Topic: How To Invest

Dear Pat: What do you think about Boyd Group Income Fund? Could you please give me your insight and recommendation? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Boyd Group Income Fund, $14.59, symbol BYD.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 12.5 million; Market cap: $182.4 million; www.boydgroup.com), operates 186 auto-body repair centres in western Canada and 14 U.S. states. These shops operate under a number of banners, including Boyd Autobody & Glass, Gerber Collision & Glass, True2Form and Cars Collision Center. Boyd is growing rapidly by acquiring independent shops and small chains. For example, in July 2012 it paid $4.4 million U.S. for Pearl Auto Body, which operates six repair shops in Colorado. Thanks to purchases like this, Boyd is now the largest collision-repair shop operator in North America by number of locations and annual sales. The U.S. accounts for 82% of its revenue. Growth by acquisition is riskier than internal growth for a variety of reasons, but they all grow out of the fact that acquisitions carry an above-average chance of unpleasant surprises. When you buy just about anything, you rarely know as much about it as the seller. If a..