Dear Pat: You recently moved Arbor Memorial to a sell. Has the long-term trend for growth changed? If not, why should I sell? As well, its book value per share is high. Over the long term does this not give me some comfort that the stock cannot fall excessively? And looking at the book value, it dropped from 2007 to 2008. I do not understand this drop. I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks.

Arbor Memorial Services, $24.06, Toronto symbol ABO.A (Shares outstanding: 18.7 million; Market cap: $459.3 million; www.arbormemorial.com), owns 85 funeral homes, 41 cemeteries, 26 crematoria, and seven reception centres for memorial services. The company operates in eight provinces.

Arbor was a recommendation of our Successful Investor… Read More

HST was a plus for Arbor in 2010

ARBOR MEMORIAL SERVICES INC. $25 (Toronto symbol ABO.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 10.6 million; Market cap: $265.0 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 1.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.arbormemorial.com) earned $2.17 a share in the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010. That’s up… Read More

HST spurs cemetery plot sales

ARBOR MEMORIAL SERVICES INC. $24 (Toronto symbol ABO.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 10.6 million; Market cap: $254.4 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 1.8%; SI Rating: Average) owns 41 cemeteries, 26 crematoria, five reception centres and 82 funeral homes in eight provinces.

In… Read More