ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE: ABT-TSX
Yesterday's close $16.30, down 13¢
Absolute Software Corp., which sells theft recovery technology for laptops, recently topped one million subscribers. The stock is up more than 80 per cent this year.
Upside: Third-quarter results coming May 1 should be strong, but Clarus Securities analyst Spencer Churchill says the company is also entering a period of season strength, as back-to-school sales should drive the stock up further. Simon Avery
CELESTICA: CLS-TSX
Yesterday's close $7.42, up 12¢Celestica Inc. is having a horrible year and it likely isn't going to get better when the company reports first-quarter results today.
Downside: "We expect the quarter (and the year) to prove challenging, with relatively soft end-markets compounding the operational, execution, and customer disengagement issues," said Scotia Capital analyst Gus Papageorgiou. Scott Adams
GLUSKIN SHEFF & ASSOCIATES: GS-TSX
Yesterday's close $23.55, down 5¢Shares of wealth manager Gluskin Sheff have jumped about 50 per cent this year, reflecting strong Canadian equity markets and takeovers in income trusts. Gluskin has been a heavy trust investor in the past.
Upside: Geoffrey Kwan of RBC, who has a $28.50 target on Gluskin, says results have been so good that a "significant special dividend" is possible. John Heinzl
BLUE PEARL MINING: BLE-TSX
Yesterday's close $17.02, down 43¢Congratulations if you own Blue Pearl Mining Ltd., up about 450 per cent in the past year.
Upside: Desjardins Securities analyst John Redstone initiated coverage with a "buy" rating and $21.40 target price on the largest publicly traded pure molybdenum mining company. The company's sharply rising production in 2008 and 2009 should equate to about 5 per cent of world demand. Leonard Zehr
FORDING CANADIAN COAL TRUST: FDG.UN-TSX
Yesterday's close $26.86, up 20¢Coal stocks in the U.S. have broken out past short-term technical resistance. Fording Canadian Coal Trust hasn't followed yet, but perhaps it can.
Upside: "We find trends in the U.S. often lead to Canada," said Cormark Securities technical analyst Mark Deriet, calling Fording a bottom-fishing idea. "A break above $28 targets $35." Scott Adams