2024

The various preferred shares have done well since I updated them in mid December. Today I updated the Enbridge's ENB.PF.A. It was rated Strong Buy on December 16 at $15.47 and is up 12% since then.
It will reset to a higher dividend on December 1 thi...

Markets gained ground on Thursday with the S&P 500 up 0.6% and Toronto up a hefty 1.6%.
Canadian Tire ended the day down only 0.3% after reporting a very weak Q4. The weakness is not shocking and it seems likely to persist for some time. Still, t...

On Wednesday markets recovered much of the ground lost yesterday.
The S&P 500 was up 1.0% and Toronto was up 1.5%.
There are lots of Q4 earnings reports coming in.
After the close, West Fraser reported a substantial loss but the stock was virtual...

The report on these shares is updated and rated Buy at $20.95. The last update was December 18 when they were at $17.76 and looked quite attractive. They are less attractive after the gain since then but are still reasonably attractive.
 
...

Tuesday was quite a negative day in the markets after U.S. core inflation came in hotter than expected. This means that interest rate cuts are not likely to happen as soon as was hoped.
The S&P 500 was down 1.4% and Toronto was down 2.3%.
Investo...

On Monday, the S&P 500 edged down 0.1% while Toronto as up 0.3%.
Toll Brothers was strong with a 4.4% gain.
AutoCanada bounced up 4.5%.
Andrew Peller was up 4.4% (to a pathetic $4.47) after its announcement yesterday about the big payout to John ...

The report on Linamar is updated and rated Buy at $65.33.
It looks quite cheap based on valuation and is very well managed. But it is in a tough and cyclical industry and the ROE is not as high as it was historically. I think its a good bet at this p...

On Friday the S&P 500 was up 0.6% and Toronto was up 0.4%.
Shopify was up another 3.3%. Amazon was up 2.7%.
On Friday afternoon Andrew Peller had some announcements: They are appointing five new directors. (On November 9th all four of its indepen...

On Thursday. the S&P 500 was up just 0.1%. I did officially poke it's nose over the 5000 level for the first time before closing at 4998.
Toronto was down 0.2%.
Shopify was up 3.1% after reports that it may raise some of its subscription prices.
...

Our reference article that gives a list of Canadian ETFs and their fundamental value ratios and comments on their attractiveness is freshly updated. This includes, ETFs for stocks, bonds and commodities (Oil, gold, silver and natural gas). This is a ...

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 was up another 0.8%. It touched 5000 (well 4999.9) for the first time ever.  Toronto was up just 0.05%.
TFI International was up 3.5%. What a winning company this has been over the years.
Shopify was up 5.3%.
Canadian Ti...

Tuesday's action saw the S&P 500 up 0.2% and Toronto up 0.4%.
I see news today that several regional bank share prices in the U.S. have declined. At least one bank, New York Community Bank could be facing a run on deposits and its share price is ...

The report on Starbucks is updated and rated Buy at $95.41. This is a very high quality company but it's valuation is arguably somewhat high. Overall, this is probably a good stock to take an initial position in with a view to holding for the long te...

On Monday the S&P 500 fell 0.1% and Toronto was down 1.0%.
Hopes for an imminent decrease in interest rates were further dashed by comments that the FED chair made in a television appearance on 60 minutes.
The yield on the five year government of...

On Friday, the S&P 500 was up a very hefty 1.0&% but Toronto was down 0.2% as oil prices were lower.
Shopify was up 8.7%.
The BIG story of the day was Meta (facebook) being up 20.3% and also Amazon being up 7.9%.
I will admit to being a littl...

On Thursday, markets recovered much of Wednesday's decline.
The S&P 500 was up 1.25% and Toronto was up 0.5%.
Aecon Group was up 3.8%. It has done well lately. I'll wait until I see its Q4 numbers before commenting on whether or not it has put it...

Markets were weak on Wednesday and the FED chair indicated that interest rate cuts are not as imminent as the market was hoping.
In response the S&P 500 was down 1.6%.
Oil was down about 3% and Toronto stock index was down 1.0%.
Accordingly the g...

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 was down 0.1% while Toronto was uo 0.1%
After the close MicroSoft reported what one analyst said was insanely high operating earnings growth. But in After hours trading the shares are down although only down 0.3%.
Meanwhil...

The report on Ceapro is updated and rated Highly Speculative Buy / Hold at $0.16.
This company has been quite a disastrous investment over the years. At the end of 2022 it looked like it might be set for much better days. Instead, revenue has plunged...

Monday was another positive day in the markets as the S&P 500 rose 0.8% and Toronto rose 0.35%
AutoCanada was notable with a 6.6% gain.
Restaurant Brands and Shopify and Visa were each up 2.1%.
The Melcor REIT was up 2.2% to $5.00 which is a good...

Markets were quiet overall on Friday with the S&P 500 down 0.1% and Toronto up 0.1%.
But American Express was up a stout 7.1% after releasing earnings and a strong outlook.
Preferred shares have been doing well.
The two Brookfield Office Property...

On Thursday, the S&P 500 was up another 0.5% and Toronto was up 0.4%.
U.S. GDP for Q4 came in strong which could have spooked markets due to inflation concerns but apparently a price index came in showing lower inflation.
Toll Brothers was up 2.3...

On Wednesday the S&P 500 edged up 0.1% while Toronto was about unchanged.
CN Rail was down 1.8% despite reportedly beating expectations with its earnings release.
The Bank of Canada left its key policy rate (the overnight inter-bank target lendin...

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 ended the day up 0.3% and Toronto was up 0.5%
The two Brookfield Office Properties preferred shares were up another 6.3% and 3.3%. BPO.PR.A has a 52 week range of $7.06 to $16.09 and closed today at $10.63. That's some wil...

The report on Metro is updated and rated (lower) Buy at $69.76. It should do well long term. But the company itself is project earnings per share this year to be flat to down 2% due to some learning curve costs as new distribution centers become oper...

On Monday, the S&P 500 was up 0.2% and Toronto was up 0.1%
The two speculative Brookfield Office Properties preferred shares on our list were up 3.7% and 6.9%.
After the close, West Fraser Timber announced it will permanently close a sawmill in F...

On Friday, the S&P 500 surged 1.2% and Toronto was up 0.7%
The two Brookfield Office Properties preferred shares on out list ere up 5.9% and 4.5%. This has been an extremely volatile and mostly losing investment. These are risky but it appears th...

Thursday's action saw the S&P 500 up 0.9% and Toronto up 0.3%.
Apple was up 3.3%. It's "almost" like Warren Buffett knew what he was doing when he bought about five? years ago at far far lower prices and put in $30 billion or so!
WSP Global a lon...

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 finished the day down 0.3% and Toronto was down 0.5%.
See also my comments from earlier today.
The guest on BNN's market call this morning mentioned TH International. Time Hortons International with apparently 1000 stores ...

On Wednesday the S&P 500 was down 0.6% and Toronto was down 1.2%.
Strong retail sales figures for the US are dashing hopes of an imminent decline in interest rates. The five year Canada bond yield is back above 3.5%. Lower oil prices weighed on t...

Markets are down modestly today.
Canadian inflation for December came in as expected at 3.4%. "Excluding gasoline, the headline CPI slowed year over year, from 3.6% in November to 3.5% in December." Hopes for the Bank of Canada to lower interest rate...

January 15, 2024: U.S. markets were closed for the Martin Luther King jr. holiday today. Toronto was up 0.3%. I did double my rather small position in TransAlta this morning. It was up 2.1% today. Capital power might have been a better choice but I h...