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As demand for lithium increases, specialty chemical firm Albemarle Corp. snaps up lithium salt deposits and builds its profits—as long as prices stay up.
TRANSCANADA CORP. $63 (Toronto symbol TRP; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 871.1 million; Market cap: $54.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.0; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.transcanada.com) has asked regulators to delay their examination of its proposed Energy East pipeline by 30 days.

The $15.7 billion Energy East project involves converting part of the company’s Mainline natural gas line to handle oil....
Here are some investment thoughts on snap judgments, the investors who make them and how they can hurt your portfolio.
Stock buybacks can offer investors a number of key advantages over dividends.

We’ve always placed a high value on a sustained record of dividends, mainly because it provides something of a pedigree for stocks we recommend. But stock buybacks are also a great opportunity for investors.

While investors periodically crave cash dividends, they rarely get excited about stock buybacks....
Make a wrong move, and investing in penny mines can cost you your investment
LOBLAW COMPANIES $65.33 (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 395.3 million; Market cap: $25.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.7%; www.loblaw.ca) will end its 19-year joint venture with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto symbol CM.

That business, called President’s Choice Financial, offers no-fee banking, mortgages and other loans....
Even though new products can be enticing, a lot of new ETFs mean higher prices and more risk
Clean energy stocks: strong on emotional appeal but weak on investment strength
One of the world’s most famous luxury brands, Tiffany & Co. manages its products well and should benefit from its growing presence in the rich Asian market.
Savvy value stock investors know that many offer dividends with high yields, but not all such dividends are secure.