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Number Cruncher

Screens that break down the numbers from our investment reporters

Tuesday, Jun. 18, 2013 7:31PM EDT

24 producers priming for U.S. oil boom

MICHAEL BOWMAN

Mr. Bowman is a portfolio manager at Hamilton-based Wickham Investment Counsel Inc., an adviser to high net worth clients. michael@wickhaminvestments.com

What are we looking for?

According to the latest edition of BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, U.S. oil production grew last year at the fastest pace since 1965. An increase in output of about a million barrels a day caused net oil imports to the United States to drop 36 per cent below their 2005 peak. My colleague Allan Meyer and I thought we would take a look at U.S. oil producers.

Company Symbol Market Cap
($-mil)
Recent
Price $
Magnum Hunter MHR-N 634 3.68
Northern Oil NOG-A 865 13.63
Sanchez Energy SN-N 757 21.69

All currencies U.S. Source: Wickham Investment Counsel Inc., Bloomberg

More »

Monday, Jun. 17, 2013 7:57PM EDT

20 stocks that satisfy hunger for dividend yield, taste for growth

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

Dividend stocks that can grow their bottom lines.

In this age of paltry returns from bonds, stocks with attractive yields have been selling like proverbial hotcakes. But dividend-paying stocks with a leavening of growth potential may be tastier yet, at least to discerning investors.

Rank Company Symbol Expected
Yield
1 Canadian Oil Sands Ltd. COS-T 7.10%
2 Crescent Point Energy CPG-T 7.69%
3 Magna Int'l Inc. MG-T 1.85%

* n/c = non calculable due to no long-term debt. Grades relative to 100 stocks with highest average volume and greater than 1% yield (A = good; E = poor). Source: Morningstar Canada

More »

Sunday, Jun. 16, 2013 7:00PM EDT

Those exotic ‘alt’ funds can be profitable – but caution advised

JACQUELINE NELSON

What are we looking for?

The best performing non-traditional mutual fund investments in the past year.

The volatility of the Great Recession has receded, and some market watchers are predicting the mutual fund industry will see more alternative funds created in the coming years. Unlike other mutual fund categories, these funds may use complex trading strategies in their effort to eke out returns. Let’s see see how the top performers in the Alternative Strategies category have fared in the past year.

Fund MER Assets
($ mil.)
1 Year to
May 31/13
Horizons AlphaPro Enhanced Inc Gold 0.8 38.2 40.87%
Venator Investment Trust-Cl A 2 11.7 30.16%
Venator Founders-Cl A 2 53 30.15%

Source: Lipper

More »

Thursday, Jun. 13, 2013 8:18PM EDT

Eleven stocks that would make Warren Buffett proud

JOHN HEINZL

What are we looking for?

It’s been more than a year since we created a Canadian portfolio inspired by the stock-picking methodology of Warren Buffett. With markets taking it on the chin because of rising interest rates, let’s see how the portfolio is holding up.

The screen

We used Validea Canada’s “Patient Investor” screen, which is based on the book Buffettology by Mr. Buffett’s former daughter-in-law, Mary Buffett. Globe Investor has a joint venture with Validea.ca, a premium Canadian stock screen service. You can try it here.

Company Symbol No. of
Shares/
Units
Recent
Price $
Alimentation Couche-Tard ATD.B-T 257.60 57.00
BMTC Group GBT.A-T 547.65 13.85
Bank of Nova Scotia BNS-T 193.50 56.47

Prices as of June 12. Returns are from May 23, 2012, to June 12, 2013. Source: Globe Investor, Validea.ca

More »

Wednesday, Jun. 12, 2013 8:01PM EDT

20 Canadian stocks that mix momentum, profitability and value

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

Stocks that wear a triple crown – for strong momentum, impressive profitability, and cheapness relative to sales.

How we did it

Craig McGee, senior consultant at CPMS Morningstar Canada, filtered the CPMS Canadian database for the 20 stocks with the best combination of three factors:

Rank Company Symbol Market
Cap
(Mil. $)
1 AutoCanada Inc. ACQ-T 602
2 Norbord Inc. NBD-T 1,851
3 Ainsworth Lumber Co. ANS-T 898

Source: Morningstar Canada

More »

Tuesday, Jun. 11, 2013 8:03PM EDT

14 drilling stocks that tap into U.S. oil boom

MICHAEL BOWMAN

Mr. Bowman is a portfolio manager at Hamilton-based Wickham Investment Counsel Inc., an adviser to high net worth clients. michael@wickhaminvestments.com

What are we looking for?

Oil drillers. According to the International Energy Agency, the United States is on track to become the world’s largest oil producer by 2018. In North Dakota alone, production has doubled in two short years. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling will push the U.S. into oil self-sufficiency by 2030. My colleague Allan Meyer and I looked at a key sector that will benefit from this surging production.

Name Symbol Market cap ($ bil.) Recent price $
Nabors Industries NBR-N 4.87 16.60
Ensign Energy Services ESI-T 2.51 16.35
Precision Drill PD-T 2.53 9.15

All prices in local currency. Source: Bloomberg

More »

Monday, Jun. 10, 2013 7:44PM EDT

The 13 best-performing equity funds investing in Asia

JACQUELINE NELSON

What are we looking for?

The top performing Asia-Pacific equity funds over the last three years. These funds try to offer investors a way to participate in Asia’s swiftly growing markets.

Pockets of Southeast Asia have been booming in recent years, and more recently Japanese equities have been bouncing around as the government seeks to put an end to nearly 20 years of deflation.

Fund MER Assets *
(in $mil.)
3 yrs to
May 31/13
BMO Asian Growth & Income - Advisor 2.85 443.5 10.69%
CIBC Asia Pacific Index 1.27 17.9 7.34%
TD Pacific Rim-I 2.61 26.3 7.21%

*Assets are as of April 30, 2013. Source: Lipper

More »

Thursday, Jun. 06, 2013 7:09PM EDT

Buying on the cheap, the Buffett way

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

Stocks that might appeal to Warren Buffett – or to anyone looking for a bargain.

How we did it

The Oracle of Omaha is known for preferring companies with high returns on equity (ROE). A strong ROE is a sign that companies are able to convert the money contributed by equity investors into profit – and that’s a fundamentally attractive characteristic for any business.

Company Symbol ROE % P/E
Morguard N. Amer. REIT MRG.UN-T 76.1 1.6
Chorus Aviation CHR.B-T 66.5 3.8
Mandalay Resources MND-T 50.7 4.8

Source: Bloomberg

More »

Wednesday, Jun. 05, 2013 7:25PM EDT

13 automotive stocks with Street cred

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

In both Canada and the United States, car sales are climbing back from their post-crisis plunge. With that in mind, it’s a timely moment to look at stocks in the auto sector to see what values may be on offer.

How we did it

To keep things simple, we limited our search to auto-related stocks on either the Toronto or New York exchanges.

Company Symbol Recent
Price $
Recent
Consensus
China Zenix (ADR) ZX-N 2.60 5.0
Lear Corp. LEA-N 59.44 4.6
Tenneco Inc. TEN-N 44.59 4.6

All currencies local. Source: Bloomberg

More »

Tuesday, Jun. 04, 2013 6:57PM EDT

14 golf stocks teed up and ready to play

MICHAEL BOWMAN

Mr. Bowman is a portfolio manager at Hamilton-based Wickham Investment Counsel Inc., an adviser to high net worth clients. michael@wickhaminvestments.com

What are we looking for?

My foursome at the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club had been hounding me to highlight a golf stock portfolio in this column. Since the U.S. Open is starting next week, Allan Meyer and I thought we would have a look at the sector.

Company Symbol Market
cap (mil. $)
Price $
Nike Inc. NKE-N 57,106 63.86
Eaton Corp. ETN-N 32,359 68.41
Bridgestone Corp. 5108 JP 27,180 33.43

All currencies U.S. Source: Wickham Investment Counsel, Bloomberg

More »

Monday, Jun. 03, 2013 8:01PM EDT

Twenty U.S. stocks with strong profits at attractive prices

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

Stocks with strong profits at a reasonable price.

As bond yields tick upward, fixed-income securities are providing more competition for equities, and stocks are wavering. So, it’s an opportune moment to search for U.S. companies with muscular earnings that are available for sale cheap. These stocks would seem well positioned to withstand economic gales.

Rank Company Symbol Market Cap ($ mil)
1 Seagate Technology STX-Q 15,446
2 iGate Corp. IGTE-Q 836
3 Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ-N 47,473

Source: Morningstar Canada

More »

Sunday, Jun. 02, 2013 7:00PM EDT

How Canadian equity funds compare to ETFs

JACQUELINE NELSON

What are we looking for?

There are plenty of hot new ETFs floating around in the market, but few that have the kind of long-term track record needed to offer a comparison to seasoned mutual fund counterparts. How have the Canadian equity mutual funds compared to low-fee ETFs in the same category over the past decade?

Fund Symbol MER Assets (in $ mil)
Mawer Canadian Equity 1.23 242.9
Leith Wheeler Canadian Equity B 1.56 113.5
Beutel Goodman Canadian Equity D 1.36 3,624.00

Source: Lipper

More »

Thursday, May. 30, 2013 7:32PM EDT

13 stocks satisfy pentathlete approach to value investing

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

The pentathletes of the value-investing world. These are stocks that excel not just in one category that appeals to bargain hunters, but in several.

Our search for stocks that can score well on several value tests is inspired by money manager James O’Shaughnessy. In the recent update to his classic What Works on Wall Street, he argues that any single value indicator is likely to go through periods when it doesn’t work. A more robust strategy, in his opinion, is to look for stocks that satisfy several criteria.

Company Symbol P/B Price-to-sales
Trinidad Drilling TDG-T 0.96 1.01
Barrick Gold Corp. ABX-T 0.93 1.47
Akita Drilling AKT.A-T 0.91 0.96

Source: Bloomberg

More »

Wednesday, May. 29, 2013 7:39PM EDT

14 health care REITs gearing up for an aging population

MICHAEL BOWMAN

Mr. Bowman is a portfolio manager at Hamilton-based Wickham Investment Counsel Inc., an adviser to high net worth clients. michael@wickhaminvestments.com

What are we looking for?

Last week my colleague Rob Belanger and I examined health care corporations. This week we are taking a look at real estate investment trusts in the same sector. According to the Harvard Business Review, our aging population will lead to massive increases in the number of people suffering from chronic, expensive-to-treat diseases, which will put severe strain on the health care system.

Name Symbol Market Cap
(in Billions $)
Dvd Yld (%)
HCP Inc. HCP-N 23.01 4
Ventas Inc. VTR-N 22.35 3.32
Health Care REIT HCN-N 20.74 4.08

All currencies U.S. Source: Wickham Investment Counsel, Bloomberg

More »

Tuesday, May. 28, 2013 7:27PM EDT

20 U.S. companies gushing with cash

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

U.S. companies that are showing an improving ability to produce gushers of cash – and put that cash to good use. Such firms are often attractive investments.

How we did it

Last week, our friend Craig McGee, senior consultant at CPMS Morningstar Canada, searched the Canadian stock market for companies that appeared to be boosting their operational efficiency. Today, he performs a similar search using the CPMS U.S. database.

Rank Company Symbol Market
Cap
(US$ mil.)
1 Seagate Technology STX-Q 15,377
2 Questcor Pharmaceutical QCOR-Q 2,041
3 Sturm Ruger & Co Inc. RGR-N 983

Source: Morningstar Canada

More »

Monday, May. 27, 2013 7:48PM EDT

Eight Japanese stock funds ride ‘Abenomics’ wave

JACQUELINE NELSON

What are we looking for?

How Japanese stock funds are managing so far this year.

Japanese equity markets have been strong in 2013, but recent concerns over rising government bond yields and political uncertainty have caused plenty of volatility.

The screen

We looked at the year-to-date returns of Japanese equity funds to April 30. U.S. dollar and duplicate versions of funds were excluded.

Fund Symbol MER % Assets (in $ mil.)
iShares Japan Fundamental Idx C$ Hdg Com CJP-T 0.72 47.4
Mackenzie Focus Japan Class 2.65 10.6
TD Japanese Growth 2.84 25.7

Source: Lipper

More »

Thursday, May. 23, 2013 7:42PM EDT

15 U.S. stocks emerge in selective hunt for bargains

KELLY BROWN

What are we looking for?

Companies that look cheap in comparison to their earnings. We performed a similar screen last month, with the results limited to Canadian companies. Today, we screen for U.S.-based companies.

Independent studies have demonstrated that selecting companies based on a value-oriented yardstick, such as a low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, will result in a portfolio that is likely to outperform the market averages over the next 12 months.

Company Ticker US$ Close
(May 22)
Market Cap
(US$-mil)
Golar LNG Ltd. GLNG-Q 36.2 2,914
Lear Corp. LEA-N 60.58 5,601
Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd. PTP-N 57.26 1,814

Source: Longview Asset Management Ltd., S&P Capital IQ

More »

Wednesday, May. 22, 2013 7:36PM EDT

Health care stocks: As boomers age, a booming sector emerges

MICHAEL BOWMAN

Mr. Bowman is a portfolio manager at Hamilton-based Wickham Investment Counsel Inc., an adviser to high net worth clients. michael@wickhaminvestments.com

What are we looking for?

For the next 18 years, 8,800 Americans will turn 65 every single day. According to the Health Care Cost Institute, they will each spend $142,000 (U.S.) in medical expenses over the next 20 years. My colleague Rob Belanger and I thought it was time to take a look at health care facility companies.

Company Ticker Market
Cap
($-mil)
Operating
Profit
Margin (%)
Amsurg Corp. AMSG-Q 1,150.27 30.57
Medical Facilities DR-T 419.82 27.99
HealthSouth Corp. HLS-N 2,619.28 21.30

All currencies in U.S. dollars. Source: Wickham Investment Counsel, Bloomberg

More »

Tuesday, May. 21, 2013 7:26PM EDT

20 TSX-listed stocks that are cash gushers

Ian McGugan

What are we looking for?

Companies that are showing an improving ability to produce gushers of cash – and put that cash to good use. Such firms can be good investments.

How we did it

Our friend Craig McGee, senior consultant at CPMS Morningstar Canada, searched the Canadian stock market for companies that met four major criteria:

Rank Company Symbol Market
Cap
($-Mil)
1 Ainsworth Lumber Co. ANS-T 932
2 ShawCor Ltd. SCL-T 2,514
3 Gluskin Sheff + Assoc. GS-T 315

Source: Morningstar Canada

More »

Monday, May. 20, 2013 7:00PM EDT

Leading North American fund loaded with 'big, boring' dividend stocks

SHIRLEY WON

What are we looking for?

How North American equity funds have fared over three years.

The screen

We ranked funds in this group by the best performers. U.S. dollar, segregated and duplicate versions of the funds were excluded.

What did we find?

A cash-heavy fund with some short bets leading the three-year pack.

Fund Sym 3-yr
% rtn
(Apr. 30)
1-yr
% rtn
(Apr. 30)
Aston Hill Capital Growth 18.4% 11.5%
Mackenzie Ivy Enterprise 11.1% 11.2%
TD North American Dividend-I 9.6% 13.1%

* Assets are as of March 31, 2013. Source: Lipper

More »

Number Cruncher Contributors

Ian McGugan

Ian McGugan is the Investment Editor of The Globe and Mail and has been writing about investing, economics and business for more than 20 years. He joined the Globe and Mail in 2010.

Simon Avery

Simon Avery has covered investing, telecom and technology for the Globe 's Report on Business since 2004. Previously, he was a staff reporter for The Associated Press in Los Angeles and for The Wall Street Journal in San Francisco.

Follow Simon on Twitter @SimonAvery1

Michael Bowman

Michael Bowman is a portfolio manager at Hamilton-based Wickham Investment Counsel Inc., an adviser to high net worth clients.

Rob Carrick

Rob Carrick has been writing about personal finance, business and economics for close to 20 years. He joined The Globe and Mail in late 1996 as an investment reporter and has been personal finance columnist since November 1998.

Follow Rob on Twitter @rcarrick

John Heinzl

John Heinzl has been writing about business and investing since 1990. A native of Hamilton, he earned a master's degree from the University of Western Ontario's Graduate School of Journalism and completed the Canadian Securities Course with honours.

Darcy Keith

Darcy Keith has been a business journalist since 1992 and joined the Report on Business in 2010 from Yahoo! Canada, where he was the senior editor of finance.

Follow Darcy on Twitter @eyeonequities

Jacqueline Nelson

Jacqueline Nelson is a financial services reporter at the Report on Business.

David Parkinson

David Parkinson has been covering business and financial markets since 1990, and has been with The Globe and Mail since 2000.

Sonali Verma

Sonali Verma is digital editor at the Report on Business. She has worked as a reporter, editor and producer of business news at Reuters, CNBC and Bloomberg News since 1995.

Follow Sonali on Twitter @sonaliverma2011

Jody White

Jody has previously worked as a senior editor at Canadian Business Online and has written for MoneySense Magazine, Maclean's, the National Post and other national publications.

Shirley Won

Shirley Won covers the fund industry and investments. She joined the Globe and Mail in 1996, and has also worked at the Montreal Gazette and Canadian Press.

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