When I hear from investors, they often ask what we do to produce the investment advice they get from our publications, and the portfolio management they get from Successful Investment Wealth Management Inc., our portfolio management affiliate. The short answer is that my research associates and I read a lot.

I personally read a large variety of publications and other reading materials, and take a skeptical view of all of it....

QUARTERHILL INC., $1.82, symbol QTRH on Toronto, is a provider of ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) solutions for operators of toll roads. Its tolling products manage over 1,500 toll lanes worldwide, generating over $3 billion in annual revenue for operators of these tolls.

In addition to its tolling products, it has developed solutions for enforcing the weight of commercial trucks, traffic management, and radar detection.

On March 15, 2024, the company announced it would acquire Red Fox I.D....

NORTH WEST COMPANY, $39.01, is a buy. The retailer (symbol NWC on Toronto) sells food, and everyday products and services through 227 stores. Those locations are mainly in northern communities across Canada and Alaska. Through your shares, you also tap the company’s operations in remote regions of Hawaii, the wider South Pacific and the Caribbean.

North West’s food offerings consist of perishable and non-perishable products including groceries, dairy, produce, meat, convenience foods, food service, home meal replacement, health and beauty aids, paper products and cleaning supplies....

PROCTER & GAMBLE CO., $155.33, New York symbol PG, is a buy.

The company is one of the world’s largest makers of household and personal-care goods. Major brands include Tide (laundry detergent), Pampers (diapers), Gillette (razors), Crest (toothpaste) and Vicks (cold remedies).

Procter will now raise your quarterly dividend by 7.0%....

WALMART INC., $60.14, New York symbol WMT, is a buy.

The company is the world’s biggest retailer, with over 10,500 outlets in 19 countries.

Walmart is also an investor in Ibotta Inc., a private firm that operates mobile and online apps that provide shoppers with special offers and the ability to earn cash rewards....

TC ENERGY INC., $49.73, Toronto symbol TRP, remains a buy.

TC generates steady cash flow for investors mainly through a 93,600-kilometre pipeline network that pumps natural gas from Alberta to eastern Canada and the U.S. Its other operations include 4,900 kilometres of crude oil pipelines and nine power plants.

The company has agreed to sell its stake in Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Holdings Ltd., which is planning to build a 900-kilometre natural gas pipeline in northern B.C....

If you’re like most investors, you should invest the major portion of your money in stocks from our Conservative Growth Portfolio....

FIRSTSERVICE CORP. $212 (www.firstservice.com) is a buy. The company provides property management services to businesses and individuals. FirstService tends to fuel its growth with acquisitions of smaller businesses that expand its market share....

BCE’s shares are down 17% since the start of 2024. That’s mainly due to concerns over the sustainability of its dividend as those payments exceed its free cash flow. However, capital spending is declining now that it has completed a major upgrade of its networks....

MAPLE LEAF FOODS INC. $24 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol MFI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 122.7 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mapleleaffoods.com) sells fresh and prepared meats under the Maple Leaf and Schneider labels.


Maple Leaf now plans to merge its meat protein and plant-based foods divisions into a single unit....