recent acquisitions

As part of our three-prong approach to investing, we recommend investors spread their money out across the five main economic sectors: Manufacturing, Resources, Consumer Goods, Finance and Utilities. We also advise investing mainly in well-established companies, and downplaying stocks in the broker/media limelight. Due to recent stock market turmoil, investor interest in one of the less-volatile sectors—Consumer Goods—is rising. That includes the three Canadian retailers we analyze below. All are profiting from recent acquisitions, while their upgraded stores are attracting more shoppers. They’re also rolling out effective loyalty programs that spur repeat visits....

TORONTO-DOMINION BANK, $52.91, Toronto symbol TD, reported that its earnings rose 5.4% in its fiscal 2015 third quarter, which ended July 31, 2015, to $2.3 billion from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose at a slower rate of 4.3%, to $1.20 from $1.15, on more shares outstanding. These figures exclude several unusual items, such as investment gains and a recovery of costs related to a lawsuit settlement. On that basis, the latest earnings beat the consensus estimate of $1.18. Earnings at the Canadian banking division (63% of the total) rose 7.9%, thanks to strong loan demand and gains from its wealth-management and insurance businesses. The U.S. banking division’s earnings (27%) jumped 16.5%, largely because the low Canadian dollar enhanced this business’s profits. The wholesale banking division (10%) saw its earnings rise 10.6% on higher trading volumes, stronger demand for corporate loans and higher advisory fees on mergers and acquisitions....

3M has made a number of acquisitions in the past few years. Expanding this way is riskier than internal growth, as the buyer of something rarely knows as much about it as the seller. Hidden problems can lead to big writedowns, as Microsoft found out with its recent purchase of Nokia’s mobile phone operations (see page 88). However, 3M’s recent purchases of companies that make medical supplies and safety equipment help offset the cyclical nature of its main businesses. Moreover, 3M is a leader in most of its markets. That means it can charge higher prices, particularly for new products that face little competition. 3M COMPANY $143 (New York symbol MMM; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 624.8 million; Market cap: $89.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.3m.com) started up in 1902, when it was called the Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company....

Selling software to call centres has made Enghouse Systems a rising growth stock, but we see plenty of risk in its flurry of acquisitions.

AGT FOOD & INGREDIENTS $29.79 (Toronto symbol AGT; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (306-525-4490; www.alliancegrain.com; Shares outstanding: 23.1 million; Market cap: $684.0 million; Dividend yield: 2.0%) earned $0.44 a share in the three months ended June 30, 2015, up 2.3% from $0.43 a year earlier. Revenue gained 5.1%, to $378.2 million from $359.8 million. The gains came from recent acquisitions and higher processing activity. AGT continues to benefit from its plan to focus on more-profitable products, such as ingredients and packaged foods, as opposed to simply cleaning, splitting and bagging bulk crops. Food makers use these ingredients in products such as baked goods, soups and beverages, as well as pet food and animal feed....

Our outlook for Canadian dividend stock Freehold Royalties as it maintains a high yield while buying up oil and gas properties.

Enghouse Systems, $51.84, symbol ESL on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 26.3 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; www.enghouse.com), operates through two divisions. Interaction Management (which supplies 70% of total revenue) sells software for managing call centres, while the asset-management business (30% of revenue) provides engineering programs used by utilities, computer and telecommunications companies around the world. In the three months ended April 30, 2015, Enghouse’s revenue rose 25.0%, to $68.7 million from $55.0 million a year earlier, largely due to contributions from acquisitions....

BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS INC., $56.31, symbol BR on New York, hit a new all-time high this week after reporting strong quarterly results. The company serves the investment industry in three main areas: investor communications, securities processing and transaction clearing. It processes 90% of all proxy votes in the U.S. and Canada. Without one-time items, the company earned $171.5 million in its fiscal 2015 fourth quarter, which ended June 30, 2015. That’s up 18.6% from $144.6 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 20.7%, to $1.40 from $1.16, on fewer shares outstanding, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38....

3M COMPANY $143 (New York symbol MMM; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 624.8 million; Market cap: $89.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.3m.com) started up in 1902, when it was called the Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company.

3M started off making sandpaper and abrasives for industrial clients. It later developed other consumer and manufacturing-related goods, such as pressure-sensitive masking and packaging tape, recording tape and reflective highway markings.

Today, 3M makes more than 55,000 items, including air purifiers, medical device components and bandages. Top-selling brands include Post-it notes, Scotch tape, Scotch-Brite cleaning products, Scotchguard protection and Thinsulate insulation.

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BCE INC., $54.14, Toronto symbol BCE, continues to see strong demand for its wireless, high-speed Internet and Fibe TV services. In the three months ended June 30, 2015, the company’s earnings rose 14.8%, to $735 million from $640 million a year earlier. Per-share profits gained just 6.1%, to $0.87 from $0.82, on more shares outstanding. These figures exclude unusual items, such as costs to integrate BCE’s November 2014 purchase of the 56% of Bell Aliant it didn’t already own. On that basis, the latest earnings matched the consensus estimate....