Smart buys add to CGI’s appeal

Article Excerpt

We recently selected CGI Group as our top Aggressive stock pick for 2018. That’s mainly because we feel it is in a strong position to profit as more businesses and governments outsource their increasingly complex computing functions to specialists like CGI. The company also has an ambitious plan to double its size in the next few years, probably through acquisitions. That adds risk, but CGI has a good history of absorbing new businesses. Moreover, the stock price is attractive in relation to its earnings. CGI GROUP INC. $70 (Toronto symbol GIB.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 299.8 million; Market cap: $21.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.cgi.com) began operating in 1976 and is now Canada’s largest provider of computer outsourcing services. It helps its clients automate routine functions such as accounting and buying supplies. That makes companies more efficient and lets them focus on their main businesses. CGI follows what it calls…