Updating Torstar Corp., Shawcor Ltd. and Toromont Industries Ltd.

Article Excerpt

TORSTAR CORP. $0.43 (www.torstar.com) remains a hold, but only for highly aggressive investors. The company continues to sell less-important assets in response to falling advertising revenue at its flagship newspaper, The Toronto Star, and its other daily and weekly papers in Ontario. It recently sold City Parent, a monthly parenting and lifestyle magazine, for an undisclosed amount, to Media Classified Corp. Torstar will probably use the cash to expand its digital publishing operations. SHAWCOR LTD. $12 (www.shawcor.com) is still a buy. The company produces sealants and coatings to keep oil and gas pipelines from rusting. It also makes electrical wire and other industrial products. Low oil and gas prices have hurt demand for ShawCor’s coating services. However, its recent purchase of Edmonton-based ZCL Composites helps diversify its operations. ZCL makes fibreglass-reinforced plastic underground tanks that store fuel and wastewater. Savings from eliminating overlapping operations should let the company maintain its $0.60 a share dividend, which now yields a high 5.0% for investors. TOROMONT INDUSTRIES LTD…