Producer @cp24 @cp24breakfast Former Producer @BNNbloomberg. Reach me at Michael.chu@bellmedia.ca My Tweets = My POV. #candyconnoisseur
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Articles by Michael Chu
Top Picks from James Thorne: Goldman Sachs Business Development, Weyerhaeuser, Kinder Morgan
The Company focuses on lending top middle market companies. Business Development Companies were formed to give Businesses that could not get capital directly from Wall Street or Traditional Banks. Since 2008, with the increase regulation on traditional banks, e.g. Basile 3, Dodd Frank, traditional banks are lending less and less to business, BDC are filling this void. As well they are providing Private equity firms the ability of provide credit to many of the private companies they own.
John Stephenson's Top Picks: June 13, 2016
John Stephenson, President & CEO, Stephenson & Company Focus: North American Large Caps and Resource Stocks _______________________________________________________________ MARKET OUTLOOK: Uncertainty has once again become the focus of the market with investors weighing the impact of negative interest rates in Europe and Japan and the upcoming Brexit vote.
Top Picks from Richard Croft: Orbcomm, Goldcorp, Square
Global equity markets continue to be propped up by Central Bank intervention: more specifically access to free money! The short term challenge is earnings, which is a slow growth economy will remain anemic. Ample evidence of this could be seen in the latest quarterly earnings. While there were a lot of quarterly beats, they came on the back of diminished expectations. Not to mention record stock buyback programs.
Top Picks John O'Connell: Concordia Healthcare, Walt Disney Company, Apple
Markets are generally fully valued but pockets of value have been created because of a continued focus on ‘shortermism’ by investors. We feel that a profit recession is continuing as global growth remains stagnant. The recent weakness of the U.S. dollar, while providing some welcome relief for U.S. multinational corporations, is not sufficient to offset the overall global weakness.
YouTube unveils new space in Toronto
YouTube has unveiled its latest “YouTube Space: Toronto” – a first in Canada – teaming up with Toronto’s George Brown College for a 3,000+ square foot space in its downtown campus as a hub for aspiring online video stars to hone their craft. Toronto has become the eighth city in the world to become home to a YouTube Space, joining Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Berlin and Tokyo.
Top Picks from James Hodgins: Merus Labs, Intertain Group and *Short* Stillwater Mining
I believe a bear market in equities likely began in December. The recent rally has been dominated by stocks that were poor performers over the past 2 years, as well as heavily shorted stocks. These are the classic indicators of a bear market rally. Therefore, we believe we will make more money in special situations and on the short side of our portfolio going forward. Recently sold off on a poor quarterly result that was completely transitory.
Target's other lasting legacy: A sea of unsold goods
Discount retailer Target has left behind a wasteland of unoccupied real estate, more than 17,000 Canadians scrambling to find new jobs and legal battles, but it’s also leaving behind another fast-emerging legacy – a sea of unsold goods. When the U.S. retailing giant announced its exit from the Canadian market in January, it took less than two months to completely liquidate its 133 stores.
The problem with gold prices? No more fear factor: JP Morgan
With gold dropping to levels not seen since early 2010, the once safe-haven for investors is quickly turning bulls into bears. “All the catalysts supporting gold are gone,” Anastasia Amoroso, vice president and global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management tells BNN. Gold slid more than 1 percent on Friday to its lowest since early 2010, putting the metal on course for its biggest weekly loss in nine months.
Top Picks from Stephen Takacsy: Savaria, Prism Medical and Ag Growth
MARKET OUTLOOK: The big news this year has been that at least 14 countries including Canada, the Euro-zone and China (several times) have cut interest rates. Most economists would have expected central banks to be raising rates 7 years after the financial crisis, however governments continue to provide monetary stimulus due to sluggish economic growth and deflationary concerns worldwide. The implication is that interest rates will stay lower for longer.
Top Picks from James Telfser: easyhome, Mitel Networks and Clearwater Seafoods
The current market temperature remains in the “goldilocks” zone, with lukewarm growth and inflation figures likely to discourage any near term changes to interest rate policy on either side of the border. Broad market valuations are high on a historical basis, but not out of hand, and while most developed equity markets have lost a bit of their momentum, they remain in bullish trends.
Top Picks from Barry Schwartz: Viacom, Cineplex and Molson Coors
The first six months of 2015 have been underwhelming for equity investors who have been use to almost six years of strong performance. Many have compounded their returns by double digits since 2009. It is unrealistic to expect that the next five or six years going forward will be as fruitful. While predicting market returns in a short-time frame is folly, the bar set by negative real returns means that equity oriented investors have a low hurdle to clear.
BlackBerry's restructuring won't do much for valuation: portfolio manager
BlackBerry’s turnaround strategy continues to unfold, and has quietly slashed more jobs in its smartphone division. BlackBerry (BB.TO) has not given out the numbers but in a statement released on Friday night says it is consolidating its software, hardware and application businesses. This company’s success will still be dependent on how many people are using its software and hardware.
Leaving Las Vegas: Onex learns from failed casino investment
Onex Corporation has been dealt a cold deck for its big Las Vegas bet as the economic landscape in the casino mecca continues to sputter. The private equity firm sold its stake in the storied Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in the heart of the Las Vegas strip in late April to Penn National Gaming after holding out hope that its renovation efforts would pay off.
Five secrets to a perfect pitch from Shark Tank’s biggest success story
While Shark Tank has had its ups and downs, the biggest success story to ever come out of the show - where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to deep-pocketed investors – is from a simple concept that combines the best of both a scrubber and a sponge. The Scrub Daddy – founded by Aaron Krause has taken the aisles of stores across North America by storm, grossing $50 million dollars US in just three short years.
Teenagers are buying less stuff, more experiences
Teens are increasingly shying away from opening up their wallets to buy clothing, and splurging on experiences. That’s according to Piper Jaffray’s Annual “Taking Stock with Teens” Survey. “Teens have gone from a possessions-based expression and logo-based clothing into these experiential components – like dining out and going to Imax,” Stephanie Wissink, co-director of research and senior research analyst, Piper Jaffray, tells BNN.
Teck Resources should buy HudBay Minerals: Analyst
With rumblings in the market that Teck Resources Ltd. (TCKb.TO) could be on the prowl for acquisitions–especially on the copper front–could HudBay Minerals Inc. (HBM.TO) be square in the sights for the Vancouver-based base metals giant? Analysts at National Bank Financial outline the perfect storm of events that could bring Teck and HudBay Minerals together. “The combined company would provide; near-term growth, long-life diversified operations, and carry less financial risk.
Darwinism in action among Canada's troubled retailers, says analyst
Canada’s retail climate has been under pressure as of late, given the wave of bankruptcies from the likes of Target, Bikini Village, Mexx Canada and Bowring. But Canada’s retail scene is not down and out for the count, it’s just a case of Darwinism in action, according to Jim Danahy, chief executive officer of CustomerLab, a retail consultancy firm based in Toronto. “A lion can’t grow if there is no prey,” he tells BNN.
Prem Watsa bets big on deflation, 'concerned' about financial markets
As Canadian and U.S. equity markets grind higher, contrarian super-investor Prem Watsa is positioning his portfolio to withstand a big round of deflation, to the tune of $112-billion in protection through derivatives contracts. On a conference call to discuss the record earnings of his financial services holding company Fairfax Financial, Watsa told analysts he is maintaining approximately 23 percent of Fairfax’s investment portfolio in cash.
Former Tim Hortons executive: Burger King was ‘persistent’ in pursuing deal
Tim Hortons and Burger King officially merged into Restaurant Brands International (QSR.TO) in December. But the former chief financial officer of Tims said the deal to marry the Whopper and the Timbit took months, and multiple offers, to finalize. “3G and Burger King were very persistent,” Cynthia Devine exclusively told BNN’s Paul Bagnell.
Canadians may see more of China in their portfolios with new deal
Adding China to investing portfolios may soon become easier for Canadians, thanks to a new deal between Hong Kong and the mainland. On November 17th, Shanghai and Hong Kong will ease restrictions between each other’s stock exchanges, opening access to a combined US$4.2 trillion worth of equities. Foreign investors have generally been shut out from buying stocks listed in Shanghai – if your name likely isn’t Goldman Sachs or Credit Suisse.
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