boeing

SPDR DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE ETF $138.76 (New York symbol DIA; buy or sell through brokers; www.spdrs.com) holds the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The fund’s top holdings are IBM, ExxonMobil, Chevron Corp., 3M, Travelers Companies, Mc- Donald’s Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Caterpillar Inc., United Technologies and Boeing. The fund’s expenses are about 0.18% of its assets.

SPDR Dow Jones ETF is a buy.

...

WESTJET AIRLINES, $21.88, symbol WJA on Toronto, is our “Stock of the Year” for 2013. The company serves 81 destinations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Its fleet of 100 modern Boeing 737s are 30% more fuel efficient than older jets. WestJet plans to take delivery of 35 more 737s through 2018. WestJet continues to add ticketing and baggage-transfer alliances with other airlines, including Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Delta Airlines and American Airlines. This lets it reach new markets while limiting its risk. The company has also invested heavily in a state-of-the-art computer reservation system....

WESTJET AIRLINES $22.29 (Toronto symbol WJA; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-877-493-7853; www.westjet.com; Shares outstanding: 132.3 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; Divd. yield: 1.8%) serves 81 destinations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean....

WESTJET AIRLINES $22.29 (Toronto symbol WJA; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-877-493-7853; www.westjet.com; Shares outstanding: 132.3 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; Divd. yield: 1.8%) serves 81 destinations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Its fleet of 100 modern Boeing 737s are 30% more fuel efficient than older jets. WestJet plans to take delivery of 35 more 737s through 2018.

In the three months ended December 31, 2012, the company’s revenue rose 10.1%, to $860.6 million from $781.5 million a year earlier. Demand for its flights remains high. Earnings per share rose 76.9%, to $0.46 from $0.26. WestJet has also raised its quarterly dividend by 25%, to $0.10 from $0.08. The shares now yield 1.9%.

WestJet continues to add ticketing and baggage-transfer alliances with other airlines, including Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Delta Airlines and American Airlines. This lets it reach new markets while limiting its risk. WestJet has also invested heavily in a state-of-the-art computer reservation system.

...

Most stock markets have risen lately. But as always, they remain subject to unexpected downturns. Even so, the long-term outlook is for higher stock prices.

One way to profit from rising markets is to add exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track major stock indexes to your portfolio.

ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks....

FLY Leasing Ltd. (ADR), $12.91, symbol FLY on New York (ADRs outstanding: 25.8 million; Market cap: $333.1 million; www.flyleasing.com), is an Ireland-based company that leases modern commercial jets on a multi-year basis. It recently bought two additional Boeing 737-800s and now has a fleet of 110 aircraft on lease to 53 airlines in 29 countries. FLY is managed and serviced by BBAM LP, one of the world’s leading aircraft lease administrators. Onex Corporation (symbol OCX on Toronto) has just purchased 50% of BBAM for $165 million. Onex also bought $25 million of FLY’s shares. In the three months ended September 30, 2012, FLY’s revenue jumped 78.2%, to $84.4 million from $47.4 million a year earlier. The gain mostly came from the 49 aircraft the company bought in October 2011. Before one-time items, earnings per share rose 23.5%, to $0.21 from $0.17....

PLEASE NOTE: In next week’s Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline, we’ll reveal our #1 U.S. stock pick for 2013. BOEING CO., $75.04, New York symbol BA, fell slightly this week after one of its new 787 Dreamliner passenger planes had to make an emergency landing in Japan. That prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and air-travel regulators in other countries to ground all 787s. The 787 uses advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to power its electrical systems. These batteries could be overheating, which increases the risk of a fire....

PLEASE NOTE: One week from today, on January 11, 2013, just after the stock market closes at 4:30 p.m. Toronto time, we will reveal our #1 Canadian Stock of 2013 to subscribers of The Successful Investor. Our #1 pick for 2012, CP Rail, has surged 54% in the past year and is still on the rise. You can be among the first to hear about our #1 Pick for 2013. Because you’re a loyal subscriber, we are happy to offer you a bargain-priced, no-risk introduction to The Successful Investor. It gives you the first month—and the 2013 Stock of the Year—FREE. But you must act now. Click here. CHEVRON CORP., $110.50, New York symbol CVX, has agreed to purchase 50% of a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Kitimat, B.C., in a series of transactions. The deal includes related pipelines and gas properties in the province. The company will purchase the 30% stakes held by ENCANA CORP. $20.40, New York symbol ECA, and EOG Resources Canada Inc. Following these deals, Chevron will sell 10% to APACHE CORP., $83.20, New York symbol APA. As a result, Chevron and Apache will each own 50%....

Pat McKeough responds to many personal questions about stock investing and other investment topics from the members of his Inner Circle. Every week, his comments and recommendations on the most intriguing questions of the past week go out to all Inner Circle members. And each week, we offer you one of the highlights from these Q&A sessions. While we reserve our buy-hold-sell advice for Inner Circle members, these excerpts provide a great deal of information and analysis on stocks we’ve covered for members of Pat’s Inner Circle. This week, one Inner Circle member wanted to know about Héroux-Devtek. This Canadian company has carved out a special niche for itself in the aeronautical business. Pat balances the drawbacks of operating in a highly cyclical industry against the company’s long-term contracts with military and commercial clients. ...

Airlines continue to upgrade their fleets with more fuel-efficient aircraft. That will continue to improve these two aerospace firms’long-term prospects. Rising airliner demand should also help them offset a potential decline in military sales as governments cut defense spending to deal with their budget deficits.

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP....