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PENGROWTH ENERGY $4.09 (Toronto symbol PGF; Shares outstanding: 534.6 million; Market cap: $2.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.9%; www.pengrowth.com) produces oil and natural gas, mostly in Western Canada. It recently started up its Lindbergh oil sands project in eastern Alberta, which should produce 16,000 barrels a day by the end of 2015.

In the three months ended December 31, 2014, Pengrowth’s cash flow rose 10.0%, to $0.22 a share from $0.20. The company sharply cut its operating costs, offsetting a 7.2% production decline, to 71,802 barrels of oil equivalent a day from 77,371.

The company will spend $200 million on exploration and development in 2015, down 74.0% from $770 million last year. Even so, it expects to produce 73,000 to 75,000 barrels a day in 2015, up about 1.5% from 2014.

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BONAVISTA ENERGY $8.02 (Toronto symbol BNP; Shares outstanding: 203.8 million; Market cap: $1.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 5.2%; www.bonavistaenergy.com) explores for oil and natural gas in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Its production is 70% gas and 30% oil.

In the three months ended December 31, 2014, Bonavista’s cash flow per share rose 1.6%, to $0.63 from $0.62 a year earlier.

The company’s output gained 14.3%, to 85,810 barrels of oil equivalent a day from 75,072. However, lower oil prices mostly offset the production increase and higher realized gas prices.

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LOBLAW COMPANIES $62.05 (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 412.5 million; Market cap: $25.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.6%; www.loblaw.ca) is testing a new home-delivery service with San Francisco-based Uber Technologies, which offers users rides from private drivers in 300 cities.

Users of Loblaw’s Click & Collect online service can order groceries from three of the company’s Toronto supermarkets. They can then pick up their goods at their local store and get a free ride home from Uber.

This is a limited-time promotion, but if it’s successful, Uber may offer Loblaw customers a discounted fare. That could prompt them to buy more groceries than they normally would.

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MARKET VECTORS VIETNAM ETF $18.22 (New York symbol VNM; buy or sell through brokers) holds Vietnamese companies or foreign firms that get a significant amount of their revenue from Vietnam.

The ETF’s top holdings are Vincom Corp. (real estate), 8.2%; Masan Group (a food, resources and banking conglomerate), 7.6%; Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, 7.2%; Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial Bank, 6.4%; Hansae Co. (a South Korean clothing maker), 5.6%; Charoen Pokphand Foods (a Thailand-based food conglomerate), 5.1%; Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group (conglomerate), 4.7%; and Premier Oil (a U.K.-based producer with stakes in the huge Cuu Long basin off southern Vietnam), 4.6%.

The Market Vectors Vietnam ETF’s industry breakdown is as follows: Financials, 42.5%; Consumer Staples, 16.8%; Energy, 15.7%; Consumer Discretionary, 11.1%; Industrials, 6.6%; Materials, 4.6%; and Utilities, 2.6%. Its MER is 0.76%.

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ISHARES CHINA LARGE-CAP ETF $51.98 (New York symbol FXI; buy or sell through brokers) is an exchange traded fund that aims to track the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) China 50 Index, which is made up of the 50 largest, most liquid Chinese stocks. All of the companies in the index trade on the Hong Kong exchange. Some also trade as American depositary receipts (ADRs) on New York.

The fund’s top holdings are Tencent Holdings, 8.8%; China Mobile, 8.0%; China Construction Bank, 7.5%; Industrial & Commercial Bank, 6.8%; Bank of China, 5.9%; Ping An Insurance, 4.5%; China Life, 4.4%; CNOOC Ltd., 3.9%; PetroChina, 3.8%; China Petroleum and Chemical, 3.4%; and China Overseas Land & Investment, 2.5%.

The fund’s holdings give it the following industry breakdown: Financials, 48.1%; Telecommunications, 11.7%; Oil and Gas, 11.6%; Technology, 11.1%; Industrials, 6.2%; Consumer Goods, 6.4%; and Utilities, 2.1%. Its expense ratio is 0.74%.

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MANULIFE FINANCIAL $22.18 (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares outstanding: 2.0 billion; Market cap: $43.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 2.8%; www.manulife.ca) now gets about a third of its insurance premiums from Asia—but that’s about to rise sharply.

The company has just entered into a 15-year “bancassurance” partnership with Singapore-based banker DBS Group Holdings. The deal will let Manulife sell life and health insurance through DBS’s Asian branch network.

Manulife won the deal over a group of companies that included Aviva plc, Prudential and AIA Group. It will pay DBS $1.2 billion to replace Aviva in its branches.

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BCE INC. $54.15 (Toronto symbol BCE; Shares outstanding: 841.9 million; Market cap: $45.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.8%; www.bce.ca) is Canada’s largest provider of telephone, Internet and wireless services. It also offers satellite and Internet TV across the country.

In the three months ended March 31, 2015, BCE’s earnings per share rose 3.7%, to $0.84 from $0.81 a year earlier. Revenue increased 2.8%, to $5.2 billion from $5.1 billion.

Revenue from wireless services (30% of the total) rose 9.7% as the company’s network upgrades continue to attract new subscribers. It’s also gaining from rising use of smartphones, for which it charges higher service fees than regular cellphones.

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When investors get in the habit of using one investment measure to buy stocks, they often find that it can be dangerously misleading.

Giving mortgages to borrowers the banks won’t touch may seem risky, but this firm’s disciplined approach puts it among our top stock picks.

Focusing on one region can be risky for bank stocks and falling oil prices have compounded that risk for Canadian Western Bank.

H&R REIT $23.32 (Toronto symbol HR.UN; Units outstanding: 275.3 million; Market cap: $6.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 5.8%; www.hr-reit.com) owns stakes in 45 office buildings, 114 industrial properties and 340 shopping malls in Canada and the U.S. In December 2014, the REIT sold part ownership of 101 industrial properties in Canada and the U.S. for $731 million. In all, these buildings comprise 19.5 million square feet. The buyers include the Canadian Public Sector Pension Investment Board. H&R will keep a 50% interest in the Canadian properties and a 49.5% stake in the U.S. portfolio. It will also keep managing these assets and will receive fees for doing so. H&R will retain full ownership of 14 other industrial properties....

TELUS $42.36 (Toronto symbol T; Shares outstanding: 609.0 million; Market cap: $25.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%; www.telus.com) has issued $1.75 billion worth of new long-term notes. The company will use the proceeds to pay for its recent $1.5-billion purchase of new AWS-3 radio frequencies (or wireless spectrum). Telus will use this spectrum to boost its wireless services’ speed and capacity. That will encourage more of its subscribers to upgrade to smartphones, which are more profitable for Telus than regular cellphones. The new notes will increase Telus’s long-term debt to around $11.2 billion, or a high 43% of its $25.9-billion market cap. However, the company’s annual free cash flow (or cash flow minus capital expenditures) is $1.1 billion, which gives it plenty of flexibility to pay down its debt. In addition, Telus has staggered its loan maturities to 2045, so its annual repayments remain manageable....

POWER CORP. $33.51 (Toronto symbol POW; Shares outstanding: 413.5 million; Market cap: $15.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Div. yield: 3.4%; www.powercorporation.com) holds its financial assets through 65.7%-owned Power Financial. These holdings include 58.7% of IGM Financial, a leading Canadian mutual fund provider. As of March 31, 2015, IGM had $148.4 billion worth of assets under management, up 8.1% from $137.3 billion a year earlier. IGM’s fee income rises and falls with the value of the mutual funds and other securities it manages, so its revenue and earnings gain when the price of these assets rises. Power Corp. is a buy.

TRANSCANADA CORP. $56.04 (Toronto symbol TRP; Shares outstanding: 708.9 million; Market cap: $40.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.7%; www.transcanada.com) has announced a new deal with Magellan Midstream Partners (New York symbol MMP). The two firms have formed a 50/50 partnership to build a pipeline connecting their oil-storage facilities in Houston, Texas. This will give TransCanada’s oil-shipping clients access to more refineries in the Houston area. The company’s share of the $50-million cost is $25 million. To put that in context, TransCanada earned $511 million, or $0.72 a share, in the three months ended December 31, 2014. The partners expect to complete this project in mid-2016....

SYMANTEC CORP. $22 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 691.7 million; Market cap: $15.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 2.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.symantec.com) sells antivirus software and other computer security services.

In Symantec’s fiscal 2014 fourth quarter, which ended March 28, 2014, its earnings rose 4.1%, to $329 million from $316 million a year earlier. Per-share earnings rose 6.8%, to $0.47 from $0.44, on fewer shares outstanding.

The gains were mainly due to savings from a new restructuring plan that includes job cuts and simplifying the company’s product lines. Revenue fell 5.6%, to $1.65 billion from $1.75 billion.

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NCR’s growth strategy includes a restructuring plan due to cut annual costs by $105 million

“Theme investing” may have a certain appeal, but it can lead investors toward investment fads and away from sound investment strategies.

A $731 million part ownership deal that unlocks extra value in its industrial properties is just one reason H&R REIT is a buy.

BOEING CO. $143 (New York symbol BA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 691.5 million; Market cap: $98.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.boeing.com) is a leading maker of passenger jets, from which it gets 70% of its revenue and earnings. The remaining 30% comes from making military aircraft and satellites.

The company continues to benefit as the improving economy encourages airlines to upgrade their aging fleets. Its revenue rose 41.1%, from $64.3 billion in 2010 to a record $90.8 billion in 2014. Overall earnings jumped 79.0%, from $5.0 billion to $8.9 billion, while per-share profits gained 93.3%, from $4.45 to $8.60, on fewer shares outstanding.

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MCKESSON CORP. $239 (New York symbol MCK; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 231.6 million; Market cap: $55.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 0.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mckesson .com) paid $4.5 billion for 75.4% of Celesio AG in February 2014. Celesio is a German firm that distributes prescription drugs in Europe and Brazil. McKesson’s stake now stands at 76.0%.

This acquisition increased McKesson’s revenue by 30.3% in its 2015 fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2015, to $179.0 billion from $137.4 billion in fiscal 2014. Excluding unusual items, earnings per share rose 29.2%, to $11.11 from $8.60.

The company now expects to earn $12.20 to $12.70 a share in fiscal 2016, and the stock trades at 19.2 times the midpoint of that range. That’s a somewhat high p/e ratio, particularly if Celesio fails to meet expectations. As well, the upcoming launch of cheaper hepatitis C drugs could slow McKesson’s revenue growth.

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PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $79 (New York symbol PG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.7 billion; Market cap: $213.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.7; Dividend yield: 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pg.com) has agreed to sell its Frédéric Fekkai hair care brand and salons for an undisclosed sum.

This sale is part of Procter’s plan to sell 100 of its less profitable brands. Including this deal, it has now sold around 40 brands. It expects to sell the remaining 60 over the next few months. That will still leave Procter with 80 brands that together account for 90% of its sales. The company’s tighter focus will also cut its manufacturing and distribution costs.

Procter & Gamble is a buy.

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DIEBOLD INC. $34 (New York symbol DBD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 64.9 million; Market cap: $2.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.diebold.com) recently paid an undisclosed sum for Phoenix Interactive Design, a privately held maker of software for automated teller machines. The purchase will add more features to Diebold’s ATMs and make them work better.

Excluding costs to integrate Phoenix and other unusual items, Diebold’s earnings per share rose 20.8% in the first quarter of 2015, to $0.29 from $0.24 a year earlier. However, sales fell 4.8%, to $655.5 million from $688.3 million. Stronger ATM demand in North America, Europe and Asia offset slower sales of other gear in Brazil. Without currency rates, sales rose 1.1%.

Diebold is a buy.

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NORDSTROM INC. $74 (New York symbol JWN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 191.0 million; Market cap: $14.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nordstrom.com) first expanded to Canada in 2014, when it opened a department store in Calgary. It recently opened a second location in Ottawa.

The company now plans to open four more Canadian stores in the next two years: three in Toronto and one in Vancouver. Meanwhile, it continues to add Nordstrom Rack stores, which sell off-price goods, and expand its e-commerce business.

These developments helped boost Nordstrom’s sales by 9.7% in the three months ended May 2, 2015, to $3.2 billion from $2.9 billion a year earlier. Same-store sales gained 4.4%. However, the extra costs to open and run the new stores cut the company’s earnings per share by 8.3%, to $0.66 from $0.72.

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SNAP-ON INC. $158 (New York symbol SNA; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 58.1 million; Market cap: $9.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.6; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.snapon.com) makes tools for auto mechanics and sells them through a fleet of franchised vans that visit garages. It also makes specialized tools for industrial customers.

The company continues to benefit as the improving economy gives mechanics more cash to spend on tools. Its sales rose 5.1% in the quarter ended April 4, 2015, to $827.8 million from $787.5 million a year earlier. Without the impact of exchange rates and acquisitions, sales gained 9.9%. Earnings per share rose 15.4%, to $1.87 from $1.62.

The stock hit a record high of $158 in May 2015. It now trades at 19.8 times the $7.98 a share Snap-On will likely earn this year. That’s a somewhat high p/e ratio for a company that serves the cyclical automotive industry. The $2.12 dividend yields 1.3%.

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STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC. $103 (New York symbol SWK; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 153.7 million; Market cap: $15.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.stanleyblack anddecker.com) is one of the world’s largest makers of hand and power tools for consumers. Its top-selling brands include Stanley, Black & Decker, FatMax and Powerlock. This business supplies 62% of the company’s sales.

Stanley also makes building-security products, such as locks and gates (19% of sales) and specialized tools for industrial users, including auto mechanics and construction firms (19%).

The company has a long history of using acquisitions to diversify its operations. Since 2002, it has spent $6.2 billion buying related firms, excluding its March 2010 purchase of rival toolmaker Black & Decker for $4.5 billion in stock.

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