Income Trust Update

Our standing advice on income trusts is to limit them to one-sixth of your portfolio or less. In addition, we mainly recommend trusts that come out of trust conversions aimed at improving shareholder value.

We stay out of most new issues, trusts included. In our view,… Read More

This Newly Independent Giant is a Buy

NOVELIS INC. $24 (Toronto symbol NVL; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; SI Rating: Average) is the world’s largest maker of rolled aluminum products, including beverage cans, packaging and automotive parts.

The company recently restated its earnings to correct accounting problems related to its spin-off… Read More

It’s Hard to Replace a Winner

Falconbridge Ltd. (formerly Noranda Inc.) will be a hard stock to replace. We first recommended it in our April, 1995 issue. The Resources sector was depressed at the time, but we liked the stock for its high-quality reserves, steady cash flow and secure 5% dividend… Read More

Alcan Inc. $47 – Toronto symbol AL

ALCAN INC. $47 (Toronto symbol AL; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; SI Rating: Average) is the world’s second-largest producer of aluminum, after U.S.-based Alcoa Inc. Canada accounts for about half of Alcan’s aluminum production, while the other half comes from operations in 14 other countries.

The… Read More

Scotia Canadian Growth Fund $63.03

SCOTIA CANADIAN GROWTH FUND $63.03 (CWA Rating: Conservative) (Scotia Securities, 40 King Street West, 6th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1H1. 1-800-268-9 269; Website: www.scotiabank.com. No load — deal directly with the company.) uses fundamental analysis to identify what the managers sees as investments that have… Read More

5 Large-cap Canadian Bank-run Fund Buys

Here are five large funds run by each of Canada’s big-five banks. Each holds the kind of conservative, well-balanced portfolios of high quality stocks we like. All five have a high weighting in Financial services and Energy stocks. However, they stick with high-quality issues with… Read More

Buy for Top Stock Holdings

HARBOUR FUND $19.90 (CWA Rating: Conservative)(C.I. Mutual Funds, 151 Yonge St., 7th Floor, Toronto, ON M5C 2W7. 1-800-268-9374; Web site: www.cifunds.com. Load fund — available from brokers) invests in only 25 to 40 high-quality Canadian stocks, and it may hold stocks for four or five… Read More

Alcan Inc. $53 – Toronto symbol AL

ALCAN INC. $53 (Toronto symbol AL; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; SI Rating: Average) is the world’s second-largest producer of aluminum, after U.S.-based Alcoa Inc.

High oil prices will put more pressure on automobile manufacturers to offer more fuel-efficient vehicles.

One of the easiest ways for carmakers… Read More