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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Every Thursday we bring you “Best U.S. Stocks.” You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You will read about stocks making moves you should know about, from coverage in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster. CONAGRA FOODS INC. (New York symbol CAG; www.conagrafoods.com) makes a wide variety of packaged foods, including Chef Boyardee canned pasta, Hunt’s tomato sauce, Peter Pan peanut butter, Orville Redenbacher popcorn and Reddiwip whipped cream. Consumers account for 70% of ConAgra’s sales. Businesses, like restaurants and other food makers, provide the remaining 30%. Sales rose 9.8%, from $12.1 billion in 2010 to $13.3 billion in 2012 (fiscal years end May 31). In January 2013, ConAgra paid $4.75 billion for Ralcorp Holdings, the largest maker of private label food in the U.S. The purchase lifted ConAgra’s sales to $15.5 billion in 2013 and to $17.7 billion in 2014. Private label foods now supply 26% of ConAgra’s total sales....
Every Tuesday we bring you “Best Canadian Stocks.” You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You’ll read about stocks making moves you should know about, from coverage in one of our three newsletters featuring Canadian stocks—The Successful Investor, Stock Pickers Digest and Canadian Wealth Advisor. THOMSON REUTERS CORP. (Toronto symbol TRI; www.thomsonreuters.com) sells information products in four areas: financial (55% of revenue, 37% of earnings); legal (27%, 41%); tax (10%, 12%); and intellectual property and science (8%, 10%). The Americas supply 60% of its revenue, followed by Europe (29%) and Asia (11%)....
Pat McKeough responds to many requests from members of his Inner Circle for specific stock market advice, as well as questions on investment strategy and the economy. Every week, his comments and recommendations on the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week we offer you a report on one of the stocks profiled in these Q&A sessions. We give you Pat’s buy-hold-sell recommendation as well as his analysis of the stock. This is part of the specific buy, hold and sell advice we offer you in our daily posts. Every week you get “A Stock to Sell” on Monday, “Best Canadian Stocks” on Tuesday, and “Our Top U.S. Stocks” on Thursday. This week we had a question from an Inner Circle member about a company that helps Americans get paid. Paychex derives the greater part of its revenue from payroll services, but it also helps clients with health insurance programs and pension plans. Pat looks at the company’s business, including the escalation of its cloud computing and online services, and considers its prospects as it works to maintain and build on a strong customer base. Q: Hi Pat: What do you think of Paychex? Thanks for your help....
Every Thursday we bring you “Best U.S. Stocks.” You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You will read about stocks making moves you should know about, from coverage in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster. Or, as with this stock, from coverage in our advisory on more aggressive investing, Stock Pickers Digest
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY (New York symbol CHK; www.chkenergy.com) is one of the largest U.S.-based oil and natural gas explorers and producers. Its production mix is 72% gas and 28% oil.
Chesapeake’s shares have nearly doubled since mid-2012, when activist investor Carl Icahn bought a stake in the firm. Icahn, who has a history of pushing companies to make changes that raise shareholder value, subsequently replaced four of Chesapeake’s eight board members with his nominees. The company also pushed out controversial co-founder, CEO and chairman Aubrey K. McClendon....
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY (New York symbol CHK; www.chkenergy.com) is one of the largest U.S.-based oil and natural gas explorers and producers. Its production mix is 72% gas and 28% oil.
Chesapeake’s shares have nearly doubled since mid-2012, when activist investor Carl Icahn bought a stake in the firm. Icahn, who has a history of pushing companies to make changes that raise shareholder value, subsequently replaced four of Chesapeake’s eight board members with his nominees. The company also pushed out controversial co-founder, CEO and chairman Aubrey K. McClendon....
NEWMONT MINING $26.31 (New York symbol NEM; Shares outstanding: 498.8 million; Market cap: $13.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 0.4%; www.newmont.com) recently shut down its 48.5%-owned Batu Hijau copper/gold mine in Indonesia.
The move was in response to the Indonesian government’s ban on raw material exports, which is aimed at pushing miners to process more ore in the country.
Newmont has now agreed to develop a new smelter with Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (New York symbol FCX), which also operates a copper mine in Indonesia. In addition, Batu Hijau has signed new deals to supply copper to two Indonesian companies that plan to build their own smelters. These developments should let Batu Hijau comply with the new regulations. The mine will probably reopen in the next few weeks.
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The move was in response to the Indonesian government’s ban on raw material exports, which is aimed at pushing miners to process more ore in the country.
Newmont has now agreed to develop a new smelter with Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (New York symbol FCX), which also operates a copper mine in Indonesia. In addition, Batu Hijau has signed new deals to supply copper to two Indonesian companies that plan to build their own smelters. These developments should let Batu Hijau comply with the new regulations. The mine will probably reopen in the next few weeks.
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ALLIED PROPERTIES REIT $35.76 (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Units outstanding: 69.5 million; Market cap: $2.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 3.9%; www.alliedpropertiesreit.com) is selling 4.9 million units to the public at $35.30 each to raise $172.5 million.
The REIT will mostly use the funds for acquisitions, including its recent purchase of 460 King Street West in downtown Toronto for $15 million. This addition completes Allied’s ownership along the eastern and southern perimeters of a large block at King and Spadina. The REIT can now use the block for a major redevelopment project.
Allied REIT is still a buy.
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The REIT will mostly use the funds for acquisitions, including its recent purchase of 460 King Street West in downtown Toronto for $15 million. This addition completes Allied’s ownership along the eastern and southern perimeters of a large block at King and Spadina. The REIT can now use the block for a major redevelopment project.
Allied REIT is still a buy.
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PEMBINA PIPELINE $52.77 (Toronto symbol PPL; Shares outstanding: 327.0 million; Market cap: $16.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 3.3%; www.pembina.com) owns pipelines that carry half of Alberta’s conventional oil, 30% of Western Canada’s natural gas liquids (NGLs) and almost all of B.C.’s conventional oil.
Pembina bought rival Provident Energy, which extracts, transports and stores NGLs, for $3.2 billion in 2012.
This acquisition is paying off: in the quarter ended June 30, 2014, Pembina’s cash flow rose 27.3%, to $191.0 million from $150.0 million a year earlier. Cash flow per share gained 20.4%, to $0.59 from $0.49, on more shares outstanding. Pipeline expansions and strong profit margins at Provident were the main reasons for the gains.
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Pembina bought rival Provident Energy, which extracts, transports and stores NGLs, for $3.2 billion in 2012.
This acquisition is paying off: in the quarter ended June 30, 2014, Pembina’s cash flow rose 27.3%, to $191.0 million from $150.0 million a year earlier. Cash flow per share gained 20.4%, to $0.59 from $0.49, on more shares outstanding. Pipeline expansions and strong profit margins at Provident were the main reasons for the gains.
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ISHARES AUSTRALIA INDEX FUND $27.34 (New York symbol EWA; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that holds the 72 largest Australian stocks. Its MER is 0.48%.
The fund’s top holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 11.1%; BHP Billiton, 10.0%; Westpac Banking Corp., 9.2%; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, 7.8%; National Australia Bank, 6.9%; Wesfarmers, 4.3%; Woolworths, 3.9%; CSL Ltd., 3.1%; Woodside Petroleum, 2.4%; Rio Tinto, 2.3%; Telstra Group, 2.0%, Macquarie Group, 1.4%; and Westfield Group, 1.3%.
Australia benefits from its stable banking and political systems. It is also rich in natural resources and close to key Asian markets with vast potential, including India and China.
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The fund’s top holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 11.1%; BHP Billiton, 10.0%; Westpac Banking Corp., 9.2%; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, 7.8%; National Australia Bank, 6.9%; Wesfarmers, 4.3%; Woolworths, 3.9%; CSL Ltd., 3.1%; Woodside Petroleum, 2.4%; Rio Tinto, 2.3%; Telstra Group, 2.0%, Macquarie Group, 1.4%; and Westfield Group, 1.3%.
Australia benefits from its stable banking and political systems. It is also rich in natural resources and close to key Asian markets with vast potential, including India and China.
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ISHARES S&P INDIA NIFTY 50 INDEX FUND $30.98 (Nasdaq symbol INDY; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an ETF that aims to invest in the 50 largest, most liquid Indian securities.
Indian stocks have moved up steadily since the May 2014 election of Narendra Modi as prime minister.
India still needs to modernize its transportation,communications and electrical infrastructure. It also needs to reform its inefficient, corrupt bureaucracy.
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Indian stocks have moved up steadily since the May 2014 election of Narendra Modi as prime minister.
India still needs to modernize its transportation,communications and electrical infrastructure. It also needs to reform its inefficient, corrupt bureaucracy.
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ISHARES CDN REIT SECTOR INDEX FUND $16.64 (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) holds the 15 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index.
iShares CDN REIT’s expenses are 0.60% of its assets. The fund yields 5.0%.
The ETF’s largest holding is RioCan REIT at 19.3%, followed by H&R REIT (14.7%), Canadian REIT (7.8%), Dream Office REIT (7.0%), Calloway REIT (6.4%), Boardwalk REIT (6.3%), Canadian Apartment REIT (6.2%), Allied Properties REIT (5.8%), Cominar REIT (5.4%), Artis REIT (5.0%), Chartwell REIT (4.6%), Granite REIT (4.5%), Crombie REIT (2.4%), Northern Property REIT (2.2%) and Dream Global REIT (2.1%).
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iShares CDN REIT’s expenses are 0.60% of its assets. The fund yields 5.0%.
The ETF’s largest holding is RioCan REIT at 19.3%, followed by H&R REIT (14.7%), Canadian REIT (7.8%), Dream Office REIT (7.0%), Calloway REIT (6.4%), Boardwalk REIT (6.3%), Canadian Apartment REIT (6.2%), Allied Properties REIT (5.8%), Cominar REIT (5.4%), Artis REIT (5.0%), Chartwell REIT (4.6%), Granite REIT (4.5%), Crombie REIT (2.4%), Northern Property REIT (2.2%) and Dream Global REIT (2.1%).
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