BUY

Retailers are doing well and enjoying the consumer discretionary rally. Pair a Walmart position with Amazon. They both dominate retail.

COMMENT

What's a safe, stable dividend stock, like TD or BCE, for five years? He's cautious on telecoms, including BCE. They still have wireline exposure and would stay away. The only Canadian bank he owns is TD, which he's reduced a little. He prefers a U.S. bank with much higher dividend growth, albeit a lower dividend. BAC, for instance.

COMMENT

People like to rent and not buy equipment. Use a $168 stop loss.

COMMENT

Credit card stocks to buy? He likes companies with long runways, and digital transactions are growing by leaps. Buy Visa and Mastercard (the latter he owns).

DON'T BUY

Great company. But money is leaking out of these companies into economically sensitive stocks that are performing better, so look elsewehre. Doesn't see an entry point now.

COMMENT

Lam or Micron? Semi-conductors have been a good neighbourhood to be in. LAM is much more focused on equipment that makes semis while Micron is focussed on memory chips. With the proliferation of handsets, the demand for memory has been shooting through the roof, so Micron is benefitting big. He prefers Micron, though it's more cyclical than other stocks. Given consolidation in this space, the pricing power has gotten better. It trades at 6x PE like a cyclical. Great job of growing its business.

BUY

Lam or Micron? Semi-conductors have been a good neighbourhood to be in. LAM is much more focused on equipment that makes semis while Micron is focussed on memory chips. With the proliferation of handsets, the demand for memory has been shooting through the roof, so Micron is benefitting big. He prefers Micron, though it's more cyclical than other stocks. Given consolidation in this space, the pricing power has gotten better. It trades at 6x PE like a cyclical. Great job of growing its business.

PAST TOP PICK

(A Past Top Pick on May 17, 2017, Down 38%) He owned this for a long time, but in Q2 2017, their earnings revisions weakened, then Q2 results showed theatre visits were down. He exited. He doesn't buy turnaround stocks, which may happen here; he buys stocks that keep rising. This stock is broken with a weak earnings picture.

BUY

CEO optimism has been rising in the U.S. The steel sector and this stock are doing well. In fact, this is one of the leading sectors in America. Certainly take a look at this.

TOP PICK

Transports are outperforming the market--a good sign. XPO does logistics, fullfilment, getting products from the plant to the customer. This is a tech company with 1,700 coders creating tech solutions. Organic revenue growth with smart acquisitins. Sufferered only a little pullback in the recent correction. Use a $95 stop loss. A strong performer in the transport space. (Analysts' price target $107.56)

TOP PICK

A disruptor in medtech. ISRG builds robotic-assisted surgical devices that are sold to hospitals. Enjoys 85% recurring revenues. Growing steadily for 20 years with good intenational exposure. Their commerical shows a robot sewing the skin on a grape. Stock rose 8% today alone. Again demographics are another tailwind. (Also look at the IHI ETF in the medtech sector.) (Analysts' price target $460.80)

TOP PICK

In Guyana, has had the largest new oil find in 20 years. Stock has been strong since February and energy is the best-performing sector in the last two weeks. (Analysts' price target $55.27)

COMMENT

2016-2017 enjoyed high performing low volatility followed by 2018's volatility, just like post-1984 and the early-1950s. In both cases, the third year was a big up year. It's rare that the first correction (Feb. 2018) breaks the back of a bull market. After the correction, the markets run higher. 6 of the 10 best days in the last 20 years came within 2 weeks of the 10 worst days. So, we had a shake-out rally and held onto the moving averages. The strongest sectors since he pullback are all economically sensitive, not the ones you see heading into a slowdown or recession. The pullback gave buyers an opportunity. We have 4-6 months ahead that'll be constructive. But he's avoided Canada the past two years. In the last few weeks, though, he's seen strength in oil, so there could be a catch-up trade here in energy and Canada. American will outperform Canada.