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An investor’s wealth mindset can often determine their investment success. What kind of wealth mindset do you have?

Recent acquisitions boosted sales by 25% for Ag Growth International and should help protect its 6.1% dividend yield.

It pays to take a skeptical view of companies that use acquisitions to expand. Unforeseen problems with these new operations can limit expected profit increases. In extreme cases, multiple problems can force the buyer to write off the entire purchase.

Of course, some companies do succeed with growth by acquisition....

BCE INC. $62 (Toronto symbol BCE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 868.6 million; Market cap: $53.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bce.ca) sells landline telephone services in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces....

FINNING INTERNATIONAL INC. $22 (Toronto symbol FTT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 168.1 million; Market cap: $3.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.finning.com) sells and services Caterpillar-brand heavy equipment in Canada, South America and the U.K....

THOMSON REUTERS CORP. $53 (Toronto symbol TRI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 750.4 million; Market cap: $39.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.3; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.thomsonreuters.com) mainly sells information products to financial clients such as banks and brokerages....

CGI GROUP INC. $55 (Toronto symbol GIB.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 302.8 million; Market cap: $16.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.cgi.com) is Canada’s largest provider of computer-outsourcing services....

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $33 (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 992.9 million; Market cap: $32.8 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend Yield: 4.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.greatwestlifeco.com) sells insurance, mutual funds and wealth management services....

AGRIUM INC. $115 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 138.2 million; Market cap: $15.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 3.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) sells seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural products to farmers through 1,400 stores in North America, South America and Australia....

EMERA INC. $50 (Toronto symbol EMA; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 148.4 million; Market cap: $7.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.6; Dividend yield: 4.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.emera.com) owns 100% of Nova Scotia Power, that province’s main electricity supplier....

POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN $21 (Toronto symbol POT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 839.4 million; Market cap: $17.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.3; Dividend yield: 6.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.potashcorp.com) gets 40% of its revenue and 50% of its earnings from potash, followed by nitrogen (35%, 40%) and phosphate (25%, 10%) fertilizers....

SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $55 (Toronto symbol SNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 150.1 million; Market cap: $8.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 1.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.snclavalin.com) is a leading Canadian engineering and construction company that specializes in large-scale public works projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems and watertreatment plants....

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD. $170 (Toronto symbol CP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 151.2 million; Market cap: $25.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.9; Dividend yield: 1.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.cpr.ca) ships freight over a 22,000-kilometre rail network between Montreal and Vancouver....

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY CO. $77 (Toronto symbol CNR; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 777.2 million; Market cap: $59.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.8; Dividend yield: 1.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.cn.ca) operates Canada’s largest railway....

BOMBARDIER INC. (Toronto symbols BBD.A $2.13 and BBD.B $1.94; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $3.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.2; Dividend suspended in February 2015; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.bombardier.com) is the world’s third-largest maker of commercial aircraft, after Boeing (No....

ENCANA CORP. $10 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 849.9 million; Market cap: $8.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.encana.com) will complete the sale of its oil and gas properties in Colorado’s DJ Basin by July 31, 2016....

SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $36 (Toronto symbol SU; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $61.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 3.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. suncor.com) is Canada’s largest integrated oil company....

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $63 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $75.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.3; Dividend yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) has formed a new alliance with Kabbage Inc....

CAE INC. $16 (Toronto symbol CAE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 269.3 million; Market cap: $4.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield: 1.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cae.com) has extended its research program with the Quebec government....

TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. $18 (Toronto symbol TCL.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 78.1 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tctranscontinental.com) is Canada’s leading printer of flyers, magazines, newspapers and books....

LINAMAR CORP. $43 (www.linamar.com) is down 43% since the start of 2016. That’s partly due to the U.K. vote to leave the European Union. Linamar gets 23% of its revenue from Europe, and the vote increases its currency risk. As well, automakers are shifting away from gasoline-powered cars to electric vehicles....

BLACKBERRY LTD. $8.45 (www.blackberry.com) hopes to spur demand for its smartphones with two new models that run on Google’s Android software instead of its own operating system. The company uses a modified version of Android with additional security features....

It pays to take a skeptical view of companies that use acquisitions to expand. Unforeseen problems with these new operations can limit expected profit increases. In extreme cases, multiple problems can force the buyer to write off the entire purchase.

Of course, some companies do succeed with growth by acquisition....

If you feel the need to invest in “sure thing” hot growth stocks, be sure you’re not gambling away too much of your portfolio.

Before you borrow to make any investment, even the best Canadian dividend stocks, we have six ways to tell if borrowing is right for you.