Prakash Hariharan

S&P 500 and NASDAQ hitting record highs. Earnings have been very strong. Two-year swap spreads give corporations tremendous access to capital. Tech has been leading the way. VIX is at 25, which usually signals risk is away from the market, notwithstanding trade wars and benign nature of the yield curve.

The VIX. The VIX was at 60-70 back in the day. The big driver is technology. Consumer staples are doing well, drug companies turning around. VIX signals market’s ripe for M&A activity, especially drug companies and tech.

How far can this bull market go? VIX level signals risk is gone. Presidential unrest could bring risk back in, and give you another buying opportunity. Looking at a company’s fundamentals, if you think that revenues and earnings can grow, market shenanigans beget buying opportunities.

Interest in the cannabis sector by Constellation and Diageo. The space has been the go-to sector in Canada for a lot of international companies. The valuation can be justified by having a big company behind it. For a beverage company, in the wake of declining beer sales, they need to bet on another asset class.

Brewers are struggling with declining sales. Valuation is still on the rich side, mainly because of declining margins. Doesn’t have EM exposure that you’d like to see. Be cautious. Compares poorly to its peers. (Analysts’ price target is $77.43.)

Fortis vs. Emera. Emera has more diversified assets. In a rising interest rate environment, who can grow their top line? It appears to be Emera. Because of growth profile and underlying assets.

Fortis vs. Emera. Emera has more diversified assets. In a rising interest rate environment, who can grow their top line? It appears to be Emera. Because of growth profile and underlying assets.

Likes how the company is set up. Poised to benefit with the way cannabis is rolling out. Value is going to be in the distribution. Not cheap, but none of the cannabis stocks are. A good company for sector exposure.

One of his favourites for a long time because of its competitive edge. A strong performer. Solid balance sheet. Fundamentally strong. (Analysts’ price target is $80.78.)

Moving from device to software producer. Has a problem when companies are in transition. Stock has pulled back, to a pretty compelling level. Not a bad place to add. (Analysts’ price target is $15.17.)

Sports streaming is a big step. It has a natural propensity to grab market share compared to its competitors. Likes their positioning in content dissemination. This could be the Netflix moment for Facebook. (Analysts’ price target is $206.74.)

Trying to figure out how to fund the new acquisition. Cautious until we get more clarity on that. Prefers TransCanada. Fundamentals are not as strong as they used to be. If bullish on oil, it’s a good entry point. (Analysts’ price target is $54.88.)

((A Top Pick May 17/18, Up 10%) Turnaround story. Room to grow cash flow and dividends.

(A Top Pick May 17/18, Up 1%) Has been a flat story. Still a good entry point. Has a lot of hidden gems.

(A Top Pick May 17/18, Down 3%) Would still buy at this point. Getting penalized because of Saudi-Canadian issues. Geopolitical issues let you buy good companies at a good price.