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Artificial intelligence (AI) is an example of an investment idea that could boost your investment returns, or, more likely, end up costing you money. All in all, we think that the biggest, surest gains from AI will come from investing in established businesses that are already profitable and growing, and that can gain all the more by applying AI to their operations.


Here are two companies that are already profitably taking advantage of AI, and they should be among the leaders in the push to extend AI’s use:


AMAZON.COM INC., $235.01, remains a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol AMZN; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (www.amazon.com; Shares o/s: 10.5 billion; Market cap: $2.4 trillion; No dividends paid) is one of the world’s largest online retailers....

Here we highlight just two investment ideas for 2025. The Supplement on page 19 provides more details on both and other ETF strategies.


ISHARES S&P 500 3% CAPPED INDEX ETF $45.52 (Toronto symbol XUSC; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Conservative; Market cap: $72.8 million) invests in large and medium-sized U.S....

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP., $94.88, is a buy. The company (symbol BSX on New York) develops and markets medical devices used in minimally invasive procedures. Its products are used for angioplasty (blood vessel repair), blood clot filtration, cardiac rhythm management, catheter-aided ultrasound imaging, and many other surgical procedures....

The U.S. has been the leading economy in the world for many decades, and the stock market has outperformed international markets for the past 15 years. Despite the challenges posed by its big deficits, plus uncertainty posed by the upcoming Trump administration’s policies, top U.S....

Demand for uranium is forecast to increase 30% by 2030 and to more than double by 2040. The ramp-up in nuclear power capacity to meet the growing electricity demand from AI datacentres and to lower greenhouse gas emissions should drive those gains.


However, the capacity to meet additional demand for uranium remains limited....

VANGUARD TOTAL STOCK MARKET ETF $112.67 (Toronto symbol VUN; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $9.65 billion) invests in U.S. publicly listed companies. That broader mandate gives this fund a wider reach than the typical U.S. large-cap ETF focused on the top 500 companies.


This Vanguard ETF tracks the CRSP US Total Market Index, which in turn includes large, medium, and smaller companies listed on the U.S....

FASTENAL COMPANY, $78.23, symbol FAST on Nasdaq, is a leading wholesale distributor of industrial and construction supplies. It draws almost all its clients from the construction and manufacturing industries.

Those construction customers include general, electrical, plumbing, sheet-metal, and road contractors....

BARRICK GOLD CORP., $28.88, is a buy. The company (symbol ABX on Toronto) is the second-largest gold miner in the world after Newmont (symbol NEM on New York, and a recommendation of our Wall Street Stock Forecaster newsletter).

The company reports that it produced lower-than-expected gold in the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, because of a fall in output at its Carlin and Cortez mines in Nevada....

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


ELECTRONIC ARTS, $145.04, is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol EA; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.ea.com; Shares outstanding: 264.2 million; Market cap: $38.3 billion; Dividend yield: 0.5%) recently outlined plans for two of the company’s most important games: “The Sims” and “Battlefield.”


The company’s long-running The Sims franchise began as a virtual city-building game 24 years ago....

ELECTRONIC ARTS INC., $144.65, (symbol EA on Nasdaq), is a buy for aggressive investors. The company is a developer of video games for play on consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. Its hugely popular game franchises include Madden NFL, The Sims, Need for Speed, Battlefield, and Apex Legends.

Electronic Arts recently outlined plans for two of the company’s most important games: “The Sims” and “Battlefield.”

The company’s long-running The Sims franchise began as a virtual city-building game 24 years ago....