Two picks for a cyclical upswing

Article Excerpt

These two firms operate in the highly cyclical real estate industry, which adds risk. However, both are market leaders and continue to make savvy acquisitions. That helps them attract and retain clients during economic slowdowns. FIRSTSERVICE CORP. $215 is a buy for aggressive investors. The company (Toronto symbol FSV; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 44.6 million; Market cap: $9.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield: 0.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.firstservice.com) has two main businesses: FirstService Brands (55% of revenue) offers a wide variety of property management services through several franchised businesses, including Paul Davis Restoration and CertaPro Painters; and FirstService Residential (45%) provides property management services such as collecting monthly condominium fees and maintenance services. FirstService operates in a highly fragmented industry, so it tends to fuel its growth with acquisitions. It cuts the risk of this strategy by focusing on smaller businesses that expand its market share and geographic reach. The company’s latest purchase is a controlling stake in Roofing Corp. of…