and drilling contractors in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.
In the quarter ended March 31, 2013, revenue fell 5.1%, to $109.3 million from $115.1 million a year earlier. Strong international sales were offset by slower activity in the U.S. and Canada. Cash flow per share fell 7.9%, to $0.58 from $0.63. Pason holds cash of $168.9 million, or $2.06 a share, and has no debt.
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This summer, Aeropostale plans to open small outlets inside Liverpool’s department stores across the country. It will also roll out standalone stores, with the first one scheduled to open in Mexico City’s Sante Fe Mall.
Aeropostale is still a hold.
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In the second quarter of 2013, the company expects to report revenue of about $575 million, up 7% from $537 million a year earlier. However, that’s well below the consensus estimate of $629.8 million.
Intuitive expects revenue from sales of replacement parts, training and other services to rise 18%, but it predicts a 6% decline in da Vinci system sales. That’s mainly due to tightening hospital budgets in the U.S.
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In addition to hotels, Wyndham manages vacation resorts, rental properties, luxury clubs and time-shares. The company now has over 106,000 vacation rental properties worldwide.
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, the hotel and resort operator’s revenue rose 9.4%, to $1.13 billion from $1.04 billion a year earlier. The company gets most of its revenue from vacation rather than business travel, and vacation bookings rose in the latest quarter. That helped push up Wyndham’s occupancy rate by 2.4%.
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In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Atlantic’s revenue fell 5.6%, to $172.9 million from $183.1 million a year earlier. Alltel accounted for $108.0 million of revenue in the latest quarter, and slowed in the latest quarter. Earnings fell 5.8%, to $8.8 million, or $0.56 a share, from $9.3 million, or $0.60 a share.
After the sale, Atlantic Tele-Network will still have telecom operations in the U.S. southwest, New England, New York State, Guyana, Bermuda and portions of the Caribbean islands.
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Under the agreement, Grafton will pay Bellatrix $100 million. In return, it will get 54% of the production from a 29-well, $122- million drilling program. Grafton will receive this share of the wells’ output until it earns back its $100 million, plus an 8% return on its original investment. It will then hold a 33% interest in each well.
On top of that, Bellatrix plans to spend a total of $210 million to $220 million on exploration and development this year.
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