acquisition

Unlike the United States, which has more than 4,000 domestic banks, Canada has just 35. Of that total, the top six (Royal Bank, TD Bank, Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, CIBC and National Bank) control over 90% of this country’s banking assets.

That high amount of control makes it hard for the big banks to expand inside Canada....

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC., $597.75, is a buy. The stock (symbol TMO on New York) lets you tap a leading manufacturer of scientific instruments, laboratory equipment, diagnostic consumables, and life science reagents.

The shares are now up 83.5% for our subscribers since we first recommended the stock in the May 2020 issue of Power Growth Investor at $325.83 a share....

SMITHFIELD FOODS INC., $21.50, symbol SFD on Nasdaq, launched its IPO and began trading on Nasdaq this week.

Chinese owner WH Group priced the shares at $20 each for their initial public offering. It had originally aimed to offer shares at $23 to $27 apiece.

Smithfield was a public company until it was acquired in 2013 for $5 billion by WH Group....

CANADIAN PACIFIC KANSAS CITY LTD., $115.50, Toronto symbol CP, is still a buy.

The company took its current form in April 2023 when it acquired U.S.-based railway Kansas City Southern (KCS).

CP paid $31 billion U.S. in cash and shares for KCS....

The Cooper Companies Inc. has a promising outlook backed by strong revenue and earnings growth in two key markets.

These two leading foodmakers have a long history of regular dividend payments. However, their sales growth remains weak due to changing consumer tastes.


SAPUTO INC. $24 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol SAP; High-Growth Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 424.4 million; Market cap: $10.2 billion; Dividend yield: 3.2%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.saputo.com) is Canada’s largest producer of dairy products....

VULCAN MATERIALS CO., $277.54, symbol VMC on New York, operates mostly in the U.S. and is the nation’s largest supplier of construction aggregates. These are raw materials extracted from pits and quarries, and primarily include crushed stone, sand and gravel....

MP MATERIALS CORP., $21.57, is a buy. The company, symbol MP on New York, is the owner and operator of the Mountain Pass mine (California), the only significant rare-earth commercial mining and processing site in North America.

Rare-earth elements are used in a variety of modern devices and applications: magnets in small and large motors; glass additives and glass polishing compounds; rechargeable batteries; television and computer screens; lighting; X-ray machines; and lasers.

This week, the company’s flagship Independence facility in Fort Worth, Texas, commenced commercial production of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) metal and trial production of automotive-grade, sintered neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets.

NdFeB magnets—he world’s most powerful and efficient permanent magnets—are essential components in vehicles, drones, robotics, electronics, and aerospace and defence systems....

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO., $264.84, New York symbol JPM, is a buy.

Morgan is the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $4.00 trillion as of December 31, 2024.

With the October 2024, payment, Morgan increased your quarterly dividend by 8.7%, to $1.25 a share from $1.15....

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., $186.54, Toronto symbol L, is a buy.

The company operates 1,113 supermarkets under several banners, including Loblaws, Zehrs, Provigo, Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills. It also operates 1,354 associate-owned Shoppers Drug Mart locations.

Loblaw is now selling its 42 Wellwise by Shoppers outlets to Verillium Health Care....