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 lower production, plus lower natural gas prices, pushed down Delphi’s cash flow to $0.05 a share from $0.15.
The company’s debt of $134.4 million is a high 86.1% of its market cap. However, Delphi trades at 4.4 times its forecast 2012 cash flow of $0.27 a share, and only 3.1 times the 2012 forecast cash flow of $0.38 a share.
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In the three months ended June 30, 2012, Bellatrix’s production rose 42.3%, to 16,569 barrels of oil equivalent per day (including natural gas) from 11,643 barrels. The company’s highly effective drilling continues to add to its production: in the latest quarter, it drilled 15 wells with a 100% success rate.
Cash flow per share rose 4.3%, to $0.24 from $0.23. Bellatrix’s selling price for gas fell 50%, to $2.03 U.S. per thousand cubic feet from $4.06 U.S. a year ago. However, the big production increase offset that decline. The company’s long-term debt is $164.1 million, or a manageable 40% of its market cap.
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Under a new agreement, Kraft Foods and Tim Hortons will make and sell plastic cups, called T-Discs, filled with Tim Hortons premium blend coffee, including decaf and latte, and sealed with a foil top.
Kraft’s Tassimo beverage machine pierces the foil and brews a fresh single cup. The Tassimo system also scans a barcode on the T-Disc that tells it how much water to use, how long to brew the coffee and how hot it should be.
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In the three months ended June 30, 2012, Russel’s revenue rose 16.2%, to $718.7 million from $618.6 million a year earlier. All three of the company’s divisions saw gains: higher sales volumes pushed up revenue by 11% at both the steel-distribution and metalservices businesses. And revenue jumped 32% at the energy tubular products division, which supplies pipes for oil and gas firms, thanks to an increase in drilling activity.
Without one-time items, earnings per share fell 13.5%, to $0.45 from $0.52 a year earlier. The company’s earnings fell despite the higher revenue because steel prices declined in the latest quarter. That cuts Russel’s profit margins and causes it to suffer losses on its current inventory.
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In the three months ended June 30, 2012, the company’s sales fell 8.4%, to $5.15 billion from $5.62 billion a year earlier.
North American sales rose 1.7%, to $2.5 billion from $2.4 billion, but weak economic growth cut sales by 21.4% in Latin America; 17.9% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and 4.2% in Asia. Unfavourable foreign currency moves also lowered Goodyear’s overall sales by 6%.
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In the three months ended July 31, 2012, Major’s revenue jumped 44.7%, to a record $237.6 million from $164.1 million a year earlier. Earnings per share jumped 60.0%, to $0.40 from $0.25.
The strong results have prompted Major to raise its twice-yearly dividend by 11.1%, to $0.10 from $0.09. This follows a 12.5% hike in May, to $0.09 from $0.08. The stock now yields 1.8%.
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In the three months ended June 30, 2012, the company’s revenue rose 3.3%, to $16.5 million from $15.9 million a year earlier. An increase in software licence sales more than offset a drop in consulting and professional services revenue. (It consulted on some large one-time projects in the year-earlier quarter.)
Earnings fell 8.6%, to $6.1 million, or $0.16 a share, from $6.7 million, or $0.18 a share. The company hired new employees to handle its growing business. That meant it also had to acquire more office space, computers, furniture and fixtures. It now has 164 employees, up from 144 a year ago.
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In the three months ended June 30, 2012, Pason’s revenue rose 29.8%, to $81.1 million from $62.4 million a year earlier. Cash flow rose 31.5%, to $30.1 million, or $0.37 a share, from $22.9 million, or $0.28.
Even with declining oil prices and continued low gas prices, drilling activity rose 6% in Canada and the U.S. in the latest quarter, with a combined 188,291 active days and a rig count of 2,069, compared to 177,791 days and 1,954 rigs a year earlier.
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In the three months ended June 29, 2012, Symantec’s earnings per share excluding one-time items rose 7.5%, to $0.43 from $0.40. That beat the consensus estimate of $0.33.
Revenue rose just 0.9%, to $1.67 billion from $1.65 billion. Stronger sales of security software to businesses offset lower sales to consumers, who account for about 30% of Symantec’s overall revenue. As well, higher sales in the Americas and Asia helped overcome declines in Europe.
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In mid-February 2012, ACI completed its purchase of S1 Corp. for $540 million in cash and stock. This acquisition is a good fit: S1 sells transaction software for banks, credit unions, retailers and other payment processors. It has over 3,000 clients worldwide.
In the second quarter of 2012, ACI’s revenue rose 32.1%, to $149.8 million from $113.4 million a year earlier. S1′s $43.1-million contribution was the main reason for the gain.
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