Topic: How To Invest

What is Pat’s commentary for the week of March 1, 2016

Article Excerpt

It’s generally a bad idea to invest in companies that are active in a declining industry. When demand is shrinking, you have to work harder every year just to maintain your current position. But sometimes, the competitive advantages of a particular company can override a bad industry outlook. For instance, the tobacco industry has been on the decline since the 1960s. However, I stuck with one of my long-time recommendations, Imasco Corp. The company was Canada’s biggest cigarette maker, and supplied over half of the domestic market. Imasco’s extraordinary customer service and public relations effort contributed to its success. I was an Imasco customer for a few years, prior to quitting smoking in 1976. I once wrote to the company to complain that I bought a pack of its Sweet Caporals and the filter wasn’t attached properly to the rest of the cigarette. I soon got a letter of apology from the company, signed by someone with the title of “vice…