A: Masonite International Corp., $90.42, symbol DOOR on New York (Shares outstanding: 22.2 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; www.masonite.com), is a maker of interior and exterior doors for new construction as well as renovation and remodelling....

A: Teledyne Technologies Inc., $419.96, symbol TDY on New York (Shares outstanding: 47.0 million; Market cap: $20.0 billion; Manufacturing sector; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.teledyne.com), provides advanced technology products and services to the energy, oceanographic research, environmental monitoring, electronic design and development, factory automation, and medical imaging markets.

The company operates primarily in the U.S., the U.K., and Western and Northern Europe....

From time to time, Putin and his associates mutter dark threats that if the West pushes Russia too far, Russia may respond with nuclear weapons. Nobody can predict these things, but my guess is that this is pure bluster.

The nuclear threat seemed much more real in the 1960s....

TRITON INTERNATIONAL LTD., $82.96, symbol TRTN on New York, is the world’s largest owner and lessor of intermodal containers. It owns more than 7 million 20-foot equivalents (TEUs), and those shipping containers are used by some of the world’s largest shipping companies....

MERCK & CO. INC., $115.37, is a buy. The drugmaker (symbol MRK on New York) is a pharmaceutical leader in oncology, acute-care and animal health drugs as well as vaccines.

Merck is now buying Prometheus Biosciences Inc. for $10.8 billion....

PROCTER & GAMBLE CO., $156.07, New York symbol PG, is a top pick for 2023.

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

Procter will now raise your quarterly dividend by 3.0%....

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP., $125.73, New York symbol IBM, is a buy.

The company is one of the world’s largest computer firms, with operations in over 175 countries.

In the past few years, IBM has shifted its focus to its more-profitable cloud computing, consulting and mainframe businesses....

TORONTO-DOMINION BANK, $83.55, Toronto symbol TD, remains a buy.

The bank merged its 43%-owned U.S. online brokerage firm TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (Nasdaq symbol AMTD) with rival Charles Schwab Corp. (New York symbol SCHW) in October 2020....

Why we like spinoffs so much
We think that spinoffs are the closest thing you can find to a sure thing for two main reasons:


1) The management of a parent company will only hand out shares in a subsidiary to its own investors if it’s all but certain that business, and the parent, will be better off after the spinoff.


2) Spinoffs involve a lot of work and legal fees....

LITHIUM ROYALTY CORP. $16 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol LIRC; Resources sector; 55.3 million; Market cap: $884.8 million; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.lithiumroyaltycorp.com) receives royalties from 28 lithium properties—two of which are currently in operation, four are under construction and 22 are under development....