STOCKCHASE

Sold his holdings a few months ago because he felt it had been treading water for a long time. Had thought there were real catalysts for growth, which just didn’t materialize, and the company just didn't perform.

2010-02-08

SELL

15.900

Barry Schwarrtz

He just sold it. The order backlog is not improving and the repair and rental business is not making up for it. Doesn’t see earnings increasing over next few years.

2009-12-02

DON'T BUY

15.890

Paul Thornton

Trending between 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Not considered a high-growth company. Prefers companies with a unique service or dominant position in the marketplace.

2009-11-13

BUY

16.150

Barry Schwarrtz

Have had a disappointing year. Customers seem to be deferring repairs and rentals. Should have a big upside with demand for growth in commodities. Oil sands will continue to grow and needs the equipment. Copper mining in Chile is on fire. Excellent free cash flow.

2009-11-10

BUY

17.480

John Zechner

Their products needed for all the infrastructure projects.

2009-10-20

DON'T BUY

17.050

Michael Sprung

A dominant player in the heavy equipment sector and is diversified globally. Has done extremely well since March because of anticipation of the recovery being here. He is not so sure recovery will be that smooth. Longer term it is an extremely well managed company. 2.5% dividend.

2009-10-14

PAST TOP PICK

16.970

Alexander Lane, B Comm, C

(A Top Pick Sept 2/08. Down 24.5%.) Caterpillar equipment dealer. Down because of the metals more than anything else in specifically because of their interest in South America. Waiting to see what happens in South America because of their moving to the left.

2009-09-23

Comment

16.910

South American mining exposure is more cyclical and more depressed than Toromont (TIH-T). Also their UK heavy equipment operation is experiencing a lot of competition right now.

2009-09-21

HOLD

16.900

Shauna Sexsmith

Largest global dealer in Caterpillar equipment. While diversified base including oil sands, South American dealerships in the UK. Good, solid, economic recovery kind of story.

2009-09-08

PAST TOP PICK

16.120

(A Top Pick Sept 2/08. Down 27.26%.) Caterpillar distributor. Benefiting from the Olympics. If Mackenzie Valley pipeline ever goes ahead, they'll make some money. A lot of activity in South America. Good entry point. As metal prices/infrastructure picks up they will benefit. Strong Cdn$ hurts. Buy.

2009-08-31

PAST TOP PICK

16.940

(A Top Pick June 10/08. Down 35.33%.) Biggest Caterpillar distributor globally and geared to mining and oil. Went down with commodities but was oversold. Tremendous business in parts replacement and maintenance contracts. With commodities picking up machinery is getting sold again. A Buy.

2009-06-18

HOLD

13.900

(Market Call Minute.) Has exposure to the UK that is still under performing. Has exposure to the mining sector in South America, which is okay but also has exposure to the oil sands, which is a bit of an anchor on it.

2009-05-12

BUY

13.250

Rick Stuchberry

Caterpillar franchise in Canada/Europe. Will benefit from infrastructure spending. Looks like it is putting a bottom in. For a long-term horizon, this could be a Buy.

2009-04-03

PAST TOP PICK

10.790

Don Vialoux

(A Top Pick April 3/08. Down 63.8% but only down 6.5% if sold on June 13 as recommended.) Trend is still on a downside and has yet to show any signs of bottoming.

2009-03-10

DON'T BUY

13.150

David Driscoll

Cyclical so it needs demand from the big companies. If projects are being mothballed then this company will pay the price.

2008-12-12

Comment

24.250

Michael Smedley

Lives and dies by the Caterpillar sword. Great construction company. It will be great later. Good dividend.

2008-09-15

TOP PICK

23.250

Good exposure to mining industry, which he likes. Have Caterpillar franchise for Alberta and BC and will benefit from Winter Olympics, Alaskan pipeline project as well as the oil sands. Also exposure in South America where most of the mines are being developed. Had a couple of bad quarters because of the strong Cdn$ and he thinks we are now in a position to see that reversed.

2008-09-02

BUY

25.250

Robert Floyd

Very good company. Basically leases large moving equipment, etc. At this juncture, it is probably an interesting bet. You have to look at the overall mining operations and a lot of companies are expanding and the need for equipment is still very high.

2008-08-21

BUY

27.350

John O'Connell, CFA

(Market Call Minute.) You could own both Caterpillar (CAT-N), the manufacturer and Finning (FTT-T), the distributor.

2008-07-31

PAST TOP PICK

24.770

(A Top Pick Aug 8/07. Down 13%.) Infrastructure and agriculture. Still likes.

2008-07-07

TOP PICK

27.080

Caterpillar equipment in Western Canada is benefiting from winter Olympics and will ultimately benefit from pipelines going north and tar sands in Alberta. Tremendous business in South America where most of the world’s new mines are being built. Big recurring revenue from service and parts.

2008-06-10

PAST TOP PICK

28.120

(A Top Pick April 5/07. Up 8%.) Operationally, things were great, but $0.10 of earnings got shaved because of currency swings. $1.7 billion backlog. Expecting a lot more upside. Great fundamentals.

2008-06-03

TOP PICK

29.600

A large amount of their revenue comes from service maintenance and parts. In other words, they sell the equipment and then get to maintain it for the next 10 years. They make better margins on this than they do on selling the huge earthmover. Tremendous opportunity because of Winter Olympics, pipelines and mining in South America where they have the franchise.

2008-05-13

Comment

31.150

John Zechner

Well managed and in an area that will have good secular growth, providing equipment to the mining business. In the short term, he doesn't see much earnings growth but okay for the long-term. Good over the next 5, 10, 15 years. Doesn't see a lot of excitement.

2008-04-28

PAST TOP PICK

30.360

(A Top Pick Apr 23/07. Up 6.7%.) A great play on resources. Still a Buy.

2008-04-09

TOP PICK

28.800

Don Vialoux

Can take advantage of any infrastructure going forward. Chart shows a potential reverse head and shoulder pattern. If it gets above the line ($29.50?) it's off to the races. The company will have very strong 1st quarter results and very strong earnings for 2008. Seasonality strength seems to be between November and the end of May.

2008-04-03

DON'T BUY

25.120

Global infrastructure play. Have really liked this company in the past. Highly economically sensitive. Have long-term contracts but their backlog is a little lower than normal.

2008-01-18

TOP PICK

27.600

Whistler Olympics has a huge amount of development still going on. Oil sands machinery continues to need maintenance and parts. Perhaps the Mackenzie Valley pipeline will get built some time. New mines are being opened in South America. They make money on service and support.

2007-12-18

DON'T BUY

26.000

Peter Hodson

Was Short this stock a few weeks ago but has now covered it. Their last quarter was pretty much a disaster. Has a premium valuation at 17X forward earnings and is not deserving of it. Would be a steal at 14X or 15X forward earnings.

2007-11-26

HOLD

31.080

Bruce Campbell

Good growth outlook. Wait a little.

2007-10-24

Comment

32.430

Michael Sprung

Caterpillar equipment. Do well when there is a lot of capital spending and infrastructure building. Their UK subsidiary had a bit of a problem but seems to have straightened out. If you own, consider trimming your holdings in case of a slowdown.

2007-10-01

BUY

28.560

Has finally hit its stride. Last 2 quarters have been very good. Backlog continues to be very strong. The only laggard has been the UK operations but management has been working hard on fixing it. Earnings growth continues to be very, very good. Trades at 15 X next year's numbers, which is a very reasonable multiple.

2007-08-21

TOP PICK

29.490

Just blew the doors off with its earnings, even after a disappointing period in the UK. Have a backlog of $1.8 million. A leveraged play on increasing demand from emerging markets.

2007-08-08

HOLD

29.490

Robert Floyd

Very well managed company. With the huge developments in western Canada in mining and oil/gas, it is doing well. Stock seems to move ahead of its valuation and then pulls back to a realistic point, which is what has been happening over the last couple of months.

2007-07-12

PAST TOP PICK

58.490

(A Top Pick May 25/06. Up 54%.) Finally hitting on all cylinders. Will eventually benefit from any pipeline getting built. South America sales are going through the roof. The UK division finally got sorted out.

2007-05-08

BUY

56.400

A leveraged play on the resource economy of western Canada and the emerging markets. Will keep going in the next few years.

2007-04-23

TOP PICK

53.420

Has suffered some execution issues over the last couple of years. Looks like they're finally getting through. Earnings growth has begun to show some good signs. Have oil sands and mining exposure in good areas.

2007-04-05

DON'T BUY

52.090

Ross Healy

Quite fully valued. The whole sector looks a little on the pricey side.

2007-03-07

WEAK BUY

49.070

Brian Acker, CA

The model price is almost $50 which is a 5% positive differential. Just sold his holdings.

2007-02-01

DON'T BUY

48.070

John O'Connell, CFA

Makes money both selling equipment and has a nice consistent cash flow through servicing. Had some problems in Britain and are not completely out of the woods yet.

2007-01-25

HOLD

46.750

John Zechner

Very involved in the oil sands, but also are substantially involved in South America for a lot of mining project. As long as there is global growth in the industry, it should continue to do all right. Wouldn't be surprised if growth slows down on a cyclical basis. OK for a long-term hold.

2007-01-22

PAST TOP PICK

47.000

(A Top Pick Jan 4/06. Up 27.9%.) In the last 4 years, they have taken a hit on the currency. With the Cdn$ being down, they will actually have an increase in the foreign exchange. They have big position in South American mining which is going ahead full bore.

2007-01-10

BUY

46.180

Brian Acker, CA

A model price is $48.72, only a 3% positive differential, but it has huge revisions.

2006-12-21

HOLD

44.700

Michael Decter

A great play on Western Canadian development and the economy. Worked through their UK problems. Started dividends although their earnings were not as good as they should be. Fairly valued. Would like it below $40.

2006-11-24

BUY

45.770

The English operation was an albatross around their neck, which they managed to shed. Doing great in South America, Western and Northern Canada. Every time they sell a machine, they have supply and maintenance contract which is good for their revenue base.

2006-11-21

BUY

39.060

Finally did something right, with their UK holdings. Still likes the South American operations very much.

2006-10-23

DON'T BUY

37.900

Has been one of the best performing stocks over this cycle. Economically sensitive stocks have started to suffer. Earnings are still very good but the market is seeing some risk going forward.

2006-09-13

Comment

39.820

Bill Harris, CFA

Putting it beside Toromont Industries (TIH-T) it comes out as a more high quality company. Big infrastructure needs should keep propelling both companies forward.

2006-09-01

Comment

38.650

Paul Harris, CFA

Owns some of their bonds. A great company with some good international plays. Guidance has been 20% a year, which is a very high number, and this has hurt them. The market is thinking the economy boom is slowing down which has affected the price.

2006-08-15

DON'T BUY

39.000

David Chapman

Charity shows pretty much a straight line that it moves around. You don't want to see the lows broken, but preferably to break out through the highs. If the market goes down, the risk here is to the downside.

2006-08-04

PAST TOP PICK

38.600

(A Top Pick May 25/06. Up 3.5%.) Likes its exposure to the oil sands and base metals in South America through their trucks. Will also do well for the Olympics in British Columbia and the Mackenzie Valley.

2006-07-27

PAST TOP PICK

39.970

Fred Pynn

(A Top Pick Mar 3/05. Up 15.5%.) Still likes. Could still be bought. The long-term play is as Caterpillar (CAT-N) gets its equipment into the field, this company benefits from the higher margin repairs/maintenance.

2006-07-26

HOLD

36.920

Bruce Campbell

Quasi cyclical with its exposure through Caterpillar. Always a little ahead of itself and has gone sideways. If you like the North American economical outlook for the next year or two you can stay in it but be ready in the next little while to sell on a move up.

2006-07-05

TOP PICK

38.560

Just had a falloff of more than 10%, which creates a buying opportunity. Likes them for its business in the mining sector in Argentina and Chile. Likes their exposure to the winter Olympics, the oil sands and the Mackenzie Delta.

2006-05-25

DON'T BUY

39.640

Laura Wallace

Has been a well-run company. Newspaper article indicated that oil sands has come up with new technology which means they wouldn't need Finning equipment anymore. That could have a big impact. Trading at 52-week high and she would be cautious at this point.

2006-04-06

TOP PICK

38.190

Shauna Sexsmith

One of the largest dealers of Caterpillar equipment. One of the ways to take advantage of the resource boom without having the volatility. Over the next 8 years, they are going to see an extra $3 billion plus in revenues just as a result of parts and equipment business in the oil sands.

2006-03-28

BUY

38.500

Caterpillar equipment dealer. Prefers over Toromont (TIH-T) because of their exposure to South America.

2006-03-27

PAST TOP PICK

39.900

(A Top Pick Dec 29/05. Up 7.3%.) A leverage play on the western Canadian resources boom. Still likes.

2006-03-20

TOP PICK

36.750

A pretty good story of a Canadian company that has expanded outside of Canada. The traditional business was heavy equipment in western Canada. Making a lot of money in Latin America. Transforming itself by selling more and more services such as equipment maintenance and parts. Likes the infrastructure that is going to be going on in western Canada.

2006-01-04

TOP PICK

37.250

A play on the resource boom. Distributor of Caterpillar Tractors for western Canada, the UK, and parts of Latin America, all of which, except for the UK, are doing very well.

2005-12-29

BUY

36.800

Ross Healy

Has been trading between 2 and 2.5 X its book value for some period of time and has just pulled down to the 2 X book. On a trading basis, it’s worth a shot. This would potentially give you 10/15% upside if it acts the way it has been.

2005-12-13

TOP PICK

37.000

Interesting way to play the oil sands. They'll be supplying hundreds of millions of $'s worth of equipment to people in the oil sands. Will make a lot of money on the Whistler olympics. Probably going to make a lot of money on the MacKenzie Valley pipeline. Doing great in mining in South America. Had a mediocre quarter giving a nice buying opportunity.

2005-11-24

DON'T BUY

37.500

David Driscoll

Right now they are running free cash flow negative. Caterpillar news that was out today was not good because they shouldn't be having supply problems this let in the cycle. His valuation is in the $20 to $24 range.

2005-10-21

BUY

40.000

Michael Smedley

A little high. Has some choice aspects supplying into the resource development arena around the world. Had some trouble getting its UK operation working properly. A blue chip.

2005-09-27

BUY

37.980

Ron Meisels

An excellent stock. Strong uptrend. Has hit a new all time high which is a positive. Dividend.

2005-07-29

SELL

38.750

Danny Tomka

This is a play on the oil sands. They have the CAT dealership in western Canada, England and in S. America. At this point, when they do sell new equipment, the margin is very low. Where they make their money is on the service side. Looks fully valued.

2005-07-20

PAST TOP PICK

36.520

Ron Meisels

(A Top Pick Apr 11/05. Up 7%.) Broke the trend line in May and started a new upside.

2005-07-07

BUY

35.000

Peter Hodson

A fabulously run company in the right industry at the right time. Too big for his portfolios.

2005-06-13

PAST TOP PICK

33.450

(A Top Pick Feb 28/05. Up 2%.) Benefiting from the world wide boom in mineral extraction. They'll do well with the Olympics, northern pipeline, etc. Still likes.

2005-04-21

TOP PICK

34.080

Ron Meisels

All 3 Top Picks are in a major uptrend and all have significantly higher targets and nobody follows them. Sitting right on the 200 day moving average. A major breakout is about due on this stock.

2005-04-11

BUY

32.880

Norman Levine

Affected more by the mining/forestry cycle rather than an energy crisis. Have had a good time in this period and the outlook continues to be good.

2005-03-31

BUY

33.990

Fred Pynn

Back door way to participate in commodity boom.

2005-03-03

BUY

34.700

A currency hedge as a lot of revenues are from outside of North America. A lot of their equipment is in South America, one of the fastest growing mining segments in the world. A conservative way to get exposure to Westport. Spending a lot of time and energy in England trying to get their rental business back on track. Good long term buy.

2004-12-16

DON'T BUY

33.300

Veronika Hirsch

Ha downed, but replaced it with Toromont Industries (TIH-T) because they are worried about what is happening in the UK.

2004-11-04

BUY

31.000

Paul Harris, CFA

Has done some very good acquisitions. Strong company. Hitting on all cylinders. A good solid story.

2004-09-17

HOLD

32.770

Michael Smedley

Like the stock. Strong company, long term good hold.

2004-06-16

BUY

32.800

Ian Nakamoto

Good company .

2004-06-14

BUY

31.450

Robert Floyd

A well managed company. Growth comes from late cycle characteristics such as big mining projects. Revenues should stay strong.

2004-06-01

BUY

29.400

Just announced a big contract in Chile. A good stock for short and long-term.

2004-04-27

WEAK BUY

29.400

Laura Wallace

Great brand name. Very strong company. Has quite a cyclical bias to it. Performance is going to be a function of what use the in the economy. Prefers others.

2004-04-12

BUY on WEAKNESS

29.700

Bruce Campbell

Well-run. Had a nice run, but now looking at less than 10% growth. Would consider at$25/26.

2004-04-01

PAST TOP PICK

30.350

(A top pick Dec 9/03. Up 3%.) Didn't do as well as they had hoped. Had some foreign exchange problems, didn't sell as much equipment as they would've liked. Expect they will grow based on metal prices, pipeline development, Olympics.

2004-03-01

BUY on WEAKNESS

29.940

Laura Wallace

Earnings reported were a little disappointing. Very exposed to a strong Canadian dollar. An extremely good company.

2004-02-25

DON'T BUY

30.000

David Chapman

Chart indicates a negative. Has two tops and is beginning to turn down. Has sell signals on it.

2004-02-13

HOLD

30.260

John Sinkins, CFA

A good name to hold. Hopefully there will be some upside.

2003-12-29

DON'T BUY

28.400

Likes the machinery stocks in general. It looks like the earnings momentum has slowed in this stock and the estimates are not rising as quickly as they where in the past.

2003-12-16

BUY

28.860

A really well run the company. Good price.

2003-12-15

BUY

29.870

Big growth in Alberta oil sands, infrastructure projects in B.C., UK, Paraguay, etc. 1.2% dividend yield.

2003-12-10

TOP PICK

29.700

Has a lot of things going for it with a lot of global activity. Very reasonable price.

2003-12-09

BUY

29.610

Fred Ketchen

Down about 10%. Good management. Expects this industry will continue to grow.

2003-11-28

DON'T BUY

31.320

Brian Acker, CA

Has had a nice run, but their model price is where it's selling at now. Fully valued. Well-run company.

2003-10-17

TOP PICK

32.320

A steady performer. Particularly likes their prospects in South America because of demand for base metals. Should also do well in the Canadian north. Well-managed. Good price.

2003-10-08

PAST TOP PICK

32.050

(A top pick August 19/03. Up 3.3%.) Very solid company. Still likes.

2003-09-29

BUY

32.300

Mining and oil sands projects are expanding. Also have distributions in Europe and South America. Very attractive price.

2003-09-18

HOLD

32.050

Michael Sprung

Has had a good run, but expects more good news to come. Will probably continue to be one of the primary suppliers to the Oil Sands project. International operations have improved.

2003-09-11

BUY

30.870

Mike Weir

Have long-term hold stock.Tremendous growth rate.Have never lost money.

2003-08-19

TOP PICK

30.870

Caterpillar has been in strong demand.With all the infrastructure being built, it should do great.

2003-08-19

TOP PICK

31.200

Great acquisitions globally. Growth is coming world wide so economies should do well.

2003-07-22

BUY

29.900