23 Stock Top Picks and 7 ETF (Nov 30 Dec 6)

It leads the Mag 7 this week. The quarter was fine. In response to tariffs, they are moving some supply chains to Indonesia and Indian, away from China. Chinese phones are taking market share, but we've gotten past this news. Apple services were +14% this quarter and beat the top and bottom with an 8%…

(A Top Pick Jan 11/24, Up 21%) 33x forward PE, a bit pricey but it's a premium name. Secular growth with growing electronic payments and rising consumer spending. Clear uptrend of higher highs and higher lows, 200-day and 200-week MAs are moving higher.

It tracks companies with stable earnings which are soft of priced like bonds. Covered calls gives a little more income. Utilities act like bonds. It has faced the rise of interest rates, but rates will ease and will benefit this sector, which is a good place to be.

Current yield of 5%. You want floating rates in your portfolio when yields are going up, as it mitigates the negative impact of prices changing. The floating nature means the coupons can set a lot more frequently than would a 10-year bond.If you think about a series of 3-month bonds or other short-term securities, always…

A global ETF that focuses on dividend growth. In the U.S. market many big companies have global exposure. It is low cost.

(A Top Pick Nov 10/23, Up 4%) Will continue to hold. Likes direction of chart. Consumer staples do well regardless of direction of economy. Believes still upside left in stock. 

Above $35, has sold all exposure to AMLP. Closer to $30, it is a good place to enter for a trade. Probably will do well buying dips and selling rallies in the near term. Maximum upside is probably $40. Long term, there are some challenges.

It's all about interest rates. Probably we need to see the 30-year fall below 6.0% to trigger pent-up demand and will likely get it. We're 5 million homes short in the U.S. and have been underproducing for 14 years.

(A Top Pick May 03/24, Up 4%) (Note the short timeframe.)  A defensive pick at the time. Sector did well until September, then started to break down. He sold. When the market's running hot, healthcare doesn't take off. Not now in a seasonally strong period.

Liked it below $65, but recently sold up in the mid-$70s. Looking to add back in, but it has to be sub-$70. Risk/reward here is merely neutral, so it's a hold.

Good pop, but now legging lower. Important support around $30, so don't add yet. Wait to see if it can hold that level; if it can, he'd be more comfortable adding. Other insurance names are quite strong, so a relative underperformer is a warning flag.

Not a good investment for short term speculation.Is very hard to time market for traders.Good for long term holders.

(A Top Pick Jun 25/19, Up 94%) Excellent bank with international presence. Will continue to own shares. Brand value very strong in Canada. Will continue to buy whenever the share price dips. Balance sheet excellent. Not exposed to the threat of tariffs from the USA. 

They home and car insurance in North America, doing an amazing job. Over 20 years, they bought back 66% of their shares. At this rate, they will buy the rest in 16 years. Trades at 11x PE with double-digit earnings growth. Insurance rates are rising. (Analysts’ price target is $219.32)

The market has punished it too much. It is in the residential rental sector in the U.S., especially in the sun belt. The rentals are affordable and appeal especially to the 35 to 44 year old demographic who want to rent good homes rather than buy. The share price is at a 40% discount to…

(A Top Pick Dec 05/18, Up 45%) It's a Blackstone-sponsored company that bought a bunch of single-family homes and rent them out. Blackstone IPO'd this and sold it in tranches over time. Now, the stock has legs and doesn't need the parent's support. They rent to tenants and are adding ancillary businesses, like pet services…

The largest US office REIT. Used to own it, still likes it alot for owning specialized spaces, like labs for biotechs. But this niche has problems, lacking IPOs and new companies. Is down 20% YTD.

He does not own this one, despite the earnings metrics looking solid and there is no net debt. They missed on a recent quarterly earning, but not a bid deal. They are trading at 7 times cash flow and 7 times EBITDA. He would like to see the ROE improve a bit. Price momentum has…

Kudos to the new executive at delevering and cleaning things up. Inexpensive valuation. Still a lot of debt. A turnaround story. 3% of your portfolio is a bit heavy. Add some diversity. Had a great move. Be cautious.

It is integral to the systematic delivery of health care across the U.S. and is a leader in well vertically integrated companies. There are some headwinds which he thinks will dissipate. He likes the longer term prospects and is seeing the development of per capita growth.Buy 29  Hold 1  Sell 0 (Analysts’ price target is…

(A Top Pick Dec 03/18, Up 47%) Celgene had made a number of mis-steps, including management applying for multiple FDA approvals. One thing he really liked about the acquisition was the price it was bought. The acquisition by BMY helped them diversify and it seems to be going well.

Tariff-proof stock? Certainly some stocks are less vulnerable to issues involving tariffs. What comes to mind are healthcare companies. You could look at some of the beaten-down companies that really didn't do well last year, as they're doing quite well today. Try this name, which he owns.

He sold. Problems with CPAP machines, have since been settled. Slow growth, struggling on a number of fronts. Still in restructuring mode. Look elsewhere.

It reports Tuesday. Their anti-cancer drugs still haven't broken up to justify the cost of acquiring them. Good news would pop shares up. Little downside now.

He's been adding. Their downturn lat year started with a seat supplier, then tariff worries hit. Eventually, shares will bounce. They have almost no competition in transit buses in the US. We'll see.

Bought in just before the takeout deal was nixed by the French government. Rocket ride lately on the nuclear bid hype, so he sold. De facto world gold standard in nuclear valves. Cheap vs. tangible book value. May buy again if cheap enough. Sees eventual takeover.

(A Top Pick Jun 02/20, Up 26%) A Japanese company, a leader in test equipment. They are incredibly well positioned without a lot of competition. A global leader. They have zero debt.

It is an interesting business. It is specialty pharmacies. They do medication for long term care facilities. They have an interesting pouch technology. They had quite a significant debt load and made a big dent in it when they sold their surgical business. They are trying to pick up new contracts. He has owned it…

Very strong business - founder led & owned. Exception creator of wealth the past ~20 years. Has owned shares since 2014. Very good consolidator of convenience stores. High quality capital allocation skills. Recent 7-Eleven M&A is interesting, but depends on the final price that is settled on. Would recommend holding and/or buying. 

Cheap 12x PE. Decent yield of 4%. Likes its vertical integration (exploration, production, retail). Options: sell April $56 for $1.70 (Analysts’ price target is $63.92)