Growth Stocks

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:

  1. Invest mainly in well-established companies;
  2. Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; Utilities);
  3. Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.

Make better stock picks when you read this FREE Special Report, Canadian Growth Stocks: WestJet Stock, RioCan Stock and More.

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TEGNA INC. $29 (New York symbol TGNA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector: Shares outstanding: 226.9 million; Market cap: $6.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 1.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tegna.com) owns 46 TV stations, as well as websites that attract over 39 million unique visitors a month.

Gannett spun off its newspaper-publishing operations on June 29, 2015.

Investors received two shares of the new Gannett for each share they held. The rest of the company became Tegna. Investors only become liable for capital gains taxes when they sell.

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PAYPAL HOLDINGS INC. $38
(Nasdaq symbol PYPL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $45.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: n.a.; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.paypal.com) processes online transactions, including purchases made through eBay’s auction websites. In the past few years, it has expanded into stores and mobile payments. eBay investors received one PayPal share for each eBay share they held. They only become liable for capital gains taxes when they sell their new shares. Operating as a separate firm will let PayPal pursue alliances with more retailers, cutting its reliance on eBay. At the same time, it continues to invest in its mobile operations, which will help it profit as more people buy goods and pay bills through smartphones.

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EBAY INC. $29 (Nasdaq symbol EBAY; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $34.8 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 1.9; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ebay.com) launched its online auction site in September 1995 and now has 157 million users worldwide. Sellers pay fees to list and sell their goods through eBay’s websites.

In addition to used goods, the company continues to sell more merchandise from retailers, which is helping it compete with Amazon.com. Right now, over 60% of eBay’s total transactions are sales of new items at fixed prices.

The company also operates several other popular websites, including StubHub (ticket sales for live events), Shopping. com (comparison shopping) and Rent.com (apartment and house rentals). These services are in addition to its local websites, which sell classified ads in over 1,000 cities.

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AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. $76 (New York symbol AXP, Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $76.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.americanexpress.com) issues the only credit card Costco accepts at its U.S. outlets. However, this deal expires in March 2016, so fewer Costco shoppers are signing up for new cards. As a result, Amex will likely sell these loans.

The proceeds would help the company fund new services. For example, it recently launched Amex Express Checkout. Similar to PayPal (see page 73), this service makes it easier for U.S. cardholders to buy goods online.

Meanwhile, Amex earned $1.47 billion in the second quarter of 2015, down 3.7% from $1.53 billion a year earlier. The 2014 quarter included 100% of Amex’s business-travel division, which it later merged into a 50/50 joint venture. Per-share profits fell 0.7%, to $1.42 from $1.43, on fewer shares outstanding.

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J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $69 (New York symbol JPM; Income Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 3.7 billion; Market cap: $255.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.jpmorganchase.com) has four main divisions: Consumer and Community Banking, which includes branches and credit cards (45% of 2014 revenue, 44% of earnings); Corporate and Investment Bank, including brokerage and underwriting services (36%, 33%); Asset Management (12%, 10%); and Commercial Banking (7%, 13%). About 75% of Morgan’s revenue comes from the U.S.

The bank’s revenue fell 8.3%, from $102.7 billion in 2010 to $94.2 billion in 2014. That’s mainly because it sold some operations to cut its exposure to riskier businesses, such as owning and trading commodities. Low interest rates have also hurt the revenue it receives from new loans.

Even so, earnings jumped 22.5%, from $17.4 billion in 2010 to $21.3 billion in 2012. Per-share profits gained 31.3%, from $3.96 to $5.20, on fewer shares outstanding. Morgan continues to settle lawsuits related to its role in the 2008 financial crisis. As a result, its 2013 earnings fell to $4.35 a share (or a total of $17.9 billion). Earnings recovered to $5.29 a share (or $21.8 billion) in 2014.

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WELLS FARGO & CO. $58 (New York symbol WFC; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 5.2 billion; Market cap: $301.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.wellsfargo.com) operates through three divisions: Community Banking provides consumer mortgages, loans, credit cards and other financial services (57% of 2014 revenue, 59% of earnings); Wholesale Banking supplies business loans (27%, 32%); and Wealth, Brokerage and Retirement offers wealth management, brokerage and trust services to individuals and institutions, such as pension plans (16%, 9%). The U.S. supplies 95% of Wells Fargo’s revenue.

Weak loan demand and lower interest rates cut the bank’s revenue by 5.0%, from $85.2 billion in 2010 to $80.9 billion in 2011. Loan volumes improved in 2012, causing revenue to rise to $86.1 billion. Lower fee income cut the bank’s revenue to $83.8 billion in 2013. Revenue rebounded to $84.3 billion in 2014, thanks to gains at the bank’s wealth management business.

Earnings jumped 85.5%, from $2.21 a share (or a total of $12.4 billion) in 2010 to $4.10 a share (or $23.1 billion) in 2014.

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A big online gaming deal may pay off for NYX Gaming, but it still breaks many of our investment rules and remains a high risk investment.
ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD $57.58 (Toronto symbol ATD.B: TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couchetard.com; Shares outstanding: 567.4 million; Market cap: $32.7 billion; Dividend yield: 0.4%) completed its $1.7-billion acquisition of The Pantry in March 2015. The move added 1,500 convenience stores in 13 southern U.S. states, bringing Couche-Tard’s total to 7,848 locations throughout North America.

In Europe, the company operates 2,230 stores across Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), Poland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Russia.

In the three months ended April 26, 2015, Couche-Tard’s sales fell 18.6%, to $7.29 billion from $8.95 billion a year earlier (all figures except share price in U.S. dollars).

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MCCOY GLOBAL $4.53 (Toronto symbol MCB; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative)(780-453-8451; www.mccoyglobal.com; Shares outstanding: 27.7 million; Market cap: $128.2 million; Dividend yield: 4.4%) sold its heavy-duty truck-trailer unit last year and is now focused on its Energy Products and Services segment, which sells hydraulic gear, including power tongs, for drilling rigs. (Power tongs are large wrench-like tools that tighten and loosen the pipe in the drill hole.)

McCoy has international sales and service centres in Singapore, Dubai and Aberdeen, Scotland.

Profits up despite tough markets

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p>WAJAX CORP. $20.60 (Toronto symbol WJX; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (905-212-3300; www.wajax.ca; Shares outstanding:20.0 million; Market cap: $414.1 million; Dividend yield: 4.9%) sells and services cranes, forklifts and other heavy equipment. It also provides related parts (such as bearings, motors, hoses and fittings) and power systems (including diesel engines and transmissions). The company’s customers are in the natural resource, construction, manufacturing and transportation industries.

In the three months ended March 31, 2015, Wajax’s revenue fell 4.3%, to $317.2 million from $331.4 million a year earlier, as mining, oil and gas and oil sands firms made fewer purchases.

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