Stockchase Insights

Market cap is $180M, after a 61% gain this year so far. No analyst coverage. Dividend 1.96% with a 17% bump in April and semi-regular special dividends. Price/earnings 13X. No debt and $14M cash. Good cash flow. A big jump in last quarter revenue and a share buyback in place. A recent large contract win. Insiders at 3% ownership but 57% tightly held. There is a lot to like here for small cap investors. As a seismic data licensing firm it is tied to the oil and gas sector, but its library has value and can be sold more than once. Financial ratios are good. We think it is quite interesting right now, even considering the recent gains.
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

FANG is $42B market cap now, down 13% YTD and down 29% in a year, trading at 10.4X earnings with a 2.80% dividend (raised 11% in February). The balance sheet has some debt, but not a concerning amount. The sector is no one's favourite right now, with weakening oil prices. But we note the valuation reflects this, its last quarter was good, and estimates have been moving higher recently. Still, consensus calls for lower earnings this year and lower earnings next year. Thus it is hard to get too excited on it right now. We think its time will come, but we need to see better commodity pricing (preferred) or at least better investor sentiment. We would rate it a HOLD for now.
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

Market Update:

President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on goods from Japan and South Korea, starting on August 1. In addition, the copper market is currently in turmoil as President Trump announced a higher-than-expected 50% tariff on copper imports. The Canadian dollar was 73.04 cents USD. The U.S. S&P 500 ended the week up 0.4%, while the TSX was slightly down 0.1%.

A lot more greens this week than reds. Consumer discretionary and industrials gained 1.8% and 1.7%, respectively. Real estate and consumer staples added 1.5%, each, while energy edged up by 0.7%. Financials ended the week up 0.4%. Technology and materials ended the week down 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively. The most heavily traded shares by volume were TC Energy (TRP), Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and National Bank of Canada (NA).
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

As AMCR is a Swiss company, it is a bit out of our wheelhouse so we need to brief. Valuation is attractive and reflects the debt (13X earnings with a 5.2% yield). EPS growth has been fairly low, but consistent, and the company has managed business cycles well. Insiders were buying pre and post-merger. We think the merger makes a lot of sense but it could be some time before benefits are realized. The stock did get a couple of target price downgrades recently. 
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

DCI is an $8B market cap company, trading at 19X earnings. The balance sheet is fine, and it has shown quite consistent slow and steady earnings growth. Shares are up 123% in the past 10 years. The recent quarter was solid and it raised guidance for the fiscal year. Insiders do not own much, but it has been buying back stock, with 14M fewer shares in the past decade. Its filtration and emissions business may not be sexy, but the company is solid. 
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

It has a strong balance sheet with $260M net cash. EPS is set to surge this year and rise another 25%+ next year. Cash flow is good and it is a relatively conservative company overall. As a supply chain software solution, it is winning global clients and has good retention. Shares are up about 16% YTD. It may not be 'exciting' but it is reliable and does have good long term growth potential. The last quarter nicely beat estimates.
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

Market Update:

Canada factory Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI)declined to 45.6 from 46.1 in May, marking the fifth straight month sub-50 continues, as the trade war with the U.S drove the continued downturn. On the other hand, the US trade deficit widened by 18.7% to $71.5 billion in May, driven by weak exports, while economists warned that it could take some time for the tariff-related effect to affect the economic data. The Canadian dollar was 73.62 cents USD. The U.S. S&P 500 ended the week up 2.1%, while the TSX was up 1.7%.

A lot more greens this week than reds. Consumer discretionary and industrials gained 4.4% and 2.4%, respectively. Technology and financials added 2.2%, each, while real estate edged up by 1.9%. Materials gained 1.5%, while Energy ended the week up 0.4%. Consumer staples ended the week down slightly, 0.1%. The most heavily traded shares by volume were TC Energy (TRP), Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and National Bank of Canada (NA).
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

PWR is a leading specialty contractor that offers infrastructure solutions for electric power, oil and gas pipelines, and more. It has recently been rising due to increased electricity demand from AI/data center buildouts. It is a $57B market cap, with strong forward sales and earnings growth estimates, and rising analyst estimates. Its margins have been expanding nicely, cash flow generation is strong, and it has a decent buyback policy. Valuations have risen to about 36X forward earnings now, and we might expect some price consolidation in the near-term. Valuations can continue to extend from here, but we would like to see earnings grow at a quicker pace to justify more than 36X earnings. We would be OK buying, and we like it around $360 to $370. 
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

The acquisition of Novari is on the expensive side, but investors seem comfortable. VHI hopes to see it as a 'strategic' deal, which will expand it expand globally. Margins and other data were not provided, so we can only assume VHI believes in the future prospects here. Novari will add about 15% to VHI's annual revenue, pushing it above $100M. VHI also has a premium multiple so can justify the deal that way. We think it looks OK and would give management the benefit of the doubt here.
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

The sector may struggle a bit as the US goes through its current economic transition. Lower interest rates would help here, and so far job numbers have been decent. But depending on tariffs and inflation, there are some risks to consumer spending. SWIM is quite small at less than $1B market cap. Shares are up 156% in the past year and trade now at 76X earnings, certainly on the 'pricey' side of things. But it is well below its $19 2021 IPO price. Debt is very high at 5X cash flow, and it has lost money since inception. A small profit is expected this year. Insiders own 11%, Pamplona Capital owns 45% and the short interest is 11%. The last quarter was solid, but it has missed estimates about 50% of the time. Recent trends are good, but considering its debt, valuation, small size and overall risks, we would not give it a huge endorsement today. 
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

Market Update:

Canada’s population growth slows in the first quarter of 2025, with almost no growth, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of slower population growth. On the other hand, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged in June in the range of 4.25 – 4.5 percent, while keeping a projection for two rate cuts in 2025. The Canadian dollar was 72.85 cents USD. The U.S. S&P 500 ended the week down 0.5%, while the TSX was down 0.2%.

Consumer discretionary and real estate slid by 1.6% and 1.0%, respectively, while industrials and consumer staples gave up 0.7%, each. Materials and financials ended the week mostly flat, while energy edged up by 2.6% and technology gained 0.3%. The most heavily traded shares by volume were National Bank of Canada (NA), Tourmaline Oil Corp (TOU) and Keyera Corp (KEY).
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

MCB provides services and equipment to the energy sector, such as drilling equipment and replacement parts. It also makes heavy-duty trailers. It is small at a $116M market cap, and cheap at 11.5X forward earnings. It has a decent dividend yield of 2.1%, a small buyback policy, earnings growth is expected to be decent, and analyst estimates are rising. Profit margins are strong and rising, and debt levels are low. We think it looks interesting here, and we would be comfortable buying today, although it is a small name, and we would be mindful around position sizing. 
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

AJG is an $81.5B insurance brokerage name that pays a yield of 0.8%, and it has grown its sales and earnings at a 10.5% and 18.0% five-year CAGR, respectively. Earnings are expected to grow nicely in the coming years, and analyst estimates are mostly rising. Margin expansion has been strong, with profit margins at 13.9%, and an EBITDA margin of 33.0%. Cash flow generation is good, and it has an acquisitive strategy. Debt levels are reasonable, and it trades at a fairly high valuation of 27X forward earnings, but this has been expanding over the years, and we feel it reflects the growing quality of the business. We like AJG for a high-quality insurance-related name over the long-term.
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free 

Wells Fargo raised its target price on the stock recently, and the stock has seen some technical moves. Sentiment has shifted towards less concern on tariffs and investor anticipation of lower interest rates ahead. The stock is still down 7% YTD, but very cheap on valuation, and we think it was just 'beaten up' too much earlier this year. Consensus calls for a nice EPS recovery in 2026.
Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free