option

An option offers its holder the right to buy or sell a particular security at a specific price within a specific time frame. Two kind of options are put options and call options.

You enjoy certain advantages with Dividend Reinvestment Plans, but don’t overrate them—they shouldn’t be the sole reason you invest in a stock.
Brookfield Global Infrastructure Securities Income Fund, $6.48, symbol BGI.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 34.4 million; Market cap: $222.9 million, www.brookfieldim.com), is a closed-end fund that holds publicly traded global infrastructure companies....

CP Rail passes the 3-part investment test



From the time the last spike was driven to complete the new railway in 1885, Canadian



Pacific has been an essential part of Canada’s history, transportation and business life....
CGI GROUP INC., $57.32, Toronto symbol GIB.A, is Canada’s largest provider of computer-outsourcing services. It helps its clients automate certain routine functions such as accounting and buying supplies. That makes companies more efficient and lets them focus on their main businesses. In its 2016 second quarter, which ended March 31, 2016, CGI earned $268.3 million. That’s a 6.8% increase from the $251.2 million it earned a year earlier. Per-share profits gained 10.3%, to $0.86 from $0.78, on fewer shares outstanding. That missed the consensus estimate of $0.88. In the latest quarter, higher revenue in France, the U.K. and parts of Asia offset declining contributions from CGI’s U.S. defense clients. Revenue improved 5.7%, to $2.75 billion from $2.60 billion. The consensus forecast had been $2.74 billion. The weaker Canadian dollar also helped to lift revenue, contributing an extra $173.7 million....
PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $80 (New York symbol PG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.7 billion; Market cap: $216.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield: 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pg.com) is one of the world’s largest makers of household and personal care goods. It began operating in the U.S. in 1837, and now sells its products in over 180 countries. Overseas markets account for 60% of its total sales. The company has five main business lines: fabric and home care products such as Tide laundry detergent (29% of fiscal 2015 sales, 24% of earnings); baby and family care goods, including Pampers diapers (27%, 26%); beauty items such as Olay cosmetics (24%, 23%); grooming products, including Gillette razors (10%, 16%); and health care items such as Crest toothpaste (10%, 11%). Wal-Mart accounts for 14% of the company’s sales. In response to rising competition from generic products, Procter is narrowing its focus from 166 different brands to 65. Of those remaining brands, 21 have annual sales of over $1 billion. Another 11 have annual sales of between $500 million and $1 billion....
In 2012, Procter & Gamble began a major restructuring that included selling dozens of its less-important brands, closing plants and cutting jobs. The company expects to finish the plan in the next few months. Those efforts will greatly improve Procter’s long-term profitability, and spur its stock price. Higher earnings will also give it more room to buy back shares and hike dividends. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $80 (New York symbol PG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.7 billion; Market cap: $216.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield: 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pg.com) is one of the world’s largest makers of household and personal care goods. It began operating in the U.S. in 1837, and now sells its products in over 180 countries. Overseas markets account for 60% of its total sales....
BOMBARDIER INC., Toronto symbols BBD.A $1.84 and BBD.B $1.62, announced this week that Latvia-based Air Baltic has exercised its option to buy seven more of the company’s new CSeries passenger jets. The client had previously ordered 13 planes. Bombardier will begin to deliver the aircraft by the end of 2016. The company now has firm orders for 250 CSeries planes. Based on the list price for the aircraft, these orders are worth $18 billion (all amounts except share prices in U.S. dollars). To put that in context, Bombardier’s total revenue was $18.2 billion in 2015. However, the company typically offers discounts to customers that buy multiple planes. So the total value of its CSeries backlog is probably much less than the list price. OUR RECOMMENDATION: Bombardier is still a hold....
BOMBARDIER INC. (Toronto symbols BBD.A $1.52 and BBD.B $1.43; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $2.3 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 0.2; Dividend suspended in February 2015; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.bombardier.com) is the world’s third-largest maker of commercial aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus. It’s also a leading maker of passenger railcars. The company recently formed a joint venture with the government of Quebec to build its new CSeries passenger jets. Under the deal, the province will pay $1.0 billion for 49.5% of this business (all amounts except share prices and market cap in U.S. dollars)....
Bombardier and BlackBerry (see box) continue to struggle with strong competition and shrinking sales. However, both are developing new products that should spur growth. As well, their sizable cash holdings help cut their short-term risk. BOMBARDIER INC. (Toronto symbols BBD.A $1.52 and BBD.B $1.43; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $2.3 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 0.2; Dividend suspended in February 2015; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.bombardier.com) is the world’s third-largest maker of commercial aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus. It’s also a leading maker of passenger railcars. The company recently formed a joint venture with the government of Quebec to build its new CSeries passenger jets....
Skyworks Solutions Inc., $77.10, symbol SWKS on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 191.7 million; Market cap: $14.8 billion; www.skyworksinc.com), makes a variety of chips and other electronic components for cellphones, tablet computers and other wireless devices. Foxconn—the maker of Apple’s iPhone and iPad—accounts for over 40% of Skyworks’ sales. Skyworks is also developing chips for other applications beyond mobile devices. They include smart meters that help electrical utilities cut fraud and make their grids more efficient. The company continues to benefit from the growing number of people who use mobile devices, such as smartphones, to communicate and access the Internet....