merger

Oil and gas stocks moved up as the U.S. and other economies recovered after the pandemic. The war in Ukraine also spurred prices. Prices have softened lately on fears of slower global economies, but we still recommend that most investors maintain exposure to the oil and gas industry as part of a balanced portfolio....

A: Linde plc, $481.26, symbol LIN on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 477.5 million; Market cap: $229.5 billion; www.linde.com), is the largest industrial gas company in the world.

Linde was created by the merger of Praxair Inc....

The federal government recently stepped in to end a work stoppage by CPKC’s locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers, and rail traffic controllers. The dispute will now go to binding arbitration, which will likely increase CPKC’s operating costs....

These three resources producers are making acquisitions and investing in big new projects. These moves help bolster their reserves and set them up for more growth in the next few years. For now, however, we prefer mining firms Alcoa and BHP over oil producer APA for your new buying.


APA CORP....

These three medical products makers (including Kenvue, see box) have struggled as independent firms. While all three have solid prospects, embecta is the only one we see as a buy right now.


EMBECTA CORP. $16 is a spinoff buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol EMBC; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 57.3 million; Market cap: $916.8 million; Dividend yield: 3.8%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.embecta.com) took its current form in April 2022 when Becton Dickinson & Co....

SALESFORCE INC., $254.57, symbol CRM on New York, provides cloud-based software for customer relationship management applications such as sales, customer service, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, and application development.

Founded in 1999 by current CEO Marc Benioff and three other co-founders, the company pioneered the SaaS (software as a service) software model and subscription-based revenue.

Software-as-a-service is where subscribers pay a monthly or yearly fee for software implementation, support and upgrades....

The federal government recently stepped in to end a work stoppage by locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers, and rail traffic controllers at these two railways. The dispute will now go to binding arbitration, which will likely increase their operating costs....

ITT INC., $135.04, symbol ITT on New York, manufactures highly engineered critical components and customized technology solutions primarily for the transportation, industrial and energy markets. It operates in three primary segments: Motion Technologies (44% of revenue), Industrial Process (34%), and Connect & Control Technologies (22%).

Geographically, the company generates revenue from North America (42%), Europe (32%), Asia (17%), and elsewhere (9%).

ITT continues to reshape its portfolio of business to diversify and focus on higher-growth markets.

On January 19, 2024, the company completed its acquisition of Svanehoj....

We believe that virtually all investors should have some gold exposure, if only because inflation remains a risk for the long term. High-quality gold producers are your most practical choice. That’s because these stocks let you profit from increases in the price of gold, without the costs for storage and insurance that come with gold coin and bullion investment....

SIX FLAGS ENTERTAINMENT CORP. $47 (www.sixflags.com) is a hold. The company took its current form on July 1, 2024, through the all-stock merger of rival amusement park operators Cedar Fair L.P. and Six Flags Entertainment. As the new firm does not pay a dividend, we’re moving it from our Income-Seeking Portfolio to the Aggressive Growth Portfolio. Six Flags Entertainment is a hold.


NCR ATLEOS CORP....