Q: Pat: What is your view on Home Depot? Thanks.

A: Home Depot Inc., $221.77, symbol HD on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.1 billion; Market cap: $245.4 billion; www.homedepot.com), operates warehouse-style home-improvement stores that average 104,000 square feet, plus an additional 24,000 square-foot garden centre. Each outlet typically carries 30,000 to 40,000 items.

The company has 2,291… Read More

Q: Pat: What is your view on Costco? Thanks.

A: Costco Wholesale Corp., $287.35, symbol COST on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 439.8 million; Market cap: $122.5 billion; www.costco.com), owns and operates warehouse-sized stores that sell a wide variety of consumer goods and services.

The company charges its customers an annual membership fee to shop at its locations… Read More

Q: Pat, what do you think of Bridgemarq Real Estate Services? It has recently changed its name, but has anything else changed? Is the dividend safe? Thank you.

A: Bridgemarq Real Estate Services, $13.90, symbol BRE on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 9.5 million; Market cap: $132.5 million; www.bridgemarq.com), is a leading provider of services to residential real estate brokers. Its network is comprised of 19,046 real estate agents working with 337 broker-owners, who operate 671… Read More

Baxter raises its savings target

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $76 (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 511.1 million; Market cap: $38.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 1.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.baxter.com) makes a variety of medical devices, including intravenous pumps and kidney-dialysis equipment.
The company continues… Read More

Cost-cutting is set to boost their earnings

These two makers of medical devices face several challenges in 2019. They include higher costs for certain raw materials and tariffs on goods they sell in China. However, their current cost-savings plans should continue to expand their earnings.
BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $70 (New York symbol BAX; Conservative… Read More

Their activists spur positive changes

ABB LTD. (ADR) $19 (New York symbol ABB; Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.1 billion; Market cap: $39.9 billion; Dividend yield: 4.2%; Takeover Target Rating: Low; www.abb.com) makes transformers, transmission systems and circuit breakers for electrical utilities. It also produces automation systems and robotics for industrial clients.
For… Read More

Baxter’s restructuring lifts forecast

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $67 (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 534.3 million; Market cap: $35.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.3; Dividend yield: 1.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.baxter.com) makes a variety of medical devices, including intravenous pumps and kidney-dialysis equipment.
The company gets… Read More