price to sales ratio
EMERA INC. $50 (Toronto symbol EMA; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 148.4 million; Market cap: $7.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.6; Dividend yield: 4.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.emera.com) owns 100% of Nova Scotia Power, that province’s main electricity supplier....
Bad weather and increasing production have hurt fertilizer prices. As a result, Potash Corp. and Agrium have cut their 2016 earnings forecasts. We still like both companies, but Agrium’s expanding retail business makes it the better choice.
POTASH CORP....
POTASH CORP....
CGI GROUP INC. $55 (Toronto symbol GIB.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 302.8 million; Market cap: $16.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.cgi.com) is Canada’s largest provider of computer-outsourcing services....
Brexit—Britain’s vote to leave the European Union—has hurt the stock prices of these four companies. Investors fear that a weaker British pound in the wake of the vote will limit the contribution of their U.K. businesses.
These stocks will likely remain volatile until Britain negotiates new trade terms with the EU....
These stocks will likely remain volatile until Britain negotiates new trade terms with the EU....
BCE INC. $62 (Toronto symbol BCE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 868.6 million; Market cap: $53.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bce.ca) sells landline telephone services in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces....
It pays to take a skeptical view of companies that use acquisitions to expand. Unforeseen problems with these new operations can limit expected profit increases. In extreme cases, multiple problems can force the buyer to write off the entire purchase.
Of course, some companies do succeed with growth by acquisition....
Of course, some companies do succeed with growth by acquisition....
AT&T INC. $41 (New York symbol T; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 6.2 billion; Market cap: $254.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 4.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.att.com) is the largest wireless provider in the U.S., with 130.4 million subscribers....
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC. $67 (New York symbol MSI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 174.6 million; Market cap: $11.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.motorolasolutions.com) split from cellphone maker Motorola in 2011....
TEGNA INC. $22 (New York symbol TGNA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector: Shares outstanding: 217.6 million; Market cap: $4.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tegna.com) owns 46 TV stations and several popular websites, including Cars.com (car sales and vehicle information), CareerBuilder (job search), Cofactor (advertising services) and G/O Digital (website design)....
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $31 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 9.2 billion; Market cap: $285.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 3.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) has completed the sale of its appliance division, which makes refrigerators, ovens and washing machines, to China’s Haier Co....