Latest Top Picks

Stock Opinions by Mike Lyons CA, CFA

COMMENT
Market - Recent mid-east problems might be a decent catalyst for a correction in the market. Market has gone straight up since August and has been looking for a catalyst and this is a pretty big one. Market rally was significant enough and the catalyst is big enough that it could be a fairly good correction. 10% would not surprise him. Could be a few weeks or a couple of months.
Unknown
BUY ON WEAKNESS
Celestica Inc
Fairly cheap but worries about how much value they can extract, as they don’t sell the end product. Financial multiples are attractive. Not sure this is the best time after their run up. In the wrong place of the value chain as they don’t get to keep any of the economic value themselves. Seem to be doing a better job of late.
electrical / electronic
DON'T BUY
Manulife Financial
In the event of a market correction, they might benefit because of all the hedging they have done. To him, a permanent marker against them is their error in writing unhedged insurance premiums.
insurance
DON'T BUY
Altaba Inc
Not enthused about this one. Sells for 3 to 4 times revenue, 15 times earnings. If it was a market leader or had some special attributes, he might be willing to pay more for it but it isn’t in this category. Runs a risk of being usurped by other internet vehicles.
computer software / processing
DON'T BUY
Beer is a gradual declining industry. Too expensive given the lackluster industry backdrop. A little over 3X sales.
breweries / beverages
COMMENT
Valero Energy Corp
Refining is an ugly business. Not an industry of secular growth but one of cyclical margin swings. Hard to make money at it and plants are hard to run. Sector has just had a bounce off a significant rally. Has a fair amount of debt. If dynamics for the sector continue positive for a little while, they will be more of a beneficiary than the un-levered players. (He just sold a refiner, Frontier Oil (FTO-N).)
integrated oils
DON'T BUY
Cisco
Instead of paying dividends they continue to buy back stock, which destroys shareholder value. Not sure management runs the business for the benefit of shareholders.
electrical / electronic
COMMENT
General Electric
If we get an economic rebound it will probably do fairly well. Doesn’t like the black box nature of GE Financials. Will probably do very well if there is an economic rebound.
electrical / electronic
BUY
Target Corp
Offers reasonable value. Trades for a reasonable price/sales and earnings. US retail sector is demonstrating they can make money even in this sort of environment. !.93% yield.
clothing
TOP PICK
Starbucks
This is an example of the kind of stock that he is willing to ride a lot longer and to much higher multiples if he believes management is outstanding. Executing extremely well on many fronts. Fully funding all their expansion and the institution of a dividend. If you feel there will be a market correction, you might want wait.
food services
TOP PICK
Caleres Inc
Likes the footwear industry. Very low multiple at about 25% of revenue and 11X earnings. Targeting to do about $2 a share in the next couple of years. If you put a twelvish multiple on this and get to 50% of revenues, it’s not very hard to get to $25 or $30.
misc consumer products
TOP PICK
A. Schulman Inc.
A leading performer of high performance plastic resins. Decent dividend of almost 3%. Low price sales and reasonable price/earnings. 2/3 of the business is profitable European operations and 1/3 is unprofitable North American. If the new CEO can get North America up to decent profitability, there is a lot of room for earnings and margin expansion.
chemicals
PAST TOP PICK
Bob Evans Farms
(A Top Pick Nov 3/10. Up 5.96%.)
merchandising / lodging
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Nov 3/10. Down 9.85%.) Still Buying
Consumer Products
PAST TOP PICK
Johnson & Johnson
(A Top Pick Nov 3/10. Down 5.1%.) Still Buying.
biotechnology / pharmaceutical
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