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As the “Internet of Things” grows, Texas Instruments’ strong focus on analog chips makes it one of our top U.S. stocks to invest in.

Thanks to the essential service it provides for pipelines, we rate this Canadian growth stock highly even with low oil prices.

A Canadian ETF with U.S. stocks promotes low volatility through beta ratings, but we recommend cost-effective ETFs matching a broad index.

Our view on a Canadian solar stock that has new power plants and long-term contracts but remains dependent on government subsidies.

As it improves the performance of a big 2013 acquisition, ConAgra solidifies its position as one of our top stocks to buy in the U.S.

To know how to trade stocks successfully, you need to know the right time to sell stocks. Here’s our advice.

The 2014 purchase of Shoppers Drug has increased the value of Loblaw’s stock and confirms it as one of our top Canadian stocks.

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY CO. $73 (www.cn.ca) faces several challenges, including falling crude-by-rail volumes and higher safety-related costs. However, CN continues to improve its efficiency with new locomotives and tracks....

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD. $64 (Toronto symbol L; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 412.6 million; Market cap: $26.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 1.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.loblaw.ca) is Canada’s largest food retailer, with 1,140 stores. Its banners include Loblaws, Provigo, Fortinos, Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills. George Weston Ltd. (Toronto symbol WN) owns 46% of Loblaw.

In March 2014, the company acquired the 1,250-store Shoppers Drug Mart chain for $12.3 billion in cash and shares. Thanks largely to this purchase, Loblaw’s sales jumped 38.2%, from $30.8 billion in 2010 to $42.6 billion in 2014.

Merger savings help pay down debt

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BOMBARDIER INC. (Toronto symbols BBD.A $2.55 and BBD.B $2.53; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $4.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend suspended in February 2015; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.bombardier.com) plans to sell shares in its transportation division to the public. This business makes passenger railcars and accounts for 45% of Bombardier’s total revenue.

The company expects to complete the sale in the fourth quarter of 2015. The new shares will mainly trade on Germany’s stock exchange because that’s where this business is based. Bombardier will retain a majority stake in this new company.

Bombardier also recently suspended its dividend and sold new shares to shore up its balance sheet. The cash should help the company finish developing its new CSeries jet. Bombardier has firm orders for 243 CSeries planes. If buyers exercise their options and other agreements, that figure would rise to 603 aircraft with a total value of about $39 billion U.S.

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METRO INC. $34 (Toronto symbol MRU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 246.9 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 1.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.metro.ca) plans to spend $300 million to build new supermarkets and upgrade existing stores in its 2015 fiscal year, which ends September 30, 2015. That’s up 47.8% from $203 million in fiscal 2014.

These investments should help Metro reach its long-term goal of increasing its annual sales by 2% to 4% and earnings per share by 8% to 10%.

Metro is a buy.

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CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $21 (Toronto symbol CVE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 828.4 million; Market cap: $17.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 5.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cenovus.com) has temporarily shut down its Foster Creek oil sands project in northern Alberta, as forest fires in the area are hindering traffic on the main access road to the site.

Cenovus own 50% of Foster Creek, while U.S.-based ConocoPhillips (New York symbol COP) owns the other 50%. In the first quarter of 2015, Cenovus’s share of this project’s output was 68,000 barrels a day, or 31% of its total daily oil production of 218,000 barrels.

The fires have also forced other oil projects in Alberta to close. In all, these operations account for 9% of the province’s total production. However, the shutdowns have increased the spot price of Western Canadian crude, which should help Cenovus offset the lost revenue.

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CAE INC. $15 (Toronto symbol CAE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 267.2 million; Market cap: $4.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend yield: 1.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cae.com) has won a new contract to train pilots for the U.S. Army and Air Force. As a result, the company will build a new training facility at Dothan Regional Airport in Alabama.

This eight-year deal is worth $200 million U.S. To put that in context, CAE’s revenue was $2.2 billion (Canadian) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. Military clients supply about 40% of the company’s revenue, which cuts its reliance on selling flight simulators to cyclical commercial airlines.

CAE is our #1 buy for 2015.

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IGM FINANCIAL INC. $42 (Toronto symbol IGM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 248.5 million; Market cap: $10.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 5.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.igmfinancial.com) is Canada’s largest independent mutual fund company, with $148.5 billion of assets under management. Power Financial owns 59.1% of IGM.

In the first quarter of 2015, IGM’s earnings rose 3.0%, to $200.3 million from $194.4 million a year earlier. Per-share earnings gained 3.9%, to $0.80 from $0.77, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue increased 6.4%, to $760.9 million from $714.8 million. Sales of mutual funds (net of redemptions) fell 12.0%, but rising stock markets pushed up assets under management by 8.1%.

The Canadian Medical Association recently dropped Mackenzie and other firms as sub-advisors on some of the bond funds it sells to its members. That will cut IGM’s assets under management by $10 billion. However, based on the fees it earns from this client, the impact on its earnings is small. The stock trades at just 12.5 times the $3.36 a share that IGM will likely earn in 2015. The $2.25 dividend yields 5.4%.

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GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $37 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 997.5 million; Market cap: $36.9 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend Yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.greatwestlifeco.com) is one of Canada’s largest insurance companies, with $1.2 trillion of assets under administration. It also offers mutual funds, retirement planning and wealth management. Power Financial (Toronto symbol PWF) owns 67.1% of Great-West.

The company continues to expand in Ireland. In 2013, it paid $1.75 billion for Irish Life Group, a major pension manager and life insurance provider. It will also soon complete its purchase of the Irish operations of Legal & General Group for an undisclosed sum. This business provides investment and tax-planning services to wealthy individuals.

Meanwhile, in the three months ended March 31, 2015, Great-West’s earnings rose 19.3%, to $700 million from $587 million a year earlier. Irish Life contributed $80 million, up from $52 million. Due to more shares outstanding, earnings per share rose 18.6%, to $0.70 from $0.59. Revenue rose 27.6%, to $12.7 billion from $9.9 billion.

The company will probably earn $2.82 a share in 2015, and the stock trades at a low 13.1 times that estimate. The $1.30 dividend yields 3.5%.

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BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $66 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $79.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.6; Dividend yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) has now purchased 51% of the credit card operations of Cencosud S.A., Chile’s largest retailer, for $280 million U.S. The deal made the bank Chile’s third-largest credit card issuer.

Meanwhile, Bank of Nova Scotia earned $1.73 billion, or $1.42 a share, in its fiscal 2015 second quarter, which ended April 30, 2015. That’s up 1.6% from $1.70 billion, or $1.39, a year earlier. Revenue rose 3.7%, to $5.9 billion from $5.7 billion.

Earnings at the Canadian banking division (48% of the bank’s total) rose 0.7%, mainly because it sold most of its shares in mutual fund provider CI Financial (Toronto symbol CIX) in 2014. If you exclude CI and adjust for a change in tax rates, this division’s earnings rose 9% on improving loan and deposit growth.

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POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN $38 (Toronto symbol POT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 834.2 million; Market cap: $31.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.8; Dividend yield: 4.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.potashcorp.com) is thinking about selling its minority stakes in foreign fertilizer producers Israel Chemicals and SQM (Chile). However, it plans to keep its interests in Sinofert (China) and Arab Chemicals (Jordan).

As of March 31, 2015, these four holdings had a book value of $2.8 billion U.S. A sale would free up cash for dividends or share buybacks. However, last year’s record crop harvests continue to depress potash prices.

Potash Corp. is a hold.

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SHAWCOR LTD. $39 (Toronto symbol SCL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 64.5 million; Market cap: $2.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.shawcor.com) makes sealants and coatings that keep oil and natural gas pipelines from rusting. This business supplies 90% of its revenue. The remaining 10% comes for making industrial products, like electrical wire and protective sheaths.

Last year, the company won contracts to coat underwater pipelines for the South Stream Pipeline project, which pumps natural gas from Russia under the Caspian Sea to Turkey. From there, other pipelines pump the gas to Italy and into Europe. The pipeline’s operators suspended construction in late 2014, but they have recently restarted the project. ShawCor now expects to complete these jobs in the second half of 2015. The company has resumed work on one contract worth $65 million. A second job, worth $60 million, is still suspended. Meanwhile, ShawCor’s revenue fell 1.5% in the three months ended March 31, 2015, to $471.9 million from $479.1 million a year earlier. That’s mainly because the company coated fewer pipelines. However, favourable exchange rates added $16.2 million to its revenue in the latest quarter.

Earnings fell 39.0%, to $37.8 million, or $0.58 a share, from $61.9 million, or $1.03. Aside from the lower revenue, ShawCor completed a highly profitable contract in the year-earlier quarter. These were the main reasons for the lower earnings.

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PRECISION DRILLING CORP. $8.76 (Toronto symbol PD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resource sector; Shares outstanding: 292.8 million; Market cap: $2.6 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.precisiondrilling.com) provides contract drilling services to land-based oil and gas producers, mainly in North America. The company operates 323 rigs.

Falling oil prices have cut drilling activity in Canada and the U.S. by about 50% in the past six months. As a result, Precision’s revenue fell 23.8% in the first quarter of 2015, to $512.1 million from $672.2 million a year earlier. Earnings declined 76.3%, to $24.0 million, or $0.08 a share, from $101.6 million, or $0.35.

The Supreme Court of Canada recently upheld a lower court ruling in an Ontario income tax dispute involving one of Precision’s subsidiaries. As a result, the Ontario government repaid $55 million of the taxes Precision remitted in 2008, along with interest, for a total of $69 million. The cash will help Precision pay for its plan to spend $506 million on capital upgrades in 2015, down 33.0% from $754.9 million in 2014.

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FINNING INTERNATIONAL INC. $25 (Toronto symbol FTT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 172.4 million; Market cap: $4.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.finning.com) is the world’s largest dealer of tractors, bulldozers and trucks made by Caterpillar Inc. (New York symbol CAT).

It also sells heavy equipment from other manufacturers. Finning’s clients are mainly in the mining, forest products and construction industries. The company recently paid $230 million for Saskatchewan Caterpillar distributor Kramer Ltd. The deal that will add $275 million to Finning’s annual revenue.

To put these figures in context, Finning’s revenue fell 9.4% in the three months ended March 31, 2015, to $1.5 billion from $1.7 billion a year earlier. That’s mainly because weak prices for copper and other metals hurt mining equipment demand in Canada and South America. Part of Finning’s response to the lower sales has been to exit Uruguay, which accounts for $30 million U.S. of yearly revenue.

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SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $46 (Toronto symbol SNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 152.1 million; Market cap: $7.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 2.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.snclavalin.com) fell to $36.24 in March 2015 after the RCMP charged the company and two subsidiaries for using bribes to win construction deals in Libya between 2001 and 2011.

These are the same allegations that prompted SNC to replace its senior executives in 2012 and bring in a new program to enforce ethical practices. The company plans to fight these charges.

Meantime, SNC has continued to win public works contracts, including one for building a new bridge in Montreal and another for a transit line in Toronto. That’s why the stock has recovered to its current level.

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ANDREW PELLER LTD. $17 (Toronto symbol ADW.A; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 14.3 million; Market cap: $243.1 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.andrewpeller.com) is a great example of a key part of our three-pronged investing strategy, which is to downplay stocks in the broker/media limelight (the other two are to invest mainly in well-established companies, and spread your money across the five main economic sectors).

Peller is Canada’s second-largest wine producer, after Vincor International, but few brokers cover it due to its relatively small market cap. Even so, it has a long history of rising earnings and dividends.

In its 2015 fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2015, Peller’s sales rose 6.0%, to $315.7 million from $297.8 million in 2014. That’s mainly because it launched several new products, including its skinnygrape spritzers and Panama Jack cocktails.

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FORTIS INC. $36 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 277.5 million; Market cap: $10.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield 3.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.fortisinc.com) began supplying electricity to St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1885. The company is now the main power utility in Newfoundland and PEI.

In the past decade, Fortis has used acquisitions to expand to other parts of Canada. In May 2004, it paid $1.5 billion for regulated power companies in Alberta and B.C. In May 2007, it added Terasen (now called Fortis BC Energy), which distributes natural gas to nearly one million customers in B.C. Fortis paid $3.7 billion for this business.

The company is also buying utilities outside Canada. In June 2013, it paid $1.5 billion U.S. for CH Energy Group, which delivers electricity to 300,000 clients in New York State’s Mid-Hudson River Valley. CH doesn’t own power plants; instead, it buys power from other producers. It also distributes natural gas to 77,000 users.

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Dynavax may have a successful hepatitis drug in the works, but clinical setbacks and high costs make us view it as a high risk investment.

CENOVUS ENERGY $20.58 (Toronto symbol CVE; Shares outstanding: 824.6 million; Market cap: $17.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.2%; www.cenovus.com) has temporarily shut down its Foster Creek oil sands project in northern Alberta because forest fires in the area are hindering traffic on the main road to the site.

Cenovus own 50% of Foster Creek, while U.S.-based ConocoPhillips (New York symbol COP) owns the other 50%. In the first quarter of 2015, Cenovus’s share of this project’s output was 68,000 barrels a day, or 31% of the company’s total oil production of 218,000 barrels.

The fires have also forced other oil projects in Alberta to close. In all, these operations account for 9% of the province’s total production. This has pushed up the spot price of Western Canadian crude, which should help Cenovus offset the lost revenue.

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