In a monopoly situation, the one firm is ultimately the industry itself. A market that is a monopoly cannot be entered because the costs are too high. Additionally, other qualities can be involved in a monopoly beyond high, restricting ongoing costs. These qualities may be economic, social or political.
Exclusive rights to a natural resource is another possible example of a monopoly, as is the ownership of patents or copyrights.
An example of a monopoly was Teranet Income Fund, before it was taken over in 2008. Teranet managed Ontario’s electronic land registration system. Teranet was granted an exclusive license from the Ontario government to operate the land registry system. Teranet’s guaranteed monopoly cut its risk and provided steady cash flow. The fund’s growing customer base would also eventually help protect it from new competitors when its license expired. As well, customers used to Teranet’s products were reluctant to switch to an unfamiliar information provider.
Monopolies are an example of the extreme side of capitalism. The opposite of a monopoly is considered perfect competition.
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Dear Inner Circle member,
Sir Isaac Newton, formulator of the laws of motion and gravity, and one of the fathers of modern science, was a first-class chump as an investor, according to long-time investor lore. The story goes that Newton invested all his money in the… Read More
Orange SA (ADR), $17.06, symbol ORAN on New York (ADRs outstanding: 2.6 billion; Market cap: $45.1 billion, www.orange.com), is a telecommunications company controlled by the French government. It was formerly called France Telecom SA.
Now operating in 28 countries—including Poland—Orange has a total client base of… Read More
Every Wednesday, we publish our “Investor Toolkit” series on TSI Network. Whether you’re a new or experienced investor, these weekly updates are designed to give you specific investment advice that will help you develop a successful approach to investing. Each Investor Toolkit update gives you… Read More
PLEASE NOTE: This is our last Hotline for 2013. Our next Hotline will go out on Friday, January 3, 2014.
STANTEC INC., $66.94, symbol STN on Toronto, sells a range of consulting, project delivery, design and technology services. Its clients operate in a variety of industries,… Read More
CONAGRA FOODS INC., $31.88, New York symbol CAG, fell 5% this week after the company warned that weaker-than-expected demand for its brand name foods, such as Hunt’s ketchup, Peter Pan peanut butter and Slim Jim meat snacks, is hurting its earnings.
As a result, the company… Read More
Pat McKeough responds to many personal questions about buying stocks 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… Read More
Hasbro, $37.75, symbol HAS on New York (Shares outstanding: 130.2 million; Market cap: $4.9 billion; www.hasbro.com), is one of the world’s largest makers of toys and games. Its key brands include G.I. Joe, Transformers, Mr. Potato Head, Nerf, Tonka and Monopoly.
Hasbro also makes and sells… Read More
The Greek Organisation of Football Prognostics SA, $3.18, symbol GOFPY on the U.S. over-the-counter bulletin board (ADRs outstanding: 638.0 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; www.opap.gr), is a public company based in Athens, Greece. Its main listing is on the Athens Stock Exchange. Greeks call the… Read More
VITERRA $15.95 (Toronto symbol VT; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (1-866-569-4411; www.viterra.ca; Shares outstanding: 371.7 million; Market cap: $5.9 billion; Dividend yield: 1.0%) has agreed to a friendly takeover offer from Glencore International plc, a Switzerland-based commodity trader. The purchase price is $6.1 billion, or $16.25 per… Read More
VITERRA $15.95 (Toronto symbol VT; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (1-866-569-4411; www.viterra.ca; Shares outstanding: 371.7 million; Market cap: $5.9 billion; Dividend yield: 1.0%) has agreed to a friendly takeover offer from Glencore International plc, a Switzerland-based commodity trader. The purchase price is $6.1 billion, or $16.25 per… Read More
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