A: Duolingo Inc., $211.40, symbol DUOL on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 35.8 million; Market cap: $8.9 billion; www.duolingo.com), is the top-grossing education app on Google Play and the Apple App Store....

A: Canadian Solar Inc., $21.69, symbol CSIQ on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 64.6 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; www.canadiansolar.com), is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of solar energy and battery storage solutions....

A: The Duckhorn Portfolio Inc., $9.20, symbol NAPA on New York (Shares outstanding: 115.4 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; www.duckhornportfolio.com), is a Napa Valley, California, winery founded in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn....

We’ve often pointed out that IPOs (Initial Public Offerings, otherwise known as new stock issues) are generally poor choices for most investors. Their first and biggest drawback is that they come on the market when it’s a good time for the company or its insiders to sell....

AGNICO EAGLE MINES LTD., $70.48, symbol AEM on Toronto, owns currently producing gold mines in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico.

Specifically, in Canada, it owns the La Ronde, Canadian Malarctic, Goldex, Maccassa, Detour Lake, Meliadine, Meadowbank and Hope Bay mines....

GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO., $13.20, is a buy. The stock (symbol GT on Nasdaq) represents one of the world’s largest tiremakers, with 57 plants in 23 countries.

Goodyear is developing a product for electric vehicles (EVs) that it says will help improve their competitiveness against gas-powered vehicles: tire duration.

EVs weigh more than their internal-combustion motor cars because of their heavy battery packs; that puts more wear and tear on tires....

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, $132.20, Toronto symbol RY, is still a buy.

With the February 2024 payment, Royal will increase your quarterly dividend by 2.2%. Investors will then receive $1.38 a share instead of $1.35. The new annual rate of $5.52 yields 4.2%.

The bank has received final regulatory approval to buy the Canadian operations of U.K.-based HSBC Holdings plc (New York symbol HSBC).

HSBC operates 130 branches that mainly cater to businesses in industries that trade and bank internationally....

BOEING CO., $218.71, New York symbol BA, is still a hold.

The aircraft maker’s shares fell 4% this week after a fuselage panel came loose on one of its 737 Max-9 planes. That forced the aircraft, operated by Alaskan Airlines, to make an emergency landing.

As a result, the U.S....

CANADIAN PACIFIC KANSAS CITY LTD., $103.81, Toronto symbol CP, is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2024.

This is the sixth year in a row we’ve picked CP as our #1 Conservative stock. In that time, the stock has jumped 106.8%.

We feel the stock will continue to rise over the next few years as the company realizes more of the benefits from its April 2023 acquisition of U.S.-based railway Kansas City Southern.

CP paid $31 billion U.S....

ETFs in brief


Exchange-traded funds are set up to mirror the performance of a stock-market index or sub-index....