Growth Stocks
Although growth stock picks can be highly volatile, they can make good long-term investments. They may be well-known stars or quiet gems, but they do share one common attribute—they are growing at a higher-than-average rate within their industry, or within the market as a whole, and could keep growing for years or decades.
And keep in mind that we focus on growth stocks, which have a good long-term history and favourable prospects. We downplay momentum stocks that tend to attract many investors simply because they are moving faster than the market averages, but are liable to fall sharply when their momentum fades.
There’s room for growth stock investing in your portfolio, but make sure you follow our TSI Network three-part Successful Investor strategy for your overall portfolio:
- Invest mainly in well-established companies;
- Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; Utilities);
- Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.
Make better stock picks when you read this FREE Special Report, Canadian Growth Stocks: WestJet Stock, RioCan Stock and More.
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Growth Stocks Library Archives
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to bring in new rules forcing power plants to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Ameren and Alliant are upgrading their facilities in response. Regulators will probably let them pass along most of the extra costs to customers in the form of higher rates. However, we feel Alliant is in a better position to handle the new regulations than Ameren. AMEREN CORP. $46 (New York symbol AEE; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 242.6 million; Market cap: $11.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.9; Dividend yield: 3.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ameren.com) provides power and natural gas to 3.3 million customers in Illinois and Missouri....
NEWMONT MINING CORP. $24 (New York symbol NEM; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 498.8 million; Market cap: $11.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield: 0.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.newmont.com) has started work on its 75%-owned Merian gold project in Suriname; the Suriname government owns the remaining 25%. The company will spend $600 million to $700 million on Merian. The new mine will supply 7% to 10% of Newmont’s total gold production when it starts up in 2017. The stock has jumped 36% from its December 2014 low of $17.60. That’s mainly because gold prices have strengthened in response to fears of deflation in Europe. However, the higher U.S. dollar will continue to weigh on gold....
FORD MOTOR CO. $14 (New York symbol F; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 3.8 billion; Market cap: $53.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 4.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.ford.com) sold 2.5 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2014, down 0.5% from 2013. Truck sales (38% of the 2014 total) fell 0.7% as Ford slowed production of its popular F-150 as it prepared to launch a new version that uses lightweight aluminum body panels. Car sales (32%) declined 3.8%, but SUV sales (30%) gained 3.5%. The company also raised its dividend by 20.0%. The new annual rate of $0.60 a share yields 4.3%....
AMERICAN EXPRESS $82 (New York symbol AXP, Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $82.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.6; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.americanexpress.com) earned $1.4 billion in the three months ended December 31, 2014, up 10.6% from $1.3 billion a year earlier. Per-share earnings rose 14.9%, to $1.39 from $1.21, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue gained 6.6%, to $9.1 billion from $8.5 billion, as cardholder spending rose 6% and credit card balances grew by 7%. The company is now cutting 6% of its workforce as part of a plan to improve its overall efficiency. Severance costs cut its earnings by $206 million in the latest quarter. However, the savings will help Amex invest in new growth initiatives, including adapting its networks to process purchases made from smartphones. American Express is a buy....
CINTAS CORP. $78 (Nasdaq symbol CTAS; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 117.3 million; Market cap: $9.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 1.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cintas.com) provides a range of products and services to over one million businesses, mainly in North America. The company gets 71% of its revenue by renting uniforms that it makes and cleans. This business also rents a variety of related products, such as mats, towels, mops and cleaning supplies. Cintas gets a further 10% of its revenue by selling uniforms. In addition, the company sells first aid kits, fire extinguishers, sprinklers and emergency-exit lights (11%). It also shreds corporate documents (8%). In April 2014, it merged its shredding operations with Shred-it International. In exchange, Cintas received 42% of the combined company, which uses the Shred-it brand, plus $180 million in cash....
STATE STREET CORP. $71 (www.statestreet.com) sells accounting and administrative services to large institutional investors, such as mutual funds and pension plans. The company’s fee income rises and falls with the value of the securities it manages. Thanks to improving stock markets and new contracts, earnings per share rose 12.1%, to $5.09 in 2014 from $4.54 in 2013. Revenue gained 5.9%, to $10.6 billion from $10.1 billion. Buy. MACY’S INC. $65 (www.macysinc.com) is changing some procedures at its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores. Previously, the physical stores and online operations bought and marketed their merchandise separately. Now the company is creating a unified purchasing organization that will cut costs, minimize product shortages and speed up online order fulfillment. Macy’s will also close 14 of its 830 stores. It plans to use some of the savings to develop new businesses, including outlets that sell discounted merchandise. Buy.
DOREL INDUSTRIES, $40.09, symbol DII.B on Toronto, is our Stock of the Year for 2015. The company makes a range of items, including ready-to-assemble home and office furniture; juvenile products, such as car seats, strollers, high chairs, toddler beds and cribs; and recreational goods, mainly bicycles. Dorel has grown quickly over the last 10 years, with revenue doubling from $1.2 billion in 2003 to $2.4 billion in 2013 (all figures except share price in U.S. dollars). This period included two big acquisitions: France’s Ampa Group for $240 million in 2003 and Dorel’s 2004 purchase of Pacific Cycle for $310 million....
PLEASE NOTE: Next week, Wall Street Stock Forecaster will reveal its #1 pick for 2015. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to profit. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP., $155.87, New York symbol IBM, reported better-than-expected earnings this week. But that’s mainly due to cost cuts, as demand for the company’s mainframes and computer services has weakened. In the three months ended December 31, 2014, IBM earned $5.8 billion, down 13.0% from $6.65 billion a year earlier. Per-share earnings fell 5.7%, to $5.81 from $6.16, on fewer shares outstanding....
DOREL INDUSTRIES $39.05 (Toronto symbol DII.B; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (514-731-0000; www.dorel.com; Shares outstanding: 32.3 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; Dividend yield: 3.5%) makes a range of items, including ready-to-assemble home and office furniture; juvenile products, such as car seats, strollers, high chairs, toddler beds and cribs; and recreational goods, mainly bicycles. Dorel has grown quickly over the last 10 years, with revenue doubling from $1.2 billion in 2003 to $2.4 billion in 2013 (all figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). This period included two big acquisitions: France’s Ampa Group for $240 million in 2003 and Dorel’s 2004 purchase of Pacific Cycle for $310 million. In late 2013, Dorel acquired 70% of money-losing Caloi, a major Brazilian bike maker, for $73.0 million. It has now integrated Caloi’s production from its big plant in Manaus, Brazil into its distribution and sales network to the point that it’s now adding to Dorel’s profits....
ALIMENTATION COUCHETARD $44.55 (Toronto symbol ATD.B; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couchetard. com; Shares outstanding: 565.8 million; Market cap: $25.4 billion; Dividend yield: 0.4%) is buying The Pantry (symbol PTRY on Nasdaq), which operates more than 1,500 convenience stores in 13 southern U.S. states. Couche-Tard will pay $1.7 billion—$ 860 million in cash and the assumption of $840 million of debt. This is its biggest purchase since it paid $2.7 billion U.S. for Norway’s Statoil Fuel & Retail gas station chain in June 2012. Founded in 1967, The Pantry mainly grew through acquisitions beginning in the late 1980s. Like Couche-Tard, it focuses on selling higher-margin fresh food. It sells its own private-label bottled water and is the fifth-largest location for Subway restaurants....