acquisition

Toromont remains a topic pick even after a 1,317.7% gain since our first recommendation -- it keeps building revenue, earnings and payouts year after year.

A: Bridgemarq Real Estate Services Inc., $13.62, symbol BRE on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 9.5 million; Market cap: $128.2 million; www.bridgemarq.com), is a leading provider of services to residential real estate brokers and a network of 20,529 real estate agents.

The company operates in Canada under the Royal LePage, Via Capitale, and Johnston & Daniel brands....

A: Emerson Electric Co., $110.83, symbol EMR on New York, (Shares outstanding: 571.7 million; Market cap: $63.9 billion; www.emerson.com), is an industrial company with two main operating segments: Intelligent Devices (76% of revenue) and Software & Control (24%).

The Intelligent Devices division has four segments:

1) Final Control is a global provider of control valves, isolation valves, shutoff valves, pressure relief valves, pressure safety valves, actuators, and regulators for process and hybrid industries.

2) The Measurement & Analytical segment is a leading supplier of intelligent instrumentation measuring the physical properties of liquids and gases, such as pressure, temperature, level, flow, acoustics, corrosion, pH, conductivity, water quality, toxic gases, and flame.

3) The Discrete Automation segment includes solenoid valves, pneumatic valves, valve position indicators, pneumatic cylinders and actuators, air preparation equipment, pressure and temperature switches, electric linear motion solutions, programmable automation control systems and software used in discrete industries (specialty manufacturers).

4) The Safety & Productivity segment offers tools for professionals and homeowners.

The Software & Control division has three segments:

1) The Control Systems & Software segment provides control systems and software that manage plant processes by collecting and analyzing information from measurement devices in the plant and using that information to adjust valves, pumps, motors, drives and other control hardware for maximum efficiency and safety.

2) AspenTech is a global leader in asset optimization software that lets industrial manufacturers design and maintain their operations at maximum performance.

3) Test & Measurement....

Top pick FirstService Corporation has gained 2,582.3% since our first recommendation

QUARTERHILL INC., $1.82, symbol QTRH on Toronto, is a provider of ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) solutions for operators of toll roads. Its tolling products manage over 1,500 toll lanes worldwide, generating over $3 billion in annual revenue for operators of these tolls.

In addition to its tolling products, it has developed solutions for enforcing the weight of commercial trucks, traffic management, and radar detection.

On March 15, 2024, the company announced it would acquire Red Fox I.D....

TC ENERGY INC., $49.73, Toronto symbol TRP, remains a buy.

TC generates steady cash flow for investors mainly through a 93,600-kilometre pipeline network that pumps natural gas from Alberta to eastern Canada and the U.S. Its other operations include 4,900 kilometres of crude oil pipelines and nine power plants.

The company has agreed to sell its stake in Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Holdings Ltd., which is planning to build a 900-kilometre natural gas pipeline in northern B.C....

In addition to Suncor (see page 41), we also like the outlook for these three oil producers. Like Suncor, they have used their stronger cash flows in the past few years to pay down debt. That is giving them more room for dividend increases and share buybacks.


IMPERIAL OIL LTD....

Broadridge is far from a household name, except in households with members who work in the investment business. Regardless, since its spinoff from Automatic Data Processing (symbol ADP on Nasdaq) in 2007, Broadridge has become a key provider of services to financial, brokerage and wealth management firms.

We added the stock as a buy in our February 2008 issue of Wall Street Stock Forecaster at $22 a share....

CCL INDUSTRIES INC., $69.15, symbol CCL.B on Toronto, mainly makes packaging products for the food, healthcare, automotive and personal-care industries. Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson are among its major customers. CCL also makes radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and banknotes.

The company has four main businesses:

• CCL (62% of total revenue) makes pressure-sensitive labels for plastic bottles and other forms of packaging....

TWILIO INC., $60.08, symbol TWLO on Nasdaq, is a buy. The company offers a key service to software developers who create mobile apps. Specifically, its own software is used to connect apps to essential functions elsewhere on a device, including dealing with phone calls and messaging.

Twilio has appointed a partner at activist investment firm Sachem Head Capital Management to its board of directors....