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MOLSON COORS BREWING CO. $83 (New York symbol TAP; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 185.0 million; Market cap: $15.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.0; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.molson coors.com) jumped 20% in response to Anheuser-Busch InBev’s offer to buy rival brewer SABMiller plc.

In 2008, Molson Coors merged its U.S. brewing operations with those of SABMiller to form MillerCoors. Each company has a 50% voting interest in this joint venture, but SABMiller gets 58% of the profits, while Molson Coors gets 42%.

To satisfy competition regulators, a combined Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller would probably have to sell its stake in the MillerCoors joint venture.

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MCDONALD’S CORP. $97 (New York symbol MCD; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 941.8 million; Market cap: $91.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mcdonalds.com) plans to start selling breakfast items all day. The move could increase its U.S. sales by up to 2.5%.

McDonald’s has also announced that it will only use eggs from chickens that haven’t been raised in cages. This should boost its appeal among increasingly health-conscious, environmentally aware consumers.

The company expects to make this switch by 2025. It purchases about two billion eggs in the U.S. annually, and its Canadian business buys roughly 120 million.

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TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. $47 (Nasdaq symbol TXN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $47.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.6; Dividend yield: 3.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ti.com) has increased its quarterly dividend by 11.8%, to $0.38 a share from $0.34. The new annual rate of $1.52 yields 3.2%. It has now raised its payout annually for the past 12 years.

In addition, the chipmaker has increased its share repurchase authorization by $7.5 billion. As a result, it can now buy back up to $9.3 billion of its shares, which is equal to 20% of its market cap. There are no time limits for these repurchases. Since 2005, it has bought back 40% of its outstanding shares.

Texas Instruments is a buy.

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ABB LTD. ADRs $17 (New York symbol ABB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.3 billion; Market cap: $39.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.abb.com) makes transformers, transmission systems and circuit breakers for electrical utilities. The Switzerland-based firm also produces automation systems and robotics for industrial clients.

Due to slowing economic growth in China and developing countries, the company now expects its revenue to grow by 3% to 6% each year to 2020. That’s down from its earlier forecast of 4% to 7% annual growth.

ABB is also reorganizing into four new divisions: Discrete Automation and Motion, Power Grids, Electrification Products and Process Automation. This change will make it easier for ABB to sell the Power Grids division, which makes transmission and distribution equipment for utilities. This business’s sales have slowed, and it faces strong competition from bigger firms like GE/Alstom.

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GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $25 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 10.1 billion; Market cap: $252.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) has received approval from U.S. and European regulators for its alliance with France’s Alstom SA, a leading maker of parts for power plants and transmission gear.

Under the deal, GE will form three 50/50 joint ventures with Alstom: one will combine their electrical grid operations, while a second will focus on products for renewable energy projects. The third will hold Alstom’s nuclear power equipment division.

To win approval, GE agreed to sell some of Alstom’s operations. If you adjust for these sales and other changes, GE will now contribute $9.5 billion, down from the original cost of $13 billion. The company expects to complete the deal by the end of 2015.

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INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. $105 (New York symbol IFF; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 80.7 million; Market cap: $8.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.7; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.iff.com) makes over 36,000 compounds that improve the taste of food and the smell of consumer products.

IFF recently paid $311 million for Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, a Quebec-based company that supplies ingredients to makers of cosmetics and personal care products.

It also acquired Henry H. Ottens Manufacturing, a private Philadelphia-based firm that makes flavourings for major food makers. IFF paid $199.2 million for this business.

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MCKESSON CORP. $198 (New York symbol MCK; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 232.0 million; Market cap: $45.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 0.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mckesson .com) is buying UDG Healthcare’s wholesale distribution operations. These businesses deliver prescription drugs and other products to drugstores in Ireland and Northern Ireland. McKesson also recently agreed to acquire 281 Sainsbury’s pharmacies in the U.K.

The company expects to complete these purchases in the first half of 2016. It will pay roughly $600 million for both of these businesses, which together should add $0.10 to $0.14 a share to its annual earnings. To put these figures in context, McKesson earned $2.6 billion, or $11.11 a share, in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015.

These purchases are part of the company’s plan to cut its reliance on North America, which accounts for 90% of its revenue. However, using acquisitions to expand adds risk.

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DIEBOLD INC. $30 (New York symbol DBD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 65.0 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.diebold.com) continues to move ahead with a major restructuring aimed at improving its efficiency and shifting its focus from building automated teller machines to services and software.

The changes should save Diebold a total of $200 million by the end of 2017. It plans to devote $100 million of that to acquisitions and other investments.

Meantime, Diebold’s earnings fell 46.6% in the three months ended June 30, 2015, to $22.2 million, or $0.34 a share. A year earlier, it earned $41.6 million, or $0.64. If you exclude restructuring costs, earnings per share declined 6.4%, to $0.44 from $0.47. However, its gross profit margin improved to 26.0% from 25.5%.

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BRIGGS & STRATTON CORP. $20 (New York symbol BGG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 44.4 million; Market cap: $888.0 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.5; Dividend yield: 2.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.briggsandstratton.com) is the world’s largest maker of lawn mower engines.

The company also makes a wide variety of other home and garden equipment, such as portable power generators, pressure washers and snow blowers. About 30% of its revenue comes from overseas markets.

In its 2015 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2015, Briggs’overall sales rose 1.9%, to $1.89 billion from $1.86 billion in fiscal 2014.

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MTS SYSTEMS CORP. $56 (Nasdaq symbol MTSC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 14.9 million; Market cap: $834.4 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mts.com) makes equipment and software that manufacturers use to test the behaviour of materials, machines and structures. This helps its clients reduce errors and costs. The company also makes sensors for industrial equipment.

MTS’s strong reputation continues to help it win new orders: in its fiscal 2015 third quarter, which ended June 27, 2015, it attracted $154.0 million worth of orders, up 2.9% from $149.6 million a year earlier.

However, the company’s sales declined 7.9%, to $133.9 million from $145.5 million a year earlier. Overseas markets account for 74% of MTS’s total sales, so the high U.S. dollar hurts their contribution. If you exclude currency rates, sales fell 2%.

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TENNANT CO. $55 (New York symbol TNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 18.3 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. tennantco.com) makes industrial floor-cleaning equipment, including scrubbers, sweepers and polishers. It also manufactures cleaning gear for garages, stadiums, parking lots and city streets.

The company continues to benefit from strong demand for products featuring its ec-H20 technology, which uses electricity to make tap water act like a detergent.

Tennant recently improved the effectiveness of this process with a new system it calls NanoClean, which creates millions of microscopic bubbles in the water. The company plans to add NanoClean technology to all of its commercial scrubbers.

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CONAGRA FOODS INC. $40 (New York symbol CAG; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 429.2 million; Market cap: $17.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.conagrafoods.com) paid $4.75 billion for Ralcorp Holdings, the largest private-label food maker in the U.S., in January 2013. However, strong competition and higher ingredient costs have hurt Ralcorp’s earnings. In response, ConAgra aims to sell Ralcorp by the end of 2015.

Excluding Ralcorp’s contribution and unusual items, ConAgra’s earnings rose 15.4% in its fiscal 2016 first quarter, which ended August 30, 2015, to $0.45 a share from $0.39 a year earlier. Sales gained 1.1%, to $2.79 billion from $2.76 billion.

Consumer foods, such as Chef Boyardee canned pasta and Hunt’s tomato sauce, now supply 61% of ConAgra’s revenue. These products’sales fell 0.3%, as unfavourable currency rates offset higher selling prices.

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PFIZER INC. $33 (New York symbol PFE; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 6.2 billion; Market cap: $204.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.1; Dividend yield: 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pfizer.com) started up in 1942 and is now one of the world’s leading makers of prescription drugs. Top-selling brands include Lyrica (epilepsy), Celebrex (arthritis pain), Prevnar (pneumonia) and Enbrel (rheumatoid arthritis).

The company is also the world’s fifth-largest maker of overthe- counter treatments, including| Advil (pain relief), Centrum (vitamins) and Robitussin (cough syrup).

Pfizer’s revenue fell 19.5%, from $61.6 billion in 2010 to $49.6 billion in 2014. That’s mainly because it sold its nutrition division, which makes formula and other products for children, to Switzerland-based Nestle S.A. for $11.9 billion in 2012. In 2013, Pfizer set up its animalhealth business as a separate firm called Zoetis Inc. (New York symbol ZTS).

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Microsoft’s Nokia purchase didn’t work out well, but cloud computing helps it remain one of the leading blue chip stocks in the tech world

A reputation for friendlier service, lower fuel costs and 41 consecutive profitable quarters help make WestJet one of our top value stocks.

An improved U.S. housing market helps Canadian growth stock Hardwood Distribution, but we view this stock as a very aggressive investment.

With other properties sold off, IAMGold is focused solely on its gold mines, which we think enhances its prospects for aggressive investors.

FAIR ISAAC CORP. $82.43 (New York symbol FICO; TSINetwork Rating: Average)(415-472-2211; www.fairisaac.com; Shares outstanding: 31.1 million; Market cap: $2.6 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 June 30, 2015, Fair Isaac’s revenue rose 5.9%, to $209.3 million from $197.6 million a year earlier. Sales at its applications division (61% of the total) fell 2.1% on weaker demand for marketing and fraud detection software. However, sales of credit-scoring programs (27%) jumped 23.0%, while sales of analytics software (12%) gained 18.1%.

The company earned $32.3 million, up 10.3% from $29.2 million. Earnings per share rose 20.5%, to $1.00 from $0.83, on fewer shares outstanding. Fair Isaac spends around 12% of its revenue on research, which lets it produce innovative products that keep it ahead of the competition.

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SYMANTEC CORP. $19.95 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; TSINetwork Rating: Average)(650-527-8000;www.symantec.com; Shares outstanding: 684.2 million; Marketcap: $13.5 billion; Dividend yield: 3.0%) continues to strengthen its fast-growing cyber security business. It’salso selling off its Veritas Technologies division.

Corporations are spending more on cyber security following high-profile attacks on Sony, Target and Ashley Madison. Symantec is taking advantage of thisby hiring more programmers. It has also cancelled unprofitable contracts and simplified its product lines.

These moves cut the company’s profits by 12.1% in its fiscal 2016 first quarter, which ended July 3, 2015,to $275 million, or $0.40 a share, from $313 million,or $0.45. Sales fell 13.6%, to $1.50 billion from $1.74billion.

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INTACT FINANCIAL $94.32 (Toronto symbol IFC; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (416-341- 1464; www.intactfc.com; Shares outstanding: 131.5 million; Market cap: $12.2 billion; Dividend yield: 2.3%) has reached a tentative deal to offer insurance to drivers with the Uber ride-sharing service, under which passengers use a smartphone app to hire drivers who use their own personal vehicles.

Intact won’t reveal further details until provincial insurance regulators sign off on the plan, but it did say it would offer the insurance under its two main brands: Intact Insurance and belairdirect.

Uber says its drivers are covered by a commercial policy for up to $5 million worth of injuries and property damage. However, under Canadian law, commercial drivers must have their own insurance to cover claims incurred while transporting a passenger for profit.

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WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE $78.71 (New York symbol WYN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (973- 753-6000; www.wyndhamworldwide.com; Shares outstanding: 118.1 million; Market cap: $9.2 billion; Dividend yield: 2.1%) now plans to enter Myanmar, where it has signed a franchise agreement for a 26-room hotel in Yangon, the country’s capital.

Owned by Asia Myanmar Shining Star Company, the five-star Wyndham Grand Yangon Royal Lake will be part of the mixed-use Kantharyar Centre Project, at the southern fringe of Yangon’s popular Kandawgyi Lake. The $157-million U.S. complex will include a residential building, serviced apartments, an office tower and a shopping mall. The hotel is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Wyndham Worldwide is a hold.

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FIRSTSERVICE CORP. $42.76 (Toronto symbol FSV; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (416-960-9500; www.firstservice.com; Shares outstanding: 34.6 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; Dividend yield: 1.2%) offers residential property management and property improvement services.

The company recently announced that it is acquiring Custom Property Management, a leading provider of residential property management services in West Palm Beach, Florida, and surrounding areas. FirstService didn’t reveal the deal’s terms.

The transaction will add over 16,000 units to FirstService’s existing property management portfolio, which totals 7,200 buildings comprised of over 1.6 million residential units throughout North America.

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DELPHI ENERGY $0.74 (Toronto symbol DEE; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative)(403- 265-6171; www.delphienergy.ca; Shares outstanding: 155.5 million; Market cap: $115.1 million; No dividends paid) develops, produces and explores for oil and natural gas. About 70% of its output is gas; the remaining 30% is oil.

In the three months ended June 30, 2015, Delphi’s production fell 1.7%, to 10,210 barrels of oil equivalent a day from 10,397 a year earlier. The lower output and a 31.4% average decline in oil and gas prices cut cash flow per share to $0.06 from $0.09. The company will need improved oil and gas prices to move significantly higher, but its long-term outlook is positive.

Delphi Energy is a buy for aggressive investors.

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PASON SYSTEMS $19.73 (Toronto symbol PSI; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative)(403-301-3400; www.pason.com; Shares outstanding: 83.7 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 clients use to remotely collect data from their drilling operations. Pason serves oil and gas firms and drilling contractors throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

In the three months ended June 30, 2015, the company’s revenue fell 44.7%, to $57.4 million from $103.9 million a year earlier. A rise in the U.S. dollar only partly offset an industry-wide slowdown in oil and gas drilling.

The company lost $9.4 million, or $0.11 a share, compared to a profit of $17.6 million, or $0.21, a year ago. The lower revenue was the main reason for the decline, and the latest quarter also included $2.6 million of restructuring costs. Cash flow per share was positive, though it was down sharply, to $0.11 from $0.53.

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COMPUTER MODELLING GROUP $12.53 (Toronto symbol CMG; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-531-1300; www.cmgl.ca; Shares outstanding: 79.0 million; Market cap: $976.3 million; Dividend yield: 3.2%) sells software and services that help conventional oil and gas producers create 3-D models of reservoirs. That lets them squeeze more out of those reservoirs using advanced recovery techniques, such as injecting steam or chemicals. Typically, only 25% to 30% of oil and gas is recovered during primary production.

Unconventional producers using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of oil and gas-bearing shale can also use Computer Modelling’s software to determine optimal drilling locations and depths.

In the three months ended June 30, 2015, the company’s revenue rose 9.7%, to $21.4 million from $19.6 million a year earlier. Software licensing revenue (90% of the total) rose 10.9%, while consulting and professional services revenue (10%) fell slightly.

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