acquisition
AGT FOOD & INGREDIENTS $28.27 (Toronto symbol AGT; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (306-525-4490; www.agtfoods.com; Shares outstanding: 23.1 million; Market cap: $651.5 million; Dividend yield: 2.1%) has acquired Mobil Capital Holdings for $57.5 million. This business owns a movable crop-processing plant, short-line railways, bulk-loading facilities and a grain- and pulse-trading operation. Most of Mobil’s assets are in Saskatchewan. This acquisition follows AGT’s $22-million purchase of West Central Road & Rail’s assets in June 2015. That deal included five bulk-loading sites in Saskatchewan. Purchases like these are important because a big part of AGT’s recent success has come from its shift to more profitable products, such as ingredients and packaged foods, as opposed to simply cleaning, splitting, sorting and bagging bulk crops....
Our view on the risks and rewards of Canadian penny stock Madalena Energy, which is carrying out ambitious plans in Argentina
SUN LIFE FINANCIAL $44.38 (Toronto symbol SLF; Shares outstanding: 610.6 million; Market cap: $27.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.4%; www.sunlife.ca) continues to expand in the U.S. At the same time, it’s cutting its risk by focusing on highly profitable niche markets with low capital reserve requirements.
In June 2015, the company bought U.S....
In June 2015, the company bought U.S....
The acquisition of a U.S. packaging firm looks like a perfect fit is for one of our leading value stocks, printer Transcontinental Inc.
Element Financial Corp., $18.57, symbol EFN on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 383.9 million; Market cap: $7.1 billion; www.elementfinancial.ca), is a leading independent North American equipment-finance company.
Element operates across the continent through four segments: Commercial and Vendor Finance, Aviation Finance, Fleet Management and Rail Finance.
Commercial and Vendor Finance focuses on equipment for markets ranging from transportation and construction to industrial, health care, golf and office products.
Aviation Finance provides loans for helicopters, simulators, business aircraft and related gear. Fleet Management mainly leases vehicles, and Rail Finance provides railcar leasing.
The company has grown rapidly. In June 2013, it paid $570 million for GE Fleet Canada, which it has combined with its Fleet Management segment. In December 2013, Element bought $348 million U.S. worth of helicopter and railcar leases from GE Capital and Trinity Industries (symbol TRN on New York).
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Element operates across the continent through four segments: Commercial and Vendor Finance, Aviation Finance, Fleet Management and Rail Finance.
Commercial and Vendor Finance focuses on equipment for markets ranging from transportation and construction to industrial, health care, golf and office products.
Aviation Finance provides loans for helicopters, simulators, business aircraft and related gear. Fleet Management mainly leases vehicles, and Rail Finance provides railcar leasing.
The company has grown rapidly. In June 2013, it paid $570 million for GE Fleet Canada, which it has combined with its Fleet Management segment. In December 2013, Element bought $348 million U.S. worth of helicopter and railcar leases from GE Capital and Trinity Industries (symbol TRN on New York).
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Takeovers have helped Canadian beverage maker Cott Corp gain momentum as a growth stock, but the company also faces a number of risks.
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, $722.70, symbol CMG on New York, has hired Curt Garner as its first chief information officer. The company hopes Garner will improve its mobile presence, including the ability to order and pay through smartphones and tablets. Mobile apps have already paid off very successfully for fast-food and fast-casual chains like Domino’s, Panera Bread, Starbucks and Taco Bell. Previously, Garner spent 20 years at Starbucks in various technology roles, including CIO. The coffee chain recently finished rolling out its mobile ordering and payment app at its more than 7,400 U.S. outlets....
Slate Office REIT, $7.23, symbol SOT.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 30.5 million; Market cap: $220.5 million; www.slateam.com), owns 48 office and industrial properties in Atlantic Canada (46% of square footage), Ontario (33%) and Western Canada (21%). Slate changed its name from FAM REIT in March 2015.
In June, the trust completed its $430-million purchase of Fortis Properties Corp., Fortis Inc.’s commercial real estate portfolio. These properties, located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, include 10 office buildings, one mixed-use office complex and three shopping malls. In all, they comprise 2.8 million square feet of space.
Some notable Newfoundland properties included in the sale are Cabot Place, the Fortis Building and TD Place in St. John’s; the Fortis Tower and the Millbrook Mall in Corner Brook; the Fraser Mall in Gander; and the Marystown Mall.
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In June, the trust completed its $430-million purchase of Fortis Properties Corp., Fortis Inc.’s commercial real estate portfolio. These properties, located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, include 10 office buildings, one mixed-use office complex and three shopping malls. In all, they comprise 2.8 million square feet of space.
Some notable Newfoundland properties included in the sale are Cabot Place, the Fortis Building and TD Place in St. John’s; the Fortis Tower and the Millbrook Mall in Corner Brook; the Fraser Mall in Gander; and the Marystown Mall.
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Cott Corp., $13.87, symbol BCB on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 109.7 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; www.cott.com), is a leading maker of beverages for retailers and distributors. It also makes drinks for companies that sell them under their own labels.
Cott makes a range of products in a variety of packaging and sizes, including carbonated soft drinks, juice and juice-based beverages, flavoured water, tea and energy drinks, as well as alcoholic beverages.
The company has over 60 plants and 180 warehouses in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Mexico. North America supplies 80% of its revenue and 65% of its earnings. Around 26% of its beverage sales come from Wal-Mart.
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Cott makes a range of products in a variety of packaging and sizes, including carbonated soft drinks, juice and juice-based beverages, flavoured water, tea and energy drinks, as well as alcoholic beverages.
The company has over 60 plants and 180 warehouses in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Mexico. North America supplies 80% of its revenue and 65% of its earnings. Around 26% of its beverage sales come from Wal-Mart.
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In the complex drug industry, Pfizer’s effective growth strategies—such as biosimilar drugs—make it one of our top U.S. dividend stocks.