A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week
TFI International (STAR)
TFII - TSX
Well, some truckers are actually working. Shares of TFI International put the pedal to the metal after Canada’s largest trucking company posted fourth-quarter results well above estimates, including a 91-per-cent increase in revenue and a 59-per-cent jump in adjusted earnings. Cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates are “not an issue at all” for TFI, said chief executive officer Alain Bédard. “We have a few drivers that still say no, but what we do with them is we just keep them in Canada.” So nobody’s “freedom” to work is being taken away? Interesting.
Bragg Gaming Group (STAR)
BRAG - TSX
You know when you win $100 at the slots and you forget about the $1,000 you just lost at blackjack? Well, Bragg Gaming investors can relate. Shares of the company – which supplies technology and content for online casinos, lotteries and sportsbooks – had plunged more than 80 per cent since peaking a year ago. But this week, the stock rebounded after Bragg said it expects 2021 revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) to exceed its previous guidance and raised its 2022 forecast. With the shares still way below their previous highs, however, Bragg investors probably shouldn’t be bragging just yet.
Canada Goose Holdings (DOG)
GOOS - TSX
Business quiz! Shares of Canada Goose Holdings plunged to a 17-month low after: a) a new avian COVID-19 variant decimated the Canada goose population, causing severe feather shortages and bringing parka production to a halt; b) Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered Olympic officials to confiscate all Canada Goose jackets worn by athletes in retaliation for Canada’s diplomatic boycott of the Games; c) the company cut its full-year revenue and earnings forecasts, citing weak sales in Europe and Asia and the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. Answer: c.
Chegg (STAR)
CHGG - NYSE
Before the pandemic, university students who needed help dropped by the TA’s office. Now, students stay in their rooms and log on to Chegg. Shares of the company – which offers online homework assistance, exam prep, writing help and textbook rentals – had tumbled last year as in-person classes resumed at many schools. But the stock rebounded this week after Chegg reported fourth-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings above Wall Street’s estimates. With Chegg expecting revenue to rise by high single digits on a percentage basis in 2022, investors are giving the stock an A+.
Cameco (STAR)
CCO - TSX
Shareholders of uranium miner Cameco must be glowing with happiness. Even as the company posted lower fourth-quarter revenue and earnings, Cameco boosted its dividend by 50 per cent and said the outlook for uranium is stronger than ever. “The benefits of nuclear energy have come clearly into focus with a durability that we believe has not previously been seen,” said president and CEO Tim Gitzel. With spot prices for uranium up nearly 40 per cent in the past year and more countries considering nuclear energy to meet emissions targets, Cameco’s stock is anything but radioactive to investors.
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John Heinzl