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CHEVRON CORP. $93 (New York symbol CVX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $176.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.chevron.com) produced an average of 2.54 million barrels of oil a day (including natural gas) in the three months ended September 30, 2015. That’s down 1.1% from 2.57 million barrels a day a year earlier. The decrease is mainly because Chevron has sold $11 billion worth of less important businesses since 2014; the company aims to sell another $5 billion to $10 billion worth of assets by the end of 2017. In addition to the lower production, Chevron’s realized oil price plunged 51.7% in the latest quarter, while gas prices fell 43.4%....

NEWMONT MINING CORP. $19 (New York symbol NEM; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 529.1 million; Market cap: $10.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 0.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.newmont.com) is one of the world’s largest gold and copper producers, with major mines in the U.S., Peru, Suriname, Australia, Ghana and Indonesia. In August 2015, Newmont paid $821 million for the Cripple Creek & Victor mine in Colorado. This project will produce 350,000 to 400,000 ounces of gold a year once the company completes the mine’s current expansion in 2016. The Cripple Creek acquisition helped increase Newmont’s gold production by 16.1% in the three months ended September 30, 2015, to 1.34 million ounces from 1.15 million ounces a year earlier. Copper output surged 269.2% on higher ore grades at the Batu Hijau mine in Indonesia....

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $47 (New York symbol VZ, Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 4.1 billion; Market cap: $192.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 4.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.verizon.com) has 110.8 million wireless users, 18.7 million traditional phone clients and 19.7 million high-speed Internet and TV subscribers. The company recently paid $4.4 billion for AOL, which operates several popular websites, including The Huffington Post, TechCrunch and Engadget. Verizon has since launched go90, a free app that lets users watch videos on mobile devices. This service incorporates AOL’s unique technology, which uses analytics software to place ads on websites. That should help it attract advertisers and offset its costs....

AT&T INC. $34 (New York symbol T; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 6.2 billion; Market cap: $210.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 5.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.att.com) is the largest wireless provider in the U.S., with 126.4 million subscribers. It also sells phone, TV and high-speed Internet access to 64.1 million users. The company recently completed its $48.5-billion purchase (70% stock and 30% cash) of DirecTV, which has 19.6 million satellite TV customers in the U.S. and 12.5 million in Latin America. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, DirecTV boosted AT&T’s revenue by 18.6%, to $39.1 billion from $33.0 billion a year earlier. Excluding costs related to the deal and other unusual items, earnings rose 13.8%, to $0.74 from $0.65....

FORD MOTOR CO. $14 (New York symbol F; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 3.9 billion; Market cap: $54.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 4.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.ford.com) plans to spend $4.5 billion to develop new electric-powered cars. Under this initiative, Ford will launch 13 new allelectric and plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2020. This will help it achieve its goal of controlling 40% of this market, up from 13% now. Offering more electric vehicles also helps Ford comply with tougher emission standards that will take effect in 2025. Ford is a buy.

L BRANDS INC. $98 (New York symbol LB; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 289.4 million; Market cap: $28.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.lb.com) owns the Victoria’s Secret lingerie chain (63% of sales) and the Bath & Body Works personal care products stores (28%). Smaller chains, including La Senza (lingerie) in Canada and Henri Bendel (jewellery and accessories) in the U.S., supply the remaining 9% of sales. In November 2015 (which includes the important Black Friday promotion), the company’s sales rose 8.4% to $1.17 billion from $1.08 billion in November 2014. Overall same-store sales gained 7%. Same-store sales rose 6% at Victoria’s Secret, while this division’s online and catalogue sales jumped 12%. Seasonal home fragrances, soaps and sanitizers also spurred a 7% same-store sales gain at the company’s Bath & Body Works stores....

MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC. $70 (New York symbol MSI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 176.7 million; Market cap: $12.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.motorolasolutions.com) is buying Airwave, which provides two-way radio and other communications services to over 300 emergency and public service agencies in the U.K....

HEWLETT-PACKARD ENTERPRISE CO. $15 (www.hpe.com) should benefit as more businesses shift to cloud computing systems. However, this new firm faces strong competition from larger, better-established cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and IBM. Hold.

HP INC. $12 (www.hp.com) took its current form on November 1, 2015, when the old Hewlett-Packard Co. split into two firms. HP Inc. focuses on personal computers and printers, while Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (see below) sells computing services and products, like servers and analytics software, to businesses and governments....

ENERFLEX LTD., $11.78 (Toronto symbol EFX; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (403-387-6377; www.enerflex.com; Shares outstanding: 77.7 million; Market cap: $915.3 million; Dividend yield: 2.4%) rents and sells equipment and services for natural gas production, including compression and processing plants, refrigeration equipment and power generators. The company has a strong position in three fastgrowing markets: U.S. and Canadian shale gas production; Australian natural gas from coal beds; and conventional Middle Eastern natural gas, which is converted to liquefied natural gas (LNG) for shipping. Natural gas prices are low, but companies continue to increase their drilling and production. In the quarter ended September 30, 2012, Enerflex’s revenue jumped 31.0%, to $369.7 million from $282.3 million a year ago. Strong demand from international customers pushed the company’s sales higher....

ALIMENTATION COUCHETARD $63.53 (Toronto symbol ATD.B: TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couchetard. com; Shares outstanding: 567.4 million; Market cap: $35.9 billion; Dividend yield: 0.4%) has agreed to buy Ireland’s Topaz chain. The price was not disclosed but is likely in the $400-million range. Topaz is the country’s leading operator of gas stations and convenience stores. The chain consists of 464 locations across Ireland. This purchase is smaller than Couche-Tard’s $2.7-billion purchase of Norway’s Statoil Fuel & Retail gas station chain in June 2012 and The Pantry, which it bought for $1.7 billion in March 2015. The Pantry operates 1,500 convenience stores in the U.S....

TRILOGY ENERGY CORP. $3.35 (Toronto symbol TET; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-290-2900; www.trilogyenergy.com; Shares outstanding: 105.4 million; Market cap: $432.8 million; No dividends paid) owns oil and gas properties in central Alberta’s Kaybob and Grande Prairie areas. About 64% of Trilogy’s production is natural gas. The remaining 36% is oil. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, Trilogy produced 25,090 barrels of oil equivalent a day (including gas), down 28.6% from 35,125 barrels a year earlier. However, pipeline outages cut about 2,600 barrels a day from the latest figure. Cash flow per share fell sharply, to $0.18 from $0.69, on the production drop and lower oil and gas prices....

BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY $3.62 (Toronto symbol BIR; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-261-6401; www.birchcliffenergy.com; Shares outstanding: 152.3 million; Market cap: $542.2 million; No dividends paid) develops, produces and explores for oil and gas, mainly in the Peace River Arch area near the Alberta/B.C. border. About 87% of its output is gas. The remaining 13% is oil. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, Birchcliff’s cash flow per share dropped 42.0%, to $0.29 from $0.50 a year earlier. Sharply lower oil and gas prices offset a 12.3% rise in daily production. The company continues to support its cash flow with cost cuts. As well, in response to low prices, Birchcliff cut back on exploration and development spending for 2015. It will likely spend $249 million during the full year, down 45.0% from $451 million in 2014. It hasn’t yet announced its 2016 spending plans....

BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS $54.44 New York symbol BR; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (201-714-3000; www.broadridge.com; Shares outstanding: 118.6 million; Market cap: $6.4 billion; Dividend yield: 2.2%) serves the investment industry in three main areas: investor communications, securities processing and transaction clearing. The company processes 90% of all proxy votes in the U.S. and Canada. Without one-time items, Broadridge earned $39.6 million in its fiscal 2016 first quarter, which ended September 30, 2015. That’s up 7.9% from $36.7 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 10.0%, to $0.33 from $0.30, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue gained 7.0%, to $594.7 million from $555.8 million. The company continues to add new clients and is doing a good job of holding onto existing ones. Recurring fee revenue rose 10.0% in the latest quarter and accounted for 66% of the total....

FAIR ISAAC CORP. $92.85 (New York symbol FICO; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (415-472-2211; www.fairisaac.com; Shares outstanding: 31.1 million; Market cap: $2.8 billion; Dividend yield: 0.1%) makes FICO Scores, the program that dominates the market for software that businesses use to evaluate customer creditworthiness. Fair Isaac also profits by selling programs that help credit card issuers control fraud and analyze cardholders’ spending patterns. In its fiscal 2015 third quarter, which ended September 30, 2015, Fair Isaac’s revenue rose 5.0%, to $232.8 million from $221.6 million a year earlier. Sales at the company’s applications division (64% of the total) fell 1.6% on weaker demand for marketing and fraud-detection software. However, sales of creditscoring programs (25%) jumped 24.5%, while sales of analytics software (11%) gained 8.7%....

REITMANS (CANADA) LTD. $4.07 (Toronto symbol RET.A; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (514-384- 1140; www.reitmans.com; Shares outstanding: 64.6 million; Market cap: $254.5 million; Dividend yield: 4.9%) owns 775 women’s clothing stores across Canada. The chain consists of 332 Reitmans, 136 Penningtons, 107 Addition Elle, 83 RW & Co., 68 Thyme Maternity, 17 HYBA and 32 Smart Set outlets. It also has 21 Thyme Maternity boutiques in Canadian Babies “R” Us stores. On October 8, 2015, the company opened its 17 new HYBA women’s activewear stores across Canada. Activewear is one of the country’s fastest growing clothing categories....

LEON’S FURNITURE LTD. $14.05 (Toronto symbol LNF; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (416-243-7880; www.leons.ca; Shares outstanding: 71.4 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion; Dividend yield: 2.8%) has steadily opened new stores, growing from 27 in 2003 to 80 today. The company more than quadrupled in size overnight with its March 2013 purchase of its main rival, The Brick, for $700 million. The Brick has 221 locations across Canada; the chains continue to operate separately. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, the company’s sales rose 1.2%, to $538.1 million from $531.7 million a year earlier. On a same-store basis, sales gained 1.1%. Earnings rose just slightly, to $27.34 million, or $0.38 a share, from $27.29 million, or $0.38. The company increased its sales with promotional prices, but that cut into its profit margins....

ENERFLEX LTD. $13.10 (Toronto symbol EFX; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (403-387-6377; www.enerflex.com; Shares outstanding: 79.1 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; Dividend yield: 2.6%) rents and sells equipment and services for natural gas production, including compression and processing plants, refrigeration gear and power generators. On June 30, 2014, Enerflex closed its $431-million U.S. acquisition of two businesses owned by privately held Axip Energy Services: an international contract compression and processing subsidiary and a division that provides aftermarket services. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, the company’s revenue fell 5.7%, to $425.2 million from $451.1 million a year earlier. Earnings per share were unchanged at $0.40....

TOROMONT INDUSTRIES LTD. $31.62 (Toronto symbol TIH; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (416-667- 5511; www.toromont.com; Shares outstanding: 77.9 million; Market cap: $2.4 billion; Dividend yield: 2.2%) distributes a broad range of industrial equipment, including machinery made by Caterpillar Inc. It also makes refrigeration systems through its CIMCO division. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, Toromont’s sales rose 8.2%, to $505.6 million from $467.4 million a year earlier. Earnings per share 11.5%, to $0.58 from $0.52. Toromont saw stronger demand from customers in construction and agriculture than a year ago, which offset continued weak mining sales. It also cut costs....

DOMINO’S PIZZA $109.22 (New York symbol DPZ; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (734-930-3008; www.dominos.com; Shares outstanding: 54.6 million; Market cap: $6.0 billion; Dividend yield: 1.1%) has opened its first store in Belarus, in the city of Minsk. The outlet’s master franchisee, DPEU Franchising, plans to open more outlets across the country. This new “pizza theatre” store features an openconcept design that lets customers watch their pizzas being made and baked. Belarus is the company’s sixth new market this year. Domino’s now operates in over 80 countries; its international stores supply over half of its sales and about a third of its earnings. The company still has considerable room to grow internationally....

PASON SYSTEMS $19.46 (Toronto symbol PSI; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-301-3400; www.pason.com; Shares outstanding: 83.6 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; Dividend yield: 3.5%) rents equipment for monitoring and managing land-based oil rigs. It also provides communication systems that clients use to remotely collect data from their drilling operations. Pason reduced its capital spending by 46.3% this year, to $65 million from $121 million in 2014. It has also cut its staff by 20%. Meanwhile, the company’s balance sheet remains strong, with cash of $198.1 million, or $2.37 a share, and no debt. The stock yields a high 3.5%, and the dividend appears sustainable....

TEMPUR SEALY $75.57 (New York symbol TPX; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (800-878-8889; www.tempursealy.com; Shares outstanding: 62.2 million; Market cap: $4.6 billion; No dividends paid) completed its $1.3- billion purchase of rival Sealy in 2013. This was a major acquisition for Tempur Sealy (formerly Tempur- Pedic), but it let the company diversify into traditional spring-coil beds. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, Tempur Sealy’s earnings rose 27.6%, to $69.9 million, or $1.11 a share, from $54.8 million, or $0.88 a share, a year earlier. Excluding the effect of a higher U.S. dollar, earnings per share jumped 36.4%. Sales gained 6.4%, to $880.0 million from $827.4 million. North American sales (82% of the total) rose 7.5%, while international sales (18%) fell 2.3%....

WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE $74.20 (New York symbol WYN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (973- 753-6000; www.wyndhamworldwide.com; Shares outstanding: 116.1 million; Market cap: $8.5 billion; Dividend yield: 2.3%) is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, with 7,700 franchised hotels worldwide. Wyndham also manages vacation resorts, rental properties, luxury clubs and time-shares. It currently has around 110,000 vacation-rental properties in 100 countries. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, Wyndham’s revenue rose 3.3%, to $1.56 billion from $1.51 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 increase its occupancy rate by 1.7%....

CANADIAN REIT (Toronto symbol REF.UN owns 198 properties, including retail, industrial and office buildings, across Canada and in Chicago.

As Cisco Systems adapts to evolving computer networks and expands in cloud computing, we view it as a value stock with strong prospects.