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Markets. He is surprised by how low the volatility is on the VIX. These levels cannot continue going forward. Investors have to be careful going forward. Some caution is warranted. You have to pick your points and not invest in the overall market. There has been a lot of takeout activity and this is a sign of a toppy market. It does not mean we have reached the top, however. The gap between bonds and dividends has narrowed. Now you take on more risk as you deploy capital in the equity market for dividends. His fund has a negative view on commodities and he tries to stay away from them.

BUY ON WEAKNESS

He believes the bad news is in the equation. Warren Buffet has come in and provided capital for them to deploy into mortgages and this has really improved their situation. The worst is behind them.

DON'T BUY

They changed their business model over the years, but he is skeptical of it. There could be regulatory changes. He feels it is better not to take those excessive risks at this time.

WAIT

They are awaiting regulatory approvals on a merger with AGU-T. It is premature to make a judgment as to whether the two companies will see a lot of synergies. It is better to be prudent and not put your chips into it at this time. Wait for the consummation.

BUY

They have done a really great job of consolidating the industry in Canada. It is expensive to add new capacity. He would be adding to the position. It is a defensive and conservative position. They could increase their dividend.

BUY

Canadian banks have done tremendously well over the last 10 years. The regulators are doing a great job of making sure the industry is safe. Everyone should own banks. There has not been any big write-downs in the banks recently. They are firing on all cylinders. Don’t overpay for them. BNS-T has international exposures to commodities, which has held them back a bit.

WEAK BUY

You have to get your head around the value of their real estate. The whole retail space is under tremendous pressure. It is just a question of when they are going to unlock those assets.

RISKY

Cannabis sector. There is a lot of potentially positive news priced into this sector. You have to be careful investing in this space until we know how big this space will be in Canada.

PAST TOP PICK

(Top Pick Feb 24/17, Up 1.75%) He is not too concerned about the auto sales in the US pulling back a bit. This is normalization. They continue doing a great job and can make accretive acquisitions. He remains a buyer at these levels. They pay a healthy dividend yield that could potentially increase going forward.

PAST TOP PICK

(Top Pick Feb 24/17, Up 9.46%) A small cap company that has not yet been discovered. There has been concern about the Trump impact, but it is so profitable and has such a high return on capital. It will become more and more noticed by investors as they work on lighting for Tesla cars.

PAST TOP PICK

(Top Pick Feb 24/17, Up 3.56%) A Top Pick again. The growth rate remained great and they are a potential take out candidate.

DON'T BUY

Investing in resources is very dangerous and you have to make a call on the underlying commodity. He encourages investors to make investments outside of these sectors. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

BUY

They did a great job in growing their business. They make their installation in a fast, eco-friendly way. A really innovative technology company. He sees a pickup in the hospital area. It’s just a matter of time until the stock price improves.

BUY ON WEAKNESS

A good, solid company. But a number of investments they made recently are having to be restructured. The dividend is sustainable, with payout close to 90%.

BUY

They are doing a pretty good job of consolidating the auto dealer industry. They were hit because a lot of them were in Alberta, but they are now going in the right direction. It is a question of time until the stock price recovers, but he does not think it will hit its previous highs. Be prepared to hold it for a while.