acquisition

WESTROCK CO., $39.39, symbol WRK on New York, is a leading provider of packaging materials and systems. It operates through 320 locations spread across North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

The company took its current form on July 1, 2015, when it merged with two other firms: Rock-Tenn Company and Mead-Westvaco Corporation....

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO., $112.95, New York symbol JPM, remains a buy.

The stock lets investors tap the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $3.84 trillion as of June 30, 2022.

Due to rising fears of a recession, triggered by higher interest rates and inflation, Morgan set aside $1.10 billion to cover potential loan losses in the quarter ended June 30, 2022, compared to a net credit of $2.29 billion a year earlier.

As a result, Morgan’s earnings in the quarter fell 27.0%, to $2.76 a share (or a total of $8.65 billion) from $3.78 a share (or $11.95 billion) a year earlier....

Oil and gas prices have moved down lately after a big spike earlier this year, but remain high. The future direction of energy prices depends on a lot of things, particularly economic growth rates around the world. Meanwhile, well-established producers took advantage of the weaker prices earlier in the pandemic to pick up properties and employees who are harder to find in more-prosperous times.


Those top companies also have the strength to survive, even if energy prices again drop and to continue paying dividends....

Long-time readers know that we keep you informed of important news about the stocks we cover. That means highlighting developments and plans that promise to brighten prospects for investors. Here are two buys that stand out this month:


ADOBE INC., $371.94, is a buy. The company’s (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (www.adobe.com; Shares outstanding: 468.0 million; Market cap: $175.8 billion; No dividends paid) decision a few years ago to switch to selling its programs as ongoing subscriptions instead of one-time purchases continues to pay off for investors: In the three months ended June 3, 2022, Adobe’s revenue rose 14.4%, to a record $4.39 billion from $3.84 billion.


Earnings climbed 10.6%, to $3.35 a share from $3.03 a year earlier.


Adobe also spends a high 18% of its sales on research to stay ahead of the competition and add to its market share....

WAJAX CORP., $19.12, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol WJX; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.wajax.ca; Shares outstanding: 21.4 million; Market cap: $416.2 million; Dividend yield: 5.2%) recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Tundra Process Solutions has acquired the valve business of Powell Canada....

Barrick has moved down—along with gold prices—since earlier this year. Gold does move generally up along with inflation; however, while inflation remains high, interest rate hikes (such as the U.S. Fed’s recent 75 basis-point rise) are aimed at controlling and bring down the inflation rate....

We like 1Life’s outlook: we think the company will keep attracting corporations, and their employees, in this largely untapped market. That will push up returns for investors in this high-growth firm. Meantime, the chance of a takeover bid adds to the stock’s appeal.


1LIFE HEALTHCARE, $9.70, is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol ONEM; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.onemedical.com; Shares o/s: 194.0 million; Market cap: $1.9 billion; No divd.) is a membership-based provider of primary health care through its One Medical technology platform....

On May 22, 2019, apparel maker VF Corp. spun off its Lee and Wrangler jeans business as a separately traded company called Kontoor Brands. Investors received one share in Kontoor for every seven VF shares they held. So far, the split has produced mixed results: VF is down 45%, but Kontoor is up 19%.


Even so, we feel both stocks are poised to move higher in the next few years, particularly as shoppers return to retail stores following COVID-19 lockdowns....

Finding undervalued growth stocks for your portfolio is easier if you follow these tips—including spotting spinoffs and tech shares to invest in

A: Chartwell Retirement Residences, $11.04, symbol CSH.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 234.7 million; Market cap: $2.6 billion; www.chartwell.com), is a real estate investment trust that is now focused on retirement homes.

The company is the largest owner and operator of seniors’ residences in Canada....