Buy these two for their strong brands

Article Excerpt

These top providers of real estate services continue to rebound from their 2020 lows as businesses and individuals adjust their properties for post-pandemic uses. We like the outlook for both, particularly as their strong market position and brands make it easier for them to pass along higher labour and other costs to their clients. FIRSTSERVICE CORP. $162 remains a buy for aggressive investors. The company (Toronto symbol FSV; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 44.2 million; Market cap: $7.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 0.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.firstservice.com) has two main businesses that each supply about half of its revenue: FirstService Residential provides property management services such as collecting monthly condominium fees and maintenance services; and FirstService Brands offers a wide variety of property management services through several franchised businesses, including Paul Davis Restoration and CertaPro Painters. Revenue in the three months ended September 30, 2022, rose 13.1%, to $960.5 million from $849.4 million a year earlier (all amounts except share…