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Every Wednesday, we publish our “Investor Toolkit” investing advice series. Whether you’re a new or experienced investor, these weekly updates are designed to give you our specific advice on successful investing. Each Investor Toolkit update gives you a fundamental piece of investing advice and shows you how you can put it into practice right away. Tip of the week: “Short selling stocks may seem like a potential money-making opportunity, but there are pitfalls that don’t exist when you’re buying stocks.”...

While a high p/e ratio can be a sign that a stock is overvalued, it can also be a signal that investors recognize the company’s future earnings potential. One example of a well-established stock with a high p/e ratio is the world’s most recognizable fast-food chain. MCDONALD’S CORP. (New York symbol MCD; www.mcdonalds.com) is the world’s largest fast-food company by sales. Its 33,735 restaurants in 119 countries serve a wide variety of foods, but they are best known for their hamburgers and french fries....

ENCANA $20.75 (Toronto symbol ECA; Shares outstanding: 735.4 million; Market cap: $15.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 3.9%; www.encana.com) has come under fire over media reports that the company colluded with U.S.-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. (New York symbol CHK) with regard to various land deals in Michigan in 2009 and 2010.

The companies are alleged to have agreed to avoid bidding against each other in order to keep prices of this land low. Now, recent discoveries of shale gas in Michigan have spurred strong demand for these properties for exploration purposes. (Chesapeake Energy is a recommendation of Stock Pickers Digest, our newsletter that focuses on aggressive investing.)

Encana is now investigating these allegations, which are also likely to spur a number of class-action lawsuits. However, anti-competitive lawsuits are often difficult to prove.

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CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $75.81 (Toronto symbol CP; Shares outstanding: 171.2 million; Market cap: $13.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.9%; www.cpr.ca) has appointed Hunter Harrison as a director and its new chief executive officer.

Mr. Harrison is the former CEO of Canadian National Railway Co. (Toronto symbol CNR). He’s also the choice of prominent U.S.-based activist investment firm Pershing Square Capital Management, which owns 14.2% of CP.

The company believes Mr. Harrison will duplicate his success at CN, which included improving efficiency and speeding up deliveries. New trains and the recent drop in oil prices should also boost CP’s profits.

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ENERPLUS CORP. $13.84 (Toronto symbol ERF; Shares outstanding: 196.9 million; Market cap: $2.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 7.8%) produces an average of 79,190 barrels of oil equivalent per day (weighted 52% to natural gas and 48% to oil). Its properties are mainly in Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C., North Dakota and Montana, as well as the Marcellus Shale, which passes through Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia.

In the three months ended March 31, 2012, Enerplus’s cash flow per share fell 4.4%, to $0.86 from $0.90. That’s mainly due to lower gas prices, which offset gains from a rise in oil prices.

Enerplus has cut its monthly dividend by 50%, to $0.09 a share from $0.18. It now yields 7.8%.

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ARC RESOURCES $22.70 (Toronto symbol ARX; Shares outstanding: 290.5 million; Market cap: $6.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; Dividend yield: 5.3%; www.arcresources.com) produces oil and natural gas in western Canada. Its average daily production of 94,970 barrels of oil equivalent is weighted 62% to gas and 38% to oil.

In the three months ended March 31, 2012, ARC’s cash flow per share fell 8.8%, to $0.62 from $0.68. Production rose 28.5%, but that was more than offset by 34.1% lower gas prices.

The company’s long-term debt is $838.8 million, or a low 12.7% of its market cap. ARC trades at 9.2 times its forecast 2012 cash flow of $2.46 a share.

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ISHARES AUSTRALIA INDEX FUND $22.18 (New York symbol EWA; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that holds the 73 largest Australian stocks. Its MER is 0.52%.

The fund’s top holdings include BHP Billiton, 12.2%; Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 10.1%; Westpac Banking Corp., 7.8%; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, 7.0%; National Australia Bank, 6.4%; Woolworths, 4.0%; Rio Tinto, 3.0%; Westfield Group, 2.5%; and CSL Ltd., 2.5%.

Australia benefits from its stable banking and political systems. It is also rich in natural resources, and it’s close to key Asian markets, including India and China.

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TORSTAR CORP. $9.40 (Toronto symbol TS.B; Shares outstanding: 79.9 million; Market cap: $751.1 million; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.6 %; www.torstar.com) continues to expand its online operations.

This week, it agreed to buy a 14% stake in shop.ca, a new website that sells a wide variety of products from Canadian retailers. These sellers ship their products directly to customers who buy through the site, so shop.ca does not need to invest in costly distribution centres.

Torstar plans to increase its interest to 30% over the next 30 months. In all, Torstar will pay $6 million in cash and provide $12.4 million of promotional support, mainly free ads in its newspaper and on its websites.

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GREAT-WEST LIFECO $22.51 (Toronto symbol GWO; Shares outstanding: 949.8 million; Market cap: $21.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.5%) is Canada’s largest insurance company, with $523.0 billion in assets under administration. It also operates in the U.S. and Europe.

In the three months ended March 31, 2012, Great-West’s earnings rose 8.7%, to $451 million, or $0.48 a share. A year earlier, it earned $415 million, or $0.44 a share. Revenue rose 3.9%, to $6.5 billion from $6.3 billion.

The company’s balance sheet is strong. As well, Great-West trades at just 10.7 times the $2.11 a share that it is likely to earn in 2012. The shares yield a high 5.5%.

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ISHARES MSCI CHILE INVESTABLE MARKET INDEX FUND $62.32 (New York Exchange symbol ECH; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that aims to track the MSCI Chile Investable Market Index. This index consists of stocks that are mainly traded on the Santiago Stock Exchange.

The fund’s top holdings are LAN Airlines SA (Chilean national airline), 9.4%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 8.5%; Quimica y Minera de Chile (mining), 8.2%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electric power), 6.8%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 6.5%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 6.1%; Enersis AS (electric power), 5.9%; Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 4.8%; S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 4.7%; and CAP SA (iron mining and steel), 4.1%.

The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Utilities, 23.7%; Industrials, 21.6%; Financials, 16.9%; Materials, 15.6%; Consumer Staples, 11.1%; Consumer Discretionary, 11.1%; Telecommunications, 3.3%; and Information Technology, 1.5%.

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ISHARES MSCI GERMANY FUND $20.18 (New York Exchange symbol EWG; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that aims to track the stocks in the MSCI Germany Index.

This index aims to replicate 85% of the total market capitalization of the German stock market. The remaining 15% is unavailable for investment, partly due to limitations on foreign ownership.

The ETF’s top holdings are Siemens AG (engineering conglomerate), 9.0%; BASF (chemicals), 8.3%; Bayer (diversified chemicals), 7.5%; SAP (software), 7.1%; Allianz (insurance), 5.7%; E.ON (energy), 4.7%; Deutsche Bank AG, 4.4%; Deutsche Telekom, 4.0%; and Linde AG (industrial gases), 3.5%.

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ISHARES MSCI SOUTH KOREA INDEX FUND $55.36 (New York Exchange symbol EWY; buy or sell through brokers), is an exchange traded fund that aims to track the MSCI Korea Index.

The ETF’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics, 20.9%; Hyundai Motor Co., 6.5%; Posco (steel), 4.2%; Kia Motors, 3.5%; Hyundai Mobis (auto parts), 3.4%; Shinhan Financial, 2.9%; KB Financial, 2.4%; LG Chemical, 2.3%; Hynix Semiconductor, 2.3%; and Hyundai Heavy Industries, 1.9%.

The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Information Technology, 30.7%; Consumer Discretionary, 18.9%; Industrials, 13.9%; Financials, 13.6%; Materials, 11.5%; Consumer Staples, 5.6%; Energy, 2.7%; Utilities, 1.4%; Health Care, 0.8%; and Telecommunication Services, 0.7%.

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ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $39.91 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers), is an exchange traded fund that aims to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Its geographic breakdown includes China, 17.4%; South Korea, 15.2%; Brazil, 13.2%; Taiwan, 11.0%; South Africa, 8.0%; India, 6.2%; Russia, 5.8%; Mexico, 4.7%; Malaysia, 3.7%; and Indonesia, 2.7%.

The fund’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics (South Korea: electronics), 3.5%; China Mobile, 1.9%; Taiwan Semiconductor (Taiwan: computer chips), 1.8%; America Movil (Brazil: wireless), 1.6%; Gazprom (Russia: gas utility), 1.5%; China Construction Bank (China: banking), 1.4%; Petrobras Petroleo (Brazil: energy), 1.2%; Vale SA (Brazil: mining), 1.1%; and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.2%.

The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Financials, 24.1%; Information Technology, 13.7%; Energy, 12.7%; Materials, 12.1%; Consumer Staples, 8.5%; Consumer Discretionary, 8.1%; Telecommunication Services, 8.1%; Industrials, 6.9%; Utilities, 3.8%; and Health Care, 1.1%.

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ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $9.50 (American Exchange symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an exchange traded fund that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan index.

The fund’s top holdings include Toyota Motor, 5.2%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 2.8%; Honda Motor, 2.7%; Canon, 2.2%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 2.1%; Mizuho Financial Group, 1.8%; Takeda Pharmaceutical, 1.7%; Softbank Corp., 1.5%; Fanuc Corp., 1.5%; and Mitsubishi Corporation, 1.5%.

The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Industrials, 20.4%; Consumer Discretionary, 19.9%; Financials, 17.4%; Information Technology, 11.9%; Materials, 6.7%; Health Care, 6.7%; Consumer Staples, 6.6%; Telecommunication Services, 4.4%; Utilities, 3.6%; and Energy, 1.6%.

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RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $27.87 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 285.0 million; Market cap: $8.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.0%; www.riocan.com) planned to spend $600 million on acquisitions in 2012. That’s equal to 8% of its $7.9-billion market cap. The trust spent $1 billion on acquisitions in 2011.

However, RioCan will likely spend less than it planned this year, due to the rising cost of properties in Canada’s big cities. Instead, the trust plans to upgrade its existing malls. Right now, it is focusing on projects in Toronto and Calgary.

The trust continues to pay monthly distributions of $0.115 a unit, for a 5.0% annualized yield. In light of its improving outlook, RioCan aims to raise its payout in 2013.

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CANADIAN REIT $42.04 (Toronto symbol REF.UN; Units outstanding: 67.8 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 3.6%; www.creit.ca) owns over 190 properties, including retail, industrial and office buildings, located across Canada and in the Chicago area. These properties contain over 19 million square feet of leasable area. Its occupancy rate is 95.0%.

In the three months ended March 31, 2012, the real estate investment trust’s revenue rose 9.7%, to $89.2 million from $81.3 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit rose 7.7%, to $0.56 from $0.52.

The trust bought $298.6 million of properties in 2011, including its June purchase of two fully leased malls in Mississauga, Ontario, for $174.4 million. In March 2012, it bought 50% of the 310,000- square-foot Altius Centre in Calgary for $92.3 million. In April, it paid $156.0 million for 50% of Calgary Place, a 575,000-square-foot office and retail complex.

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; Units outstanding: 55.9 million; MaALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $29.35 (Toronto symbol AP.UN rket cap: $1.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 4.5%; www.alliedpropertiesreit.com) owns 100 office buildings, mostly in major Canadian cities. These mainly Class I properties contain over 7.8 million square feet of leasable area.

Class I refers to 19th- and early-20th-century light industrial buildings that have been converted to office and retail space. They usually feature exposed beams, interior brick and hardwood floors.

In 2011, the trust bought 22 properties for $456 million. In the first quarter of 2012, it bought 10 more buildings for $185.2 million.

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TELUS $61.56 (Toronto symbol T.A; Shares outstanding: 324.9 million; Market cap: $20.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.0%; www.telus.com) gets 52% of its earnings from its growing wireless business, which now has 7.4 million subscribers across Canada.

The remaining 48% of Telus’s earnings come from its wireline division, which has 3.5 million traditional phone customers in B.C., Alberta and eastern Quebec. This business also has 1.3 million Internet users and 553,000 TV customers.

In the three months ended March 31, 2012, Telus’s earnings per share rose 6.0%, to $1.06 from $1.00 a year earlier. Rising demand for wireless and high-speed Internet services helped push up revenue by 4.0%, to $2.6 billion from $2.5 billion.

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The New York Stock Exchange defines a blue chip as stock in a company with a national reputation for quality, reliability and the ability to operate profitably in good times and bad. The problem is that “reputation” plays a key role in the definition. Many companies acquire a blue-chip reputation by displaying the qualities that the definition suggests. Others get it through a strong public relations effort or by being in the right industry or business situation at the right time and place. Regardless of how it got there, this blue-chip label sticks with companies long after they quit living up to it....

A little over three months ago, Pat McKeough responded to the many concerns expressed over a possible real estate crash, especially in Canada’s largest markets. The video drew one of our largest viewing audiences. Today there’s still a great deal of media attention focused on the possibility of a real estate crash. Those fears are undoubtedly heightened by ongoing headlines about the European debt crisis and a slowdown in the global economy. Volatility in the stock market adds a further note of pessimism for many Canadians. That makes it all the more important to keep things in perspective, which makes this an ideal time to replay Pat’s original video. In real estate investments especially, he reminds his viewers, there is a lot of territory between boom and bust. A rising real estate market will always cool down, but that doesn’t mean catastrophe is around the corner....

Dividends don’t always get the respect they deserve, especially from beginning investors. A dividend stock’s yearly 2% or 3% or 5% yield barely seems worth mentioning alongside yearly capital gains of 10%, 20% or 30% or more. Yet dividends are far more reliable than capital gains. A stock that pays a dividend of $1 this year will probably do the same next year. It may even rise to $1.05....

TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. $9.60 (www.tctranscontinental.com) now owns 100% of Metro Montreal, a free commuter newspaper, after buying out its joint venture partner for an undisclosed amount....

strong>SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $38 (www.snclavalin.com) has paid an undisclosed sum for Toronto-based engineering firm DBA Engineering. This firm specializes in paving and environmental cleanup, and should help SNC win more infrastructure contracts....

RESEARCH IN MOTION LTD. $7.57 (www.rim.com) has delayed the launch of smartphones that use its new BlackBerry 10 software to the first quarter of 2013. That’s because the company is having difficulty adapting this software to its email and messaging servers....

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ENCANA CORP. $20 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 736.3 million; Market cap: $14.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.encana.com) is one of North America’s largest natural gas producers. Its reserves should last over 11 years.

The company took its present form on December 1, 2009, after the old EnCana Corp. split itself into two new companies: the new Encana, which focuses on natural gas, and Cenovus Energy (Toronto symbol CVE), which specializes in oil sands projects, oil refineries and conventional natural gas.

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