2021

Markets were higher on Thursday as the S&P 500 rose 1.1% and Toronto rose 0.65%.
Shopify continued to gain, rising 3.2%. Constellation Software was up 3.3%
TFI International was up 2.1%.
Statistics Canada was out with figures on borrowing levels....

Markets were initially down more noticeably on Wednesday but by the close were down only modestly. The S&P 500 was down  0.3% and Toronto was down 0.5%
Shopify was strong with a 3.9% gain. 
I notice that there has been a lot of public offerings  ...

On Tuesday the S&P 500 was down 0.85% while Toronto was up 0.2%.
Shopify was up 3.25% after announcing a partnership with Google.
Alcanna was down 4.8%.
Toll Brothers was down 3.0%.
 
...

TD (and likely the other banks as well) is out this morning with a "reopening" or "reoffering" of a bond with just over 10 years left to maturity. These bonds pay 1.50% which strikes me as far from tempting.
But the investment is not quite as bad as ...

CMHC released April housing start data yesterday. I am always interested in the Alberta single-family home figures given my investment in and analysis of Melcor Developments.
These figures can be volatile and one month does not make a trend. Also the...

Monday's markets saw the S&P 500 down 0.25% while Toronto was up 0.6%. 
AutoCanada was down 5.1%.
After the close, Alcanna reported Q1 highlighting 7.9% in same-store liquor sales and a similar gain in gross margin dollars from liquor sales. The ...

Markets rose sharply on Friday with a 1.5% gain for the S&P 500 and a 1.1% gain for Toronto.
CN Rail was down 3.0% after Kansas City Southern indicated that it favors CN take-over bid versus CP's. The market is concerned that CN is over-paying. W...

On Thursday, markets rebounded somewhat from the recent losses with the S&P 500 up 1.2% while Toronto was up 0.15%.
Going the other way, Shopify was down 3.3% to U.S. $1048. It's made many investors a huge amount of money. But that's a nasty dip ...

U.S. markets were noticeably weak on Wednesday after inflation came in higher than expected. The debate now is whether that inflation number is a temporary blip or is more permanent. The S&P 500 was down 2.1%. Toronto was down 0.9%.
After the big...

Markets were negative on Tuesday. The S&P 500 was down 0.9% and Toronto was down 0.45%.
Toll Brothers was down a hefty 4.9%.  Linamar was down 3.0%.
Shopify was strong with a 3.0% gain in Toronto on this negative day.
Melcor's Q1 report came out ...

Our report on Shopify is updated. I landed on a rating of Speculative (lower) Sell at U.S. 1070 or about Canadian $1300. (When I first posted this today I wrote, Speculative (lower) Buy by mistake. The report itself had the correct rating.)
This comp...

Buying Life Insurance?
As mentioned in the recent edition of our free newsletter: In 20 years online, I have never gotten involved in promoting any product or service. I am often asked to promote various financial products such as foreign exchange tr...

Stocks ended "in the red" on Monday. Earlier in the day markets (other than tech stocks) had been positive. At the close, the S&P 500 was down 1.0% and Toronto as down 0.6%.
Going the other way, Stantec was up 2.0% and Couche-Tard was up 1.8%.
Me...

Friday was another strong day in the markets. Another day when wealth is basically flowing from non-investor consumers to investors. The S&P 500 was up 0.7% and Toronto was up 0.9%. Both indexes continue to set new highs.
Toll Brothers was up ano...

Markets were mostly higher on Thursday as the S&P 500 was up 0.8% but Toronto was down 0.1%.
Linamar was up 6.4% after releasing Q1 earnings.
Costco was up 2.75% after reporting massive same-store sales gains of 24% year-over-year.  In March 2020...

On Wednesday, markets were mostly higher as the S&P500 was up 0.1% and Toronto was up 0.6%.
AutoCanada bounced back up 7.7%.
The Melcor REIT was up 4.5% after its earnings release yesterday.
The next update planned is for Shopify. 
...

On Tuesday, markets were down noticeably mid day but recovered for a modest loss. The S&P 500 was down 0.7% and Toronto was down 0.1%.
West Fraser Timber was up 4.9%. 
After the close, the Melcor REIT reported with a solid report for the first qu...

Ceapro is a penny stock that has been on our list for the past four years.
It has a base business producing commodity extracts from Oats that provides cash to fund research into potentially much more promising proprietary products. Arguably, the stoc...

On Monday, markets were mostly higher as the S&P 500 was up 0.3% and Toronto was up 0.55%.
FedEx was up 4.9%.
Toll Brothers was up 3.0% as it continues to make new highs.
Shopify was down 5.2%. 
The Canadian dollar is at 81.3 U.S. cents which is ...

On Friday, markets gave back some ground with the S&P 500 down 0.7% and Toronto down 0.8%.
Shopify was down 4.2%.
AutoCanada was down 5.2%.
The next update will be for penny stock Ceapro. It continues to be a waiting game. Most or all of its pote...

The report for Canadian National Railway is updated and rated (lower) Buy at Canadian $132 or U.S. $107. It's not particularly cheap in relation to earnings but is a very high quality company that can be bought and held for the long term. 
I first ad...

On Thursday, the S&P 500 was relatively strong, rising 0.7% to yes, (yawn) yet another new all-time high. Toronto was down 0.5% but remains close to its recent all-time high as well.
FedEx was up 3.0% probably becasue the U.S. economy continues t...

On Tuesday markets were flat overall with the S&P 500 and Toronto both about unchanged.
FedEx was strong with a 4.3% gain.
TFI International was up 2.8% and then after hours it released a strong earnings report. It's high value is predicated to a...

Markets were up modestly on Monday as the S&P 500 rose 0.2% and Toronto was up 0.4%.
Shopify was up 4.9%. 
American Express was up 4.2%
I sold the remainder of my AutoCanada shares. I don't know if that was wise given its momentum. 
My next updat...

On Friday, markets were strong with the S&P 500 up 1.1% and Toronto up 0.4%.
AutoCanada was up another 8.2% to $49.23.  I am amazed at how this company has recently soared. It appears to be based on growth prospects and current strong sales. The ...

On Thursday, the S&P 500 was down 0.9% and Toronto was down 0.6%.
AutoCanada was up another 5.1%. Wow.
Canadian Western Bank was strong with a 2.55% gain.
lululemon was also strong with a 3.6% gain.
Markets were weak in part becasue President Bid...

Wednesday's session ended with the S&P 500 up 0.9% and Toronto up 0.5%.
AutoCanada was notable with a 4.4% gain.
Heineken was up 4.8% after reporting earnings and its stock has done well in the face of all the restaurant shut-downs. The stock pri...

Markets were moderately negative on Tuesday. The S&P 500 was down 0.7% and Toronto was down 0.85%.
CN Rail was down 6.3% after getting into a bidding war with CP Rail to buy Kansas City Southern Rail. The sure winners of the bidding war are the K...

Markets were moderately negative on Monday as the S&P 500 fell 0.5% and Toronto fell 0.8%
Shopify was down 5.2% and Constellation Software fell 3.6%
Melcor Developments was down 3.15%.
Melcor of course benefits from higher single-family home star...

Markets pushed higher once again on Friday with the S&P 500 rising another 0.4% and Toronto up 0.15%.
Toll Brothers was up 2.9%.
AutoCanada was up 3.8* to $41.37.  Apparently the lockdown in Ontario is not affecting the this stock and presumably ...

On Thursday, markets once again set new record highs. The S&P 500 was up 1.1% and Toronto was up 0.8%.
Shopify was up 2.4% despite the news of some of its top executives leaving.
TFI International was up 2.4%.
Stantec was up 3.0%.
There was more ...

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 was down 0.4% and Toronto was down 0.2%.
Shopify was down 5.1% and I believe that was before announcing that 3 of its 7 top executives will be leaving, apparently on friendly terms. 
RIWI was down a further 9%. The marke...

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 was up 0.3% while Toronto finished the day about unchanged.
RIWI fell 13% after announcing that it is searching for a new CEO, while the existing CEO and founder will remains chair of the board. The market took this as neg...

On Monday markets were moderately negative with the S&P 500 about unchanged and Toronto down 0.1%.
Stantec was up 3.4%.
Penny stock Ceapro was up 9.7%. This is a volatile stock and so I would not read much into this. It is due to release 2020 Q4 ...

Toll Brothers is updated and rated (lower) Buy at $60.34. Their business is booming but it is a cyclic business. It may very well keep rising but I am a bit cautious due to its cyclic nature. Toll Brothers Inc. Stock Report
...

On Friday, the S&P 500 was up another 0.8%. But Toronto was about unchanged.
Perhaps it is appropriate that Toronto should lag given that Canada is locking down with the third wave of the virus while the U.S. is opening up based on a much higher ...

Thursday was yet another positive day for stocks. The S&P 500 was up 0.4% and Toronto was up 0.5%.
Shopify was up 5.1%.
The Melcor REIT was up 4.9%.
AutoCanada was up 3.3%.
Single family home building permits in Alberta were up 40% in February ve...

Our report on the Enbridge rate reset preferred shares ENB.PF.A is updated and rated Buy at $17.55
I own this in several accounts. I purchased some at $25 when the shares were issued back in 2014 which has been a poor investment. However, with divide...

Markets edged higher once again on Wednesday with the S&P 500 up 0.15% and Toronto up 0.1%.
Couche-Tard was strong, rising 3.7%.
West Fraser Timber was very strong with a 5.5% gain.
As mentioned yesterday, I thought the Ontario shut downs might b...

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 was down 0.1% but Toronto was up 0.4%.
After the close, West Fraser Timber announced that it will early redeem $350 million of 5.75% bonds (notes) due 2027. This debt was issued by Norbord before West Fraser acquired it. T...

Melcor Developments is updated and rated Buy at $12.37. (The report was done at $12.05 which was yesterday's close).
The number of lots sold in Q4 increased 15% versus the prior year. I had expected a decrease because they had fewer lots in inventory...

Monday was another strong day in the markets. The S&P 500 gained 1.4%. Toronto was up only 0.2% but closed above 19,000 for the first time.
AutoCanada was up 13.8% after announcing it was acquiring a large autobody business in Prince George B.C. ...

Markets were, of course, closed on Friday.
Thursday marked the end of the first quarter of the year and was a strong day in the markets.  The S&P 500 was up 1.2% and Toronto rose a hefty 1.55%.
Notable gainers included:  Shopify - up 4.4%, Toll B...

The report on the Melcor Real Estate Investment Trust is updated and rated (lower) Buy at $6.54
Last year with the pandemic, these units fell from the $8.00 level to the $3 level. They then languished at about $4.00 or less for six months. But they h...

Wednesday was the end of the first quarter of 2021. The S&P 500 was up 0.4% but Toronto was about flat.
West Fraser Timber was up 8.2% after its announcement that I mentioned yesterday.
Melcor Developments was up 4.75% to $11.90. 
Dollarama was u...

The reports on the Canadian Western Bank CWB.PR.B and CWB.PR.D are updated. With their recent price increases I don't really like either one.
I would Sell the CWB.PR.B at $22.50. That's 27% higher than it was at our last update on December 13. It's h...

The report on CWB is updated and rated (higher) Speculative Buy at $32.39. This should be a good investment but due to the possibility of higher loan losses, I labeled it speculative. But that's not to say that it is highly speculative. I just call i...

Markets were moderately weak on Tuesday with the S&P 500 down 0.3% and Toronto down 0.1%.
The Melcor REIT has a strong day rising 8.0% to $6.58. And Melcor Developments rose 2.25% to $11.36.
Melcor has resumed its modest share buy-back program fo...

Markets were moderately negative on Monday as the S&P 500 was down 0.1% and Toronto was down 0.2%.
Toll Brothers continues to bounce up and down adn today was down 4.0%.
RIWI was down 7.3%. 
But Couche-Tard showed some strength with a 3.7% gain.
...

Our report on Alcanna Inc. is updated and rated (lower) Sell at $7.83. It's Q4 profits were somewhat disappointing. It could be held as a speculative especially for exposure to Cannabis retail. It's up 89% since it was added to our list in September ...

Markets were strong on Friday with the S&P 500 up 1.7% and Toronto up 0.5%.
Toll Brothers was up 4.4%. It's been bouncing around and is currently sitting very close to its high.
Visa was up 2.7%.
West Fraser Timber was up 5.4%. Lumber prices have...

Markets started out lower on Thursday but ended the day higher with the S&P 500 up 0.5% and Toronto up 0.1%.
Toll Brothers was strong with a 4.4% gain. RIWI bounced up 8.9% to $2.45 but remains an under-performer.
Alcanna was up 6.1% to $8.38. It...

Markets were higher for much of the day but ended down for the day on Wednesday.
The S&P 500 was down 0.55% and Toronto was down 0.2%.
Shopify was down 4.9%.
RIWI was down another 4.3%. to $2.25.
After reviewing Canadian Western Bank's latest res...

Markets were negative on Tuesday with the S&P 500 and Toronto each down 0.8%.
Oil was down about 6.5% to U.S. $57.56 for West Texas Intermediate.
Fears of higher inflation seem to be part of the reason for the moderately negative tone in the mark...

On Monday, the S&P 500 was up 0.7% but Toronto was down 0.2%.
Constellation Software was up 3.3%.
AutoCanada was down 3.8% to $29.41. Possibly the run-up to about $36 was simply "over-done". 
Ceapro was up 6.1% but is a volatile penny stock and s...

Our report on Berkshire Hathaway is updated and rated (lower) Buy at $250.
Buffett had it buying back shares all during 2020 and at prices that averaged $225 in December. The outlook and its portfolio of stocks have almost certainly increased since t...

 
On Friday, markets were little changed overall with the S&P 500 down 0.1% and Toronto up 0.1%.
FedEx was up 6.1% after a strong earnings report which included a strong outlook. It seems the economy is on the move.
Linamar was up 4.2%.
Canadian ...

Costco is updated and rated (lower) Buy at $329. 
It always looks expensive but is of course a fantastic business that will continue to grow and do well. Costco's share price has retreated from highs around $390 at the end of November. The market was...

Thursday was a negative day in the markets due to worries about inflation and that the FED chair was likely to keep interest rates low even if inflations starts to take off. Longer term interest rates rose today. Since January 1, the yield on the U.S...

Markets moved a bit higher on Wednesday as the FED chair soothingly said that the FED interest rate won't likley rise until 2023. And they will continue to buy bonds which also tends to keep interest rates low.
Stantec was up 2.1%. The Melcor REIT wa...

Markets were down modestly on Tuesday as the S&P 500 declined 0.2% and Toronto was down 0.4%.
The Melcor REIT was down 3.5%.
AutoCanada was down 2.9%
Linamar was down 3.78%. 
Starbucks managed a 2.2% gain.
I finally trimmed my Melcor Developments...

On Monday, markets were initially flat but ended the day higher as the S&P 500 rose 0.65% and Toronto rose 0.55%.
Boston Pizza units rose another 3.1%. Toll Brothers was up 2.2%.
Linamar was down 3.7% and AutoCanada was down 3.6%.
The big news to...

Markets were quieter on Friday as the S&P 500 and Toronto each ended the day about unchanged.
The Melcor REIT was up 3.7% and Boston Pizza units were up 2.7%.
Linamar was down 4.5%.
With markets at record high and with my own portfolio having don...

And Thursday was, yes, yet another strong day in the markets with the S&P 500 up 1.0% and Toronto up 0.8%.
Linamar was up 10.8% on its strong earnings and dividend increase.
Other gainers included: The Melcor REIT - up 4.0%, FedEx - up 3.1%, The ...

Melcor Developments will release Q4 earnings next week March 17. Their web site said March 10. Normally they are on their game in terms of that web site and so I am not concerned about the error. And actually waiting another week might be good as as ...

And Wednesday was yet another strong day in the markets as the S&P 500 rose 0.6% and Toronto rose 0.5%.
Notable gainers included: The Melcor REIT - up 8.2%, Melcor Developments - up 3.7%, Toll Brothers - up 4.7% (after its dividend increase annou...

Markets had yet another strong day on Tuesday. The S&P 500 was up 1.4% and Toronto was up 0.8%.
Notable gainers included: Canadian Tire - up 4.7%, AutoCanada  - up 5.05%
Apple - up 4.1%, Shopify - up 5.4% and Alcanna  - up 3.8%.
Going the other w...

Monday was a "mixed" in the markets as the S&P 500 was down 0.5% and Toronto was up 0.4%.
AutoCanada was strong with a 4.3% gain. And Linamar was up 3.8%.
Restaurant Brands was up 4.2%
Aecon Group was up 4.0%.
Alcanna was up 4.1%
But Shopify was ...

Markets were strong on Friday as the S&P 500 rose 1.95% and Toronto 1.4%.
The Canadian Energy Exchange-Traded Fund XEG was up 3.4%.
C.N. Rail was up 2.9% and FedEx was up 3.1% (the economy is literally on the move)
Berkshire Hathaway was up 3.1%
...

These units had a wild ride in 2020 as the pandemic lockdowns forced the closure of the BP restaurants (except for take-out / delivery) which led to the monthly cash distribution being completely suspended. With partial reopenings over the Summer, Q3...

My comment from last night failed to upload and is pasted in below.
I was hoping for an increase in the Melcor REIT shares but so far that is not the case. They have an analyst conference call starting at 11:00 am eastern
March 4 comment
Markets were...

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 was down 1.3% (blamed on higher interest rates) and Toronto was down 0.55% (not as bad as the S&P 500 becasue of higher oil prices).
But AutoCanada soared 12% due to its strong earnings report. This has been a hard c...

Our report on Starbucks is updated with a rating of Hold at $106.87. This is clearly a fantastic company. But it is expensive even in relation to near-term projected earnings. In the next few quarters it will show a huge earnings rebound as things op...

Markets were "mixed" on Tuesday as the S&P 500 was down 0.8% while Toronto gained 0.7%.
West Fraser Timber was down 6.5% to $80.22. Lumber prices have declined from recent highs but still remain elevated. Commodity-based stocks are notoriously vo...

Markets were solidly higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 surging 2.5% and Toronto up 1.3%.
Notable gainers included Apple - up 5.4%,  WSP Global - up 8.15%, Berkshire Hathaway - up 3.6%, Linamar - up 4.1%, TFI International - up 3.3%.
As it turned...

Friday was a negative day in the markets as the S&P 500 was down 0.5% and Toronto was down 0.9%. And the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 470 points or 1.5%.
But some of the stocks on our list did very well on Friday.
Aecon Group was up 6.0%...

Thursday was a negative day in the markets with the S&P 500 falling a hefty 2.45% and Toronto down 1.4%.
I don't think anyone should be surprised or particularly alarmed at this given all the recent gains.
For the most part, declines in the stock...

Wednesday was a very strong day in the market driven largely by soothing comments from the FED chair. (There, there, investors, don't worry, I won't raise interest rates for quite a while yet - or words to that effect.)
The S&P 500 was up a hefty...

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 was down most of the day but ultimately finished the day up 0.1%. Toronto was down 0.5%.
West Fraser Timber was down 3.1%. This is a cyclical commodity stock and volatility comes with the territory. 
Shopify was down 5.9% ...

It was a mixed scene on the markets today with the S&P 500 down 0.8% while Toronto was up 0.2% as energy stocks did particularly well. WTI oil is at US $61.69.
Shopify was down 3.8%. They also announced that they will issue shares but I could not...

On Friday, the S&P 500 was down 0.2% while Toronto was up 0.6%.
Shopify was up 3.6%. WSP Global was up 2.85% and will release its Q4 results on Wednesday.
AutoCanada bounced up 6.8% and will release its Q4 results on March 3.
Linamar was up 4.0% ...

Thursday was a moderately negative day in the markets as the S&P 500 was down 0.4% and Toronto was down 0.55%.
West Fraser Timber was down 3.0%. That's despite lumber prices being at record highs. Well, this is always going to be a more speculati...

Wednesday offered a little bit of a reminder that stocks don't always go up. The S&P 500 managed to finish the day about unchanged (which was a recovery from a noticeable decline earlier in the day) but Toronto was down 0.6%.
West Fraser Timber w...

Tuesday's session ended with the S&P 500 down 0.1% and Toronto up 0.2%.
Oil (WTI) is at U.S. $60 which is the highest in about a year.
Cannabis stocks were surging. Not an area I have followed much.
BHP, which I have not updated for a long time w...

On Thursday, the S&P 500 was up 0.2% while Toronto was down 0.35%.
The national embarrassment that is Bombardier, which has been circling the drain for years, was down 16% to 61 cents after announcing more bad news. Bombardier shares are valued a...

Tuesday was another fine day in the markets. The S&P 500 was about unchanged. But Toronto added another 0.3% increasing its record high close.
There weren't many or really any big moves in the stocks that we have current ratings on. Toll Brothers...

On Tuesday the S&P 500 was down 0.1% while Toronto pushed another 0.4% higher.
TFI International was up 7.3% after releasing Q4 earnings and hosting a conference call. The analysts must have been pleased with the results. 
Shopify was up another ...

Monday was another positive day in the markets as the S&P 500 rose 0.7% and Toronto was up 1.1% as West Texas Intermediate Oil poked its head above U.S. $58.
Shopify gained another 4.5%.
Toll Brothers was up 2.6%. West Fraser Timer gained 2.0%.
M...

CRH Medical is being taken over at U.S. $4.00 or about $5.10 Canadian. Those holding it could wait for it to be automatically taken from their accounts at U.S. $4.00 sometime during Q2 (provided the deal goes through which seems highly likely). I cho...

Stocks were up every day this week and ended Friday with the S&P 500 up another 0.4% on the day and Toronto was up 0.5%.
West Texas Intermediate oil is over $57 U.S.  
Toll Brothers was up 3.1% to $53.62. It's basically at about a 15 year high. I...

Markets pushed higher once again on Thursday as the S&P 500 rose 1.1% and Toronto rose 0.7%.
Visa was up 3.9% and American Express rose 3.7%. 
Shopify rose another 3.3%.
A few days ago, Desrosiers reported heath January auto sales in Canada were ...

Tuesday was another positive day in the markets as the S&P 500 rose 1.4% and Toronto rose 1.0% and oil poked its head above U.S. $55 for the first time in about a year.
Apparently markets are optimistic about a stimulus package from Biden.
Stante...

Monday was a solidly positive day in the markets as the S&P 500 rose 1.6% and Toronto rose 2.05%. The last four trading days have been a yoyo ride of down, up, down, up.
Top gainers included TFI International which rose 6.45% after announcing ano...

On Friday, the S&P 500 was down 1.9% and Toronto was down 1.8%.
Notable decliners included: Apple down 3.7%, CN Rail down 2.7%, FedEx down 3.1%, Linamar down 3.3%
The Melcor REIT managed a 2.95% gain, but it is thinly traded.
As of Sunday evening...

The report on Visa Inc. is updated and rated Weak Buy / Hold at $193.25. This is a fantastic company that is very central to commerce and especially online commerce and the digital economy. Unfortunately it does seem expensive. Still, it would likely...

Thursday was another exciting day in the markets. The S&P 500 ended the day up 1.0% and Toronto ended 1.3% higher.
AutoCanada was up 5.1%. American Express rose 4.3%. Constellation Software was up 4.0%.
Toll Brothers was down 1.9% and Melcor Deve...

Markets moved noticeably lower on Wednesday with the S&P 500 falling 2.6% and Toronto down 2.0%.
Notable decliners included: Linamar- down 6.8%, Starbucks - down 6.5%, Shopify - down 5.1%.
C.N. Rail was down 4.7% despite a dividend increase and s...

The report on Dollarama is updated rated (lower) Buy at $50.77. It's a great company. It usually seems expensive and that is the case now. But over time will probably do well. I held none and bought a small amount today and will add to that if the pr...

On Tuesday markets were mostly down somewhat as the S&P 500 fell a modest 0.15% while Toronto was down 0.7%.
TFI International finished the day up 3.0% at $88.66. First thing this morning it was as high as $98.75. At that price it was up fully 50...

Markets were somewhat volatile on Monday but ended the day with the S&P 500 up 0.4% and Toronto up 0.3%.
The big news today was that TFI International soared 32% after it announced a major acquisition. TFI will acquire UPS's freight division for ...

TFI International is up a whopping 24% this morning after announcing it will purchase UPS's less-than-truckload freight business. This a large business and will be purchased for $800 million on a "no-cash, no-debt" basis. I don't know what they mean ...

I am taking a quick look at Aphria becasue a family member of mine owns shares.
I don't know much about the various Cannabis companies but here is what I found out:
Aphria is one of the bigger Cannabis companies  and is going to be the biggest when i...

Markets were down modestly on Friday as the S&P 500 fell o.3% and Toronto fell 0.4%.
Stocks rising included Apple Inc. up 1.6% to  $139.  And Toll Brothers up 1.6% to $50.82.
There was news that West Fraser Timber's all-stock acquisition of Norbo...

Markets were a bit weak on Thursday as the S&P 500 was about unchanged and Toronto was down 0.55%.
Apple was up another 3.7%. 
Toll Brothers was up 2.8% to just over $50. West Fraser Timber was up 2.3%. both of these had also risen in recent days...

Biden is in and Trump is out and the stock market went up once again on Wednesday
The S&P 500 rose 1.4% and Toronto was up 0.3%.
Toll Brothers was up 5.5%.
Alcanna gained 4.9% presumably related to the share issue by by it's soon to be subsidiary...

Tuesday was another positive day in the markets as the S&P 500 rose 0.8%. Toronto only managed t o edge up 0.1% despite oil rising almost $1.00 to U.S. $53.16.
Toll Brothers gained 3.4%. American Express was up 3.8% perhaps linked to some America...

Having just updated our report on the common shares of Fortis Inc., I also took a look at their preferred shares. Fortis has seven different preferred shares outstanding. Four are rate reset style shares, one is a floating rate and the other two are ...

U.S. stock markets were closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday. Toronto was up 0.2%
We had a very nice gain from Alcanna, up 19.1% after headlines that it would "spin-out" its retail Cannabis stores.  Alcanna is combining its retail Nova...

Our report on Fortis Inc. is updated and rated Buy at $52.13. The 3.9% dividend is reasonably attractive. And that dividend has now been increased 47 years in a row. The stock is attractive for its low risk. I don't own it but would like to add it to...

On Friday, the S&P 500 was down 0.7% and Toronto as down 0.3%.
AutoCanada bounced down 6.9%. 
Melcor Developments was up 5.5%. 
Couche-Tard was up 4.7% possibly because its deal to buy Carrefour in France looked in doubt and analysts dod not like...

On Thursday, the S&P 500 was down 0.4% while Toronto edged up 0.1%. 
Oil is up to $53.56 U.S. which is good for Alberta although it is offset somewhat by the higher Canadian dollar.
There were no particularly noteworthy moves in the stocks on our...

CRH Medical is updated and rated Speculative Buy at U.S. $2.23 or Canadian $2.83. This is very much a niche business as it provides anesthesia services for colonoscopies at some 66 walk-in clinics. It operates exclusively in the U.S. and mostly in th...

With the S&P 500 up 0.2% and Toronto down 0.3 % it would appear that as fat the markets were concerned, Wednesday was a slow news day. Donal Trump has been impeached again and the market is unfazed.
Couche-Tard was down 10.2% based on its own new...

Alimentation Couche-Tard is down about 10% this morning due to its proposed takeover of France-based Carrefour.
This would be a HUGE acquisition at $20 billion U.S. Consider that Couche-Tard has a market cap of $41 billion Canadian. Indications are t...

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 was about unchanged while Toronto as up 0.3%.
AutoCanada was up 8.9% despite not releasing any news. And in spite of the various Canadian economy lock downs.
Couche-Tard was down 2.2%. That was in spite of or perhaps becau...

On Monday, markets were down modestly with the S&P 500 down 0.7% and Toronto down 0.6%
Melcor was up 3.9% and Stantec was up 3.6%.
I trimmed my position in Canadian Tire and TFI International today in order to move towards a more balanced allocat...

On Sunday night futures are suggesting that the markets will open moderately lower on Monday morning. At some point even a market that is giddy for stimulus can't ignore the risk of whatever might happen between now and inauguration day.
Meanwhile I ...

Stocks continued to set higher record highs on Friday  with the S&P 500 rising 0.55% and Toronto edging up 0.1%.
I'm really starting to wonder if the market is not under-estimating the chance of turmoil in the U.S.  Out of 75 million Trump suppor...

Thursday was another strong day as the markets said never mind the insurrection, think about the stimulus package that the Democrats are likely to offer.
The S&P 500 gained a hefty 1.5% and Toronto gained 1.1%.
Toll Brothers was strong with a 4.7...

Today was not exactly a boring day for news.
Overnight, President Trump shamelessly claimed that the Georgia Senate election was not a fair election. He described the last batches of voted to be counted as "vote dumps" when in reality they were just ...

Markets were higher on Tuesday as the S&P 500 gained 0.7% and Toronto gained 0.9%.
Oil surged 5% to trade over U.S. $50 for the first time in almost a year. This pushed the Canadian dollar to 79 U.S. cents. Oil increased because Saudi Arabia anno...

On Monday, the first day of trading for 2021,  U.S.  markets were down, although not as low as they had been earlier in the day.  The S&P 500 was down 1.5% but Toronto was up 0.5%. Alcanna (Alberta liquor store chain owner) was up 7.1%.  Melcor D...