acquisition

RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC., $58.40, is a buy. The stock (symbol QSR on New York) gives you exposure to the world’s third-largest fast-food operator. That’s after McDonald’s (No. 1) and Yum Brands (No. 2). The company has 27,025 outlets in over 100 countries: 18,625 Burger King, 4,949 Tim Hortons (coffee and donuts), and 3,451 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (fried chicken).

Restaurant Brands has announced that Tim Hortons is expanding to India....

Activist investors seek out the same hidden assets we look for, including assets that can be sold or spun off. However, we don’t agree with their assessment of these two targets.


HARLEY-DAVIDSON INC. $39 is a hold. The company (New York symbol HOG; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 153.9 million; Market cap: $6.0 billion; Dividend yield: 1.7%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.harley-davidson.com) is an American manufacturer of motorcycles, parts, accessories, and merchandise.


The company has now entered into a co-operation agreement with investment firm H Partners Management, which owns roughly 8% of the shares....

Shares of Chemicals-maker DuPont have moved mostly sideways since the company spun off two of its smaller businesses in 2019. However, DuPont is now shifting its focus to more-profitable fields such as electronics, water, industrial technologies, protection, and next-generation automotive technology....

A: Church & Dwight Co. Inc., $97.31, symbol CHD on New York (Shares outstanding: 242.7 million; Market cap: $23.5 billion; www.churchdwight.com), is a manufacturer of leading personal care, household, and specialty products.

Founded in 1846, the company is the leading U.S....

A: Procore Technologies Inc., $51.36, symbol PCOR on New York (Shares outstanding: 135.1 million; Market cap: $6.7 billion; www.procore.com) is a leading cloud-based construction management software provider.

Procore’s software platform aims to let all parties in a construction project communicate with each other and manage workflows more effectively....

B. RILEY FINANCIAL INC., $63.42, symbol RILY on New York, is a diversified provider of financial services, including investment banking, wealth management, venture capital, and many others. Its focus is on small- and mid-cap companies. Founded in 1997, it went public in 2014.

On January 18, 2022, B....

AMAZON.COM INC., $2,910.49, symbol AMZN on Nasdaq, is a buy. The company is one of the world’s largest online retailers. It’s also the third-largest digital ad provider in the U.S. Its Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the world’s largest cloud infrastructure service providers.

Amazon shares jumped this week after the company announced that it’s splitting its shares on a 20-for-1 basis, as well as buying back up to $10 billion of its stock.

The stock split is subject to shareholder approval at its annual shareholder meeting, which is scheduled for May 25....

ABBVIE INC., $149.06, New York symbol ABBV, is a top pick for 2022.

The company makes biopharmaceuticals, with leading positions in immunology, oncology, aesthetics, neuroscience and eye care.

AbbVie took its current form on January 3, 2013, when Abbott Laboratories (New York symbol ABT) split into two publicly traded firms.

The company has raised its dividend each year since 2013....

Thanks to more people eating at home due to COVID-19, Loblaw’s shares recently hit a new all-time high of $113. Even though the economy is re-opening, we expect the company will continue to benefit from its shift to a pure-play retailer and from strong consumer demand for pandemic-era services such as home delivery.


LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD....

A: Hydrofarm Holdings Group Inc., $13.86, symbol HYFM on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 44.6 million; Market cap: $582.2 million; www.hydrofarm.com), is a leading distributor of hydroponics equipment and supplies for controlled environment agriculture....