How To Invest
In addition, Pat thinks then beginner investors should cultivate two important qualities: a healthy sense of skepticism and patience.
Investors should approach all investments with a healthy sense of skepticism. This can help keep you out of fraudulent stocks that masquerade as high-quality stocks. It will also keep you out of legally operated, but poorly managed, companies that promise more than they can possibly deliver.
If you are a new investor, you should also realize that losing patience can cause you to sell your best choices right before a big rise. All too often, investors buy a promising stock just as it enters a period of price stagnation. Even the best-performing stocks run into these unpredictable phases from time to time. They move mainly sideways in a wide range for months or years before their next big rise begins. (Stock brokers often refer to these stocks as “dead money.”)
If you lack patience, you run a big risk of selling your best choices in the midst of one of these phases, prior to the next big move upward. If you lose patience and sell, you are particularly likely to do so in the low end of the trading range, when stock prices have weakened and confidence in the stock has waned.
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CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $74.14 (Toronto symbol CP; Shares outstanding: 170.0 million; Market cap: $12.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.6%; www.cpr.ca), transports freight between Montreal and Vancouver, and connects with hubs in the U.S. midwest and northeast.
In the three months ended December 31, 2011, CP’s revenue rose 8.8%, to $1.41 billion from $1.29 billion a year earlier. Earnings rose 18.8%, to $221 million, or $1.31 a share, from $186 million, or $1.10. CP’s $4.7 billion of debt is a manageable 37.3% of its market cap.
CP’s operating ratio worsened to 78.5% from 77.0%, mostly due to 29% higher fuel costs. (Operating ratio is calculated by dividing regular operating costs by revenue. The lower the ratio, the better.) But CP plans to lower that to between 70% and 72% in the next three years with a number of upgrades, like new snow-clearing equipment, new trains and software that optimizes train loads and speeds.
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In the three months ended December 31, 2011, CP’s revenue rose 8.8%, to $1.41 billion from $1.29 billion a year earlier. Earnings rose 18.8%, to $221 million, or $1.31 a share, from $186 million, or $1.10. CP’s $4.7 billion of debt is a manageable 37.3% of its market cap.
CP’s operating ratio worsened to 78.5% from 77.0%, mostly due to 29% higher fuel costs. (Operating ratio is calculated by dividing regular operating costs by revenue. The lower the ratio, the better.) But CP plans to lower that to between 70% and 72% in the next three years with a number of upgrades, like new snow-clearing equipment, new trains and software that optimizes train loads and speeds.
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Pat McKeough responds to many personal questions on investing in stocks and other investment topics from the members of his Inner Circle. Every week, his comments and recommendations on a selection of the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. This past week, one member sought long-term advice on one of North America’s best-known big-box discount chains, which faces stiff competition in a race for retail revenue that has spread well beyond North America. ...
Pat McKeough responds to many personal questions on specific stocks and other investing topics from the members of his Inner Circle. Every week, his comments and recommendations on a selection of the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And every Friday, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. This week, there was a question about a stock that has been on the rise, Canada’s biggest private liquor store operator. Pat examines the company’s prospects for future growth in Canada as well as the possible risks and rewards of U.S. expansion....
ISHARES MSCI CANADA INDEX FUND $28.36 (New York symbol EWC; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) is like a market cap-based index fund, but its managers try to improve its performance by tinkering with the index fund formula. They do this through their Morgan Stanley Capital International Canada Index. The fund has an MER of 0.52%.
The index’s top holdings are Royal Bank, 6.1%; TD Bank, 5.6%; Bank of Nova Scotia, 4.5%; Suncor Energy, 4.4%; Barrick Gold, 4.0%; Canadian Natural Resources, 3.5%; Potash Corp., 3.3%; Goldcorp, 3.2%; Bank of Montreal, 3.0%; CN Railway, 2.8%; and CIBC, 2.5%.
If you want to own a Canadian index fund, you should buy the iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index Fund. You’ll pay about a third of the management fees.
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The index’s top holdings are Royal Bank, 6.1%; TD Bank, 5.6%; Bank of Nova Scotia, 4.5%; Suncor Energy, 4.4%; Barrick Gold, 4.0%; Canadian Natural Resources, 3.5%; Potash Corp., 3.3%; Goldcorp, 3.2%; Bank of Montreal, 3.0%; CN Railway, 2.8%; and CIBC, 2.5%.
If you want to own a Canadian index fund, you should buy the iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index Fund. You’ll pay about a third of the management fees.
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POWERSHARES QQQ ETF $61.02 (Nasdaq symbol QQQQ; buy or sell through brokers; www.invescopowershares.com), formerly called Nasdaq 100 Trust Shares, holds the stocks that represent the Nasdaq 100 Index. That index is made up of the 100 largest shares on the Nasdaq exchange, based on market cap.
The Nasdaq 100 Index contains shares of companies in a number of major industries, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain financial companies. The fund’s expenses are about 0.20% of its assets.
The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel, Amazon.com, Oracle Corp., Comcast Corp. and Amgen Inc.
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The Nasdaq 100 Index contains shares of companies in a number of major industries, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain financial companies. The fund’s expenses are about 0.20% of its assets.
The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel, Amazon.com, Oracle Corp., Comcast Corp. and Amgen Inc.
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SPDR DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE ETF $126.91 (New York symbol DIA; buy or sell through brokers; www.spdrs.com) holds the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The fund’s top holdings are IBM, ExxonMobil, Chevron Corp., 3M, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s Corp., Coca-Cola Co., Caterpillar Inc., United Technologies and Boeing Inc. The fund’s expenses are about 0.18% of its assets.
SPDR Dow Jones ETF is a buy.
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The fund’s top holdings are IBM, ExxonMobil, Chevron Corp., 3M, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s Corp., Coca-Cola Co., Caterpillar Inc., United Technologies and Boeing Inc. The fund’s expenses are about 0.18% of its assets.
SPDR Dow Jones ETF is a buy.
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SPDR S&P 500 ETF $132.47 (New York symbol SPY; buy or sell through brokers; www.spdrs.com) holds the stocks in the S&P 500 Index, which consists of 500 major U.S. stocks that are chosen based on their market cap, liquidity and industry group.
The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple Inc. ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Wells Fargo & Co., Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Chevron, General Electric, Pfizer Inc., Coca-Cola Co. and AT&T.
The fund’s expenses are just 0.10% of its assets.
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The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple Inc. ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Wells Fargo & Co., Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Chevron, General Electric, Pfizer Inc., Coca-Cola Co. and AT&T.
The fund’s expenses are just 0.10% of its assets.
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ISHARES DOW JONES CANADA SELECT DIVIDEND INDEX FUND $21.01 (Toronto symbol XDV; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) holds 30 of the highest-yielding Canadian stocks. Its selections are based on dividend growth, yield and payout ratio. The weight of any one stock is limited to 10% of its assets. The fund’s MER is 0.50%. It yields 3.9%.
The fund’s top holdings are CIBC, 6.6%; National Bank, 5.9%; Bonterra Energy, 5.8%; Bank of Montreal, 5.3%; TD Bank, 5.3%; AG Growth International, 4.7%; Royal Bank of Canada, 4.3%; Telus, 4.1%; and Bank of Nova Scotia, 4.1%.
The fund holds 54.3% of its assets in financial stocks. Utilities are next, at 20.5%. The top Canadian finance stocks have sound prospects. However, if you invest in this ETF, be sure to adjust the rest of your portfolio so it won’t be overly concentrated in the financial sector.
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The fund’s top holdings are CIBC, 6.6%; National Bank, 5.9%; Bonterra Energy, 5.8%; Bank of Montreal, 5.3%; TD Bank, 5.3%; AG Growth International, 4.7%; Royal Bank of Canada, 4.3%; Telus, 4.1%; and Bank of Nova Scotia, 4.1%.
The fund holds 54.3% of its assets in financial stocks. Utilities are next, at 20.5%. The top Canadian finance stocks have sound prospects. However, if you invest in this ETF, be sure to adjust the rest of your portfolio so it won’t be overly concentrated in the financial sector.
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ISHARES S&P/TSX 60 INDEX FUND $17.91 (Toronto symbol XIU; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) is a good, low-fee way to buy the top stocks on the TSX. The units are made up of stocks that represent the S&P/TSX 60 Index, which consists of the 60 largest, most heavily traded stocks on the exchange. Expenses are just 0.17% of assets.
Most of the stocks in the index are high-quality companies. However, as it must ensure that all sectors are represented, the fund holds a few we wouldn’t include.
The index’s top holdings are Royal Bank, 6.9%; TD Bank, 6.4%; Bank of Nova Scotia, 5.2%; Suncor Energy, 5.0%; Barrick Gold, 4.5%; Canadian Natural Resources, 4.0%; Potash Corp., 3.7%; Goldcorp, 3.6%; Bank of Montreal, 3.4%; CN Railway, 3.1%; BCE Inc., 2.9%; CIBC, 2.8%; Enbridge, 2.7%; TransCanada Corp., 2.7%; Cenovus Energy, 2.5%; and Manulife Financial, 1.9%.
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Most of the stocks in the index are high-quality companies. However, as it must ensure that all sectors are represented, the fund holds a few we wouldn’t include.
The index’s top holdings are Royal Bank, 6.9%; TD Bank, 6.4%; Bank of Nova Scotia, 5.2%; Suncor Energy, 5.0%; Barrick Gold, 4.5%; Canadian Natural Resources, 4.0%; Potash Corp., 3.7%; Goldcorp, 3.6%; Bank of Montreal, 3.4%; CN Railway, 3.1%; BCE Inc., 2.9%; CIBC, 2.8%; Enbridge, 2.7%; TransCanada Corp., 2.7%; Cenovus Energy, 2.5%; and Manulife Financial, 1.9%.
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IMPERIAL OIL $47.67 (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares outstanding: 850.5 million; Market cap: $39.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.0%; www.imperialoil.ca) reports that its earnings rose 25.5% in the three months ended December 31, 2011, to $1.18 a share from $0.94 a share. Revenue rose 17.1%, to $8.1 billion from $6.9 billion.
Imperial has also raised its quarterly dividend by 9.1%, to $0.12 a share from $0.11. The new annual rate of $0.48 yields 1.0%. The company has paid dividends every year for over a century, and it has raised its payout for seventeen straight years.
Imperial Oil is still a buy.
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Imperial has also raised its quarterly dividend by 9.1%, to $0.12 a share from $0.11. The new annual rate of $0.48 yields 1.0%. The company has paid dividends every year for over a century, and it has raised its payout for seventeen straight years.
Imperial Oil is still a buy.
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