SHERWIN-WILLIAMS CO. $310 is a hold. The company (New York symbol SHW; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 246.6 million; Market cap: $76.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.2; Dividend yield: 1.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.sherwin-williams.com) is a leading maker of paints and varnishes.

In October 2025, Sherwin acquired the Brazilian decorative paints business of German chemical maker BASF. That unit sells its products under the Suvinil and Glasu! brands. The company paid $1.15 billion for the business.

Ford is planing to build more hybrid (gas and electric) cars and trucks as demand for pure electric vehicles (EVs) remains weak. The company should also benefit as it uses part of its battery manufacturing capacity to tap rising demand from AI datacentres. These moves should spur its earnings and support its above-average dividend yield.

FORD MOTOR CO. $16 is a now buy for aggressive investors. The company (New York symbol F; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 3.9 billion; Market cap: $62.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 3.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.ford.com) is the second-largest U.S. automaker after General Motors with 13.2% of the market. It top-selling models are the F-150 pickup truck and Explorer sport-utility vehicle.

Credit-card giant AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. $313 has now formed an alliance to better tap growing interest in sports-related travel.

As part of its strategy, the company is partnering with Fanatics, a leading seller of sports-related merchandise such as licensed apparel and trading cards.

Medical device maker BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $19 recently suspended shipments of its Novum infusion pumps over a problem that could lead to an incorrect dosage. Despite that setback, sales in the first quarter of 2026 rose 2.9%, to $2.70 billion from $2.63 billion a year earlier.

If you adjust for the sale of a business, sales in the quarter declined 1%. Tariffs and higher manufacturing costs also cut earnings before unusual items by 34.5%, to $0.36 a share from $0.55.

Both these firms play a vital role in global food production. Each is now cutting costs to better withstand international tariffs and inflation. While we expect both of their efforts to pay off, for now we prefer IFF for any new buying.

ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO. $80 is still a hold. The company (New York symbol ADM; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 482.0 million; Market cap: $38.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.5; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.adm.com) processes corn, wheat, soybeans, flax seed and other crops into a variety of food ingredients.

Most of our readers tend to focus on Canadian stocks when following our three-pronged approach to constructing a portfolio. That is, they...

• Invest mainly in well-established, high-quality companies.
  
  
• Spread their money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors: Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; and Utilities.

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. ADRs $27 saw its sales in the first quarter of 2026 fall 4.7%, to 3.91 billion euros from 4.10 billion euros a year earlier (1 euro=$1.61 Canadian). Sales actually improved 4% once you exclude currency rate fluctuations as well as any businesses bought or sold by this leading manufacturer of industrial health-care products. The company also makes X-ray scanners and ultrasound systems.

In developed markets, specifically, Philips sales rose 5%, while sales in growth markets were flat. A higher tax bill cut earnings per ADR (before unusual items) by 8.0%, to 0.23 euros from 0.25 euros.

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. $317 is up a whopping 83% since the start of 2026 on strong demand for its computer chips used to run new AI datacentres.

The chipmaker has long specialized in analog chips to convert inputs like touch and sound to electronic signals that computers can understand. Still, those chips also now play a key role in managing electrical power levels in the datacentres needed to run power-intensive AI.

These three manufacturing firms should benefit from the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down most of the Trump administration’s tariff policies. That will also help them adapt to rising fuel costs as a result of the Iran war.

We still like the long-term prospects for all three of these high-quality firms. For your new buying, however, we prefer Otis over Howmet and Tennant, given its growing elevator servicing business.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. $255 is one of nine firms developing quantum computing technologies that will receive financial support from the U.S. federal government.

IBM will now transfer its quantum operations to a new business called Anderon, which will receive $1 billion from the government to help build a chipmaking facility. The company aims to start selling quantum computers for commercial clients by 2029.