AT&T (T)

The price has really come off in the last year. A lot of that is because investors are questioning what these businesses are going to look like for the next 10 years. Take the juicy dividends out of the equation, and ask yourself if you would buy this business. Their debt level is somewhere around $175 billion. They are going through a lot of acquisitions so are not going to be able to raise their dividend.

He is not involved in telecoms. Prefers some of the cyclical areas. Some of the telcos are starting to improve, relative to other sectors in the space, along with financials and energy. Expects you will start to see a lift in some names like this. Dividend yield of 5.21%. Has a decent growth rate. Not sure you will find much capital growth in this when, and if, it starts to rebound. Longer-term, probably not a name he would want to own.

Algonquin Power (AQN-T), AT&T (T-N) or Enbridge (ENF-T)? Of these 3, he would certainly go with this one. It is part of the S&P 500, which he is very bullish on as well as the US$. His model price is $38.21.

They are currently trying to acquire another small equipment maker, but a higher bidder came out. (See Top Picks.)

It just doesn’t get any respect. It has been unable to break above two times book value for so long that he can’t remember. It has nice upside potential from the numbers. What’s not nice to like. His target of $45 is a stretched max.

This is your classic bond surrogate. Between AT&T and Verizon (VZ-N), it is almost a duopoly. Pays an excellent dividend of close to 5%, and trades at a very reasonable valuation. Thinks their merger with Time Warner will go through and make them stronger.

The kind of stock you own for the long-term. He wouldn’t get shaken out because of anything to do with interest rates. This has a 4.6% dividend yield, and he can see the stock still having some upside.

AT&T (T-N) or Verizon (VZ-N)? Chart shows this one has outperformed by about 10%. Within the sector, there is lots of news. One way to try and resolve this is to start a position in iShares Trust Dow Jones U.S. Telecom Sector Fund (IYZ-N), and you are probably going to see procyclical names again. The sector lagged a little, and as we get past the middle of the year this area should probably pick up.

Despite the last few days when this company rallied, the stock sold off way too hard since August. They made a strategic acquisition with DirecTV, and also a $100 billion bid for Time Warner. This is important, because the company understands they cannot survive alone as a wireless telephone company. They are trying to become end to end, so they own the wireless spectrum, they own the video with DirecTV, and now they are getting content with HBO. Dividend yield of 5%.

This and Verizon (VZ-N) in the US, are suffering from the same thing that Canadian telcos are. Low growth, people disconnecting land lines, people disconnecting cable TV to some degree. The lines are blurring between all these companies. If you are buying this, it is really for the dividend, not the growth. He is not crazy about the sector because, as a dividend stock, it is vulnerable to rising rates. He sees the whole sector coming down if bond yields continue to rise.

Doesn’t think the dividend on this is safe. The problem is that they are just owing so much money. They are trying to acquire Time Warner, and will have to borrow money if the deal goes through. Feels the company is borrowing too much money. There are better names for you to buy.

Mr. Trump was adamant that he did not want to see a merger with Time Warner (TWX-N). However, he has also spoken a lot about getting rid of regulation allowing businesses to move forward. She sold her holdings, as she doesn’t know what business they are in any more, and is very concerned that the culture of providing phone services, and now cellular services, is so incredibly different than the culture it takes to run a Time Warner media company successfully. She is disturbed by this merger.

If the Time Warner deal goes through, and he thinks it is a big if because of regulatory issues, he wouldn’t buy it here, but would stand back to see how it plays out. If it is completed, it could be very interesting.

It has been shocking in the last number of months. They have been able to sustain the dividend, but her firm was taking profits earlier. They have changed a lot over the years. The business is fine, but the stock is a bit ahead of itself. The dividend has caused it to get a bit ahead of itself.

(Market Call Minute.) She would hold this for the income.