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A second driver of growth has been the new ad tier. After six months, this new tier has attracted nearly 5 millions subs worldwide and “more than doubled” since early this year. About one in four new sign-ups elected the cheaper ad version of Netflix. It’s still early days, but these figures are moving in the right direction. The street reacted last week with two upgrades, including one price target jumping to $535. That may be optimistic, but the consensus is that Netflix has more room to run. Read 3 Big Tech Stocks Making a Comeback for our full analysis.

CRM is another big tech stocks comeback story, rallying 20% in the past year, but 65% year-to-date after plunging to end 2022. Activist investors have been driving cost cutting to beef up profit margins rather than raise sales growth. The results: Q1 revenues topped estimates, operating margins improved and the company raised the July revenue forecast from $8.49 billion to $8.52 billion. Something is working. Add to this momentum, CRM throwing their hat into the Generative AI ring with Einstein and AI Cloud. The new tech can help enterprise clients craft emails, service briefings, case summaries and work orders. Read 3 Big Tech Stocks Making a Comeback for our full analysis.

Another tech giant that is rejuvenating these days is Shopify. It’s a great Canadian success story, but a victim of Covid, when shares peaked at levels 250% higher than today’s $86 shares. SHOP has rallied 83% so far this year and popped 5% to begin this week. It’s been in the penalty box for so long that the street is letting it play again. One popular measure that the company is undergoing is phasing out its fulfillment services to raise profits. E-commerce isn’t dead, as some analysts proclaimed, but taking a breather after years of lockdowns. Gross merchandise volume climbed 15% over the past year, monthly recurring revenue increased 10%, and overall revenue rose 25% to $1.5 billion. Read 3 Big Tech Stocks Making a Comeback for our full analysis.

Since Nvidia went ballistic on May 25, through June 2 Apple shares have climbed 5%, Microsoft 6% and Adobe nearly 17%. (NVDA itself soared 30% and counting.) Adobe already positioned itself as an AI stock in Generative AI back in March when it announced Generative AI functionality with Firefly that will make it easier and faster for Adobe users to use the company’s publishing tools, such as swapping background images and marketing text. Before that in 2022, the company announced new AI and machine learning features in its marketing and analytics software package, Experience Cloud. The market is banking on the new AI features to generate more revenues from Adobe’s subscribers. Read Top 3 AI Stocks for our full analysis.

Alphabet is known for pouring significant capital into R&D, so they will likely master ChatGPT and even make further inroads in AI, but the market will need to wait. In the meantime, the numbers have been mixed at Alphabet, with GOOG missing three of its last four quarters. Its PE has returned to early-2021 levels at 27.55x (vs. 20.27x a year ago) as shares have climbed 40% so far this year, an increase on par with Apple and Microsoft. A recession would dampen Alphabet’s digital ad business, but the company is sitting on a pile of cash and carries no debt. Nice buffer. Long-term, this is solid company. Read Top 3 AI Stocks for our full analysis.

In contrast, C3.ai,  trades at an incalculable PE and $-2.20 EPS, even though it has beaten its last four quarters. Long-term looks good. C3 is in the right spot for AI by partnering with a giant. However, shares have gone parabolic in the past month, more than doubling and that makes me nervous. Shares have already pulled back $10 from the May 30 peak of $44.02. Read Top 3 AI Stocks for our full analysis.

Still, there are some caveats: Airbus’ beta of 1.66 makes the stock vulnerable to sudden market downturns. The stock current trades at 28.3x PE, above its five-year average of 25.64x. Also, EADSY is trading within $2 of its 52-week high of $35.52 at levels not seen since January 2020. The ongoing parts shortage doesn’t help overcome its multi-year backlog. Read Planes, pizza and clothes for our full analysis.

This Canadian success story also carries a high beta (1.58), faces uncertainty if there’s a recession, the retail sector had a very choppy reporting season in May, and after five months in 2023 ATZ shares are down 23%. So, why recommend it?
Aritzia remains a strong performer, beating quarter after quarter. EPS grew 19% over the past year, while revenue grew 24.19% over the past five years.  Read Planes, pizza and clothes for our full analysis.

This Canadian chain is everywhere and its brand is known by everyone. That is PZA‘s strength—an entrenched fast-food chain with locations to serve nearly every corner of this massive country. If an economic slowdown hits, PZA will endure as diners trade down and loyal customers will continue to snack here.
Some numbers work in PZA’s favour: trading at a beta of 1.04, a three-year return of 65.69%, and paying a dividend of nearly 6%. However, that comes at a payout ratio of 92%, while EPS growth shrank 5% YOY. Read Planes, pizza and clothes for our full analysis.

CP has been getting all the attention because it merged with Kansas City Southern, but CN trades at the better PE of 20.28x compared to its rival of 27.96x. No question that CP is a powerhouse, but it will take time to absorb KC into its operations and pay for it. Both companies enjoy a duopoly in Canada, so the moat is high. Read 3 All Canadian for our full analysis.

NPI faces challenges in the short-term, but I’m confident that given management’s track record that NPI will stickhandle them and come out stronger down the road. Inflation and rising rates have been a double-headed problem for all utilities, but are showing signs of easing. The share sell-off on that recent earnings miss was deserved, but overdone as shares hit a 52-week low of $27.20. Right before Victoria Day, shares recovered to nearly $30. Read 3 All Canadian for our full analysis.

Another dip-buying candidate in this ETF which tracks the TSX. If for whatever reason the entire market slides in a day or so, then use this to buy that dip. XIC‘s biggest holding is Royal Bank at 6%, followed by TD, CP, Enbridge, CNR, Shopify, CNQ and the other big banks. Read 3 All Canadian for our full analysis.

Let’s start with this homegrown success story. Since February 2020, DOL has moved from $39 to $84 currently, close to 52-week highs. DOL has beaten or met its last four quarters, it continues to expand, it trades at a low 0.72 beta at 30.41x earnings. That’s lower than the 34x in 2022, but lately has crept above its 5-year average of 28.23x.  Read The dollar wars for our full analysis.

DG shares have been declining since its peak last October at $260, perhaps bottoming in late March around $200 and now trending 10% higher. Though its last quarter was in-line, DG noted that higher-than-expected construction costs to build out its distribution network and more labour costs hampered its operating leverage. Read The dollar wars for our full analysis.

Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar in 2015. The latter enjoyed a pop during the pandemic, but historically has not delivered consistent profitable growth. The street has mixed feelings about DT with seven buys, five holds and two sells. Read The dollar wars for our full analysis.