Updating Fording Canadian Coal Trust, Finning International Inc., and IGM Financial Inc.

FORDING CANADIAN COAL TRUST $29 (Toronto symbol FDG.UN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Units outstanding: 147.5 million; Market cap: $4.3 billion; SI Rating: Average) has agreed to sell its wollastonite operations for $40 million. Manufacturers use wollastonite as a substitute for asbestos.

To put that in context, Fording earned $0.53 a unit (total $77.7 million) from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2007, down 60.5% from $1.34 a unit ($196.5 million) a year earlier. Revenue fell 25.9%, to $350.5 million from $473.3 million, mainly due to a 19% drop in average coal prices. Harsh winter weather at Fording’s Elk Valley coal mine in B.C. also hurt deliveries.

The lower coal prices forced Fording to cut its quarterly distribution, from $0.95 a unit to $0.65. The current implied annual rate of $2.60 yields 9.0%. Distributions should remain stable for the rest of 2007.

Fording is a buy.

FINNING INTERNATIONAL INC. $60 (Toronto symbol FTT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 89.6 million; Market cap: $5.4 billion; SI Rating: Above average) has won a contract worth $100 million to supply 19 large Caterpillar trucks to a company involved in two oil sands projects.

Although the contact is small next to Finning’s annual revenues of $5.0 billion, deals like this enhance Finning’s reputation. Each new customer also gives it an opportunity to market other equipment and maintenance services.

Finning is a buy.

IGM FINANCIAL INC. $55 (Toronto symbol IGM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 264.4 million; Market cap: $14.5 billion; SI Rating: Above average) continues to benefit from the recent strength in global equity markets. Thanks to rising mutual fund sales, IGM’s assets under administration grew to $124.4 billion in April 2007, up 16.2% from a year earlier. That’s good news, since IGM bases its fees on the value of assets it manages.

IGM Financial is a buy.

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