Rating Card

premium

Unlock Expert's Rating and Top Picks Portfolio

Curated by Michael O'Reilly since 2020
1550+ opinions with 4.81 rating (one of the best performing expert)

Latest Top Picks

Stock Opinions by Darren Sissons

COMMENT

Don't count on central banks to stop raising interest rates as long as inflation remains historically high. To buy something just because it keeps rising in the market instead of buying due to a stock's fundamentals needs to change. Powell hiked only 25 basis points (instead of 50) earlier this month because a week before Credit Suisse collapsed. Unintended consequences could include a strong USD that will pressure US companies. In the 1970s we had high inflation and an energy crisis, which isn't that different from now.

Unknown
COMMENT

How much non-North American stock should a conservative investor hold?

The best tech, pharmas and staples lie outside Canada, with some in Europe. In 8 of the last 10 years, global stocks have outperformed Canadian. Canada has a narrow market of banks, some pipelines and rails, then the quality drops a lot. To allocate, pick best of breed companies in each market. Invest when a currency is weak, like buying Europe last June when the Euro was weak.

Unknown
BUY on WEAKNESS
Amazon.com, Inc.

A great company and they're right to lay-off staff and reduce real estate holdings. This will go lower in a recession, but we have shifted permanently towards buying online. AWS is seeing competition though. Hold if you own, but otherwise wait for the summer doldrums. Higher rates will also lower this stock.

specialty stores
BUY on WEAKNESS
Linde PLC

Has acted like a bond proxy over the years with pricing upside. They're expanding their capacity and are exposed to all end markets, like CO2 in fountain drinks and oxygen for hospitals. A core holding that has performed very well for him over years. This rarely dips, but buy when it happens. All the industrial gas companies are European.

chemicals
BUY on WEAKNESS

A great company, a mid-tech conglomerate that aggressively buys companies and boasts recurring revenues. We're approaching a recession, but buy for the long-term and buy in tranches.

electrical / electronic
DON'T BUY
Sony Corp. ADR

It's the Japanese Disney in that it holds some content, influence by the fate of new releases. The only fault are its mixed financial results. Otherwise, a quality company. Another concern is Japan's deep debt and the effect on Japanese companies. Doesn't want to be exposed to potential currency weakness.

electrical / electronic
DON'T BUY
GlaxoSmithKline PLC

It's been successfully recently, but they have to pay for their drug pipeline which looks reasonable. Not cheap, but no drug is coming to market that will do very well. So-so overall. There are better peers.

biotechnology / pharmaceutical
BUY on WEAKNESS

Best of breed and leading-edge tech. Popular opinion believes that cutting-edge technology will move to the US, but that won't happen.If you can get around the politics, this will do well. But the semis sector is overbought.

electrical / electronic
DON'T BUY

Semis are overbought, a legacy of the pandemic, but inventories are starting to normalize and even a few shortages in places. We're overdue for a decline. A trader can play this, but this is not a long-term buy.

E.T.F.'s
PAST TOP PICK
Atco Ltd

(A Top Pick May 20/22, Down 7%)

Has 20 years of dividend increases. But rising interest rates are competition for dividend-paying utilities. That said, long term this is a good company.

mngmnt / diversified
PAST TOP PICK

(A Top Pick May 20/22, Down 12%)

Good debt levels. Pays an 8% dividend yield, so over 5 years you will collect 40%. If you've owned this for 10-15 years, you've done very well.

tobacco
PAST TOP PICK

(A Top Pick May 20/22, Up 6%)

It all-time peaked in 2021, so he sold half and took profits. Then, Putin invaded Ukraine a year ago, so he bought that back as the Euro weakened. This has been a winner for him over a long time. Elevators as a whole have done well--a recurring revenue business with net cash.

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
BUY on WEAKNESS
CI Financial Corp

As a general rule, the financials will be a net beneficiary of inflation. It's been dropping--and its drops during its divestiture, so this is worth looking at now.

investment companies / funds
DON'T BUY

Today, announced it will split into 6 companies

China is focused on industries that create jobs and have ancillary industries. Tech, though, doesn't create as much employment as, say trains and biotech. This move could unlock some value, but the Chinese government will rather support the semis companies which is a better investment there.

0
DON'T BUY
Pfizer Inc

Pfizer vs. JNJ

That just bought a company, and he immediately thought of the 2008 Wyeth acquisition (at the top of that cycle), and right after shares plunged. Pfizer's timing has not improved. Better to buy JNJ which is doing spin-offs that should benefit the company. JNJ is well-managed and regularly raises its dividend.

biotechnology / pharmaceutical
Showing 1 to 15 of 1,697 entries