KeyStone’s Stock Talk – Canadian & US Small-Cap Growth & Dividend Stocks, Tips & Portfolio Building Strategies

This week, back by popular demand we put together another Case For, Case Against segment. In the line of fire is Ballard Power Systems Inc. (BLDP: TSX), which designs, develops, manufactures, and sells proton exchange membrane fuel cell products. Ballard’s zero-emission PEM fuel cells are enabling electrification of mobility, including buses, commercial trucks, trains, marine vessels, passenger cars and forklift trucks. We argue both sides of the BUY/SELL argument for the stock. 

In our Your Stock, Our Take we take a listener question on Element Fleet Management Corp. (EFN: TSX), a global fleet management company, providing world-class services and financings for commercial vehicle and equipment fleets. We investigate how the business is holding up during the pandemic lockdown.

Our Star of the Week is Mogo Inc. (MOGO: TSX), a Canadian based fintech company which offers a finance app that provides a number of solutions for managing and monitoring your financial health. The stock is up 30% over the past 5 trading days, we let you know why.

This week, we start by looking at what we are calling the “normalcy trade”, sparked in part by positive vaccine news and what appears to be a Joe Biden presidency. While returning to the old normal can sound great, for the stock market it may be a case of “be careful what you wish for”.

In this week’s Your Stock, Our Take segment, we take a look at two companies. The first, Pfizer Inc. (PFE:NYSE), is certainly in the eye of the storm this week after it announced positive initial results for its COVID-19 vaccine. We let you know the current valuations on Pfizer and the potential impact moving forward.

Our second Your Stock, Our Take is on Richards Packaging (RPI.UN:TSX) which has found a perfect storm during the pandemic driving record earnings and pushing its share price to all time highs. We examine the growth and comment on the sustainability.

This week, on the precipice of a historic U.S. election I will start with a brief commentary on making portfolio decisions based on election outcomes.

Back by popular demand we have decided to make our new Case For, Case Against segment a permanent fixture. Our head of income research, Mr. Aaron Dunn will make his highly anticipated first argument facing off against Brennan. In the line of fire is Apple Inc. (AAPL: NASDAQ), the iPhone company which should need no introduction. While the stock sold off this week after its quarterly results included a lack of forward guidance, the consumer tech giant is up 47% this year. We argue both sides of the BUY/SELL argument for the stock.

With a hat tip to Movember and men’s cancer prevention and treatment, this week’s Your Stock, Our Take was sent in from a listener on Profound Medical Corp. (PRN: TSX), a medical technology company developing medical treatments with its core technology used to ablate the prostate gland. We let you know if the share price gains are justifiable based on the underlying cash flow at present.

This week, after incredibly positive feedback for our new Case For, Case Against segment we are making it a return engagement. This week, I will face off against Brennan in an epic rematch. In the line fire is, WELL Health Technologies Corp. (WELL:TSX), who’s mission is to modernize the Canadian healthcare industry by digitizing it. The stock has been on fire in 2020 and just completed an $80 million financing to continue its growth-by-acquisition strategy. We argue both sides of the BUY/SELL argument for the stock. This week’s Your Stock, Our Take was sent in from a listener on Superior Plus Corp. (SPB:TSX), which distributes retail and wholesale propane, natural gas, and liquid fuels to Canada and the U.S. as well as specialty chemicals, primarily sodium chlorate to the pulp and paper industry. Finally, our Star of the Week Pinterest Inc. (PINS: NYSE), one of the worlds largest picture sharing apps, and Brennan’s favourite way to spend a Saturday night. Pinterest has more than 400 million monthly users. The stock was up 14% over the last week, 32% over the last month and 186% since the start of the year. We let you know if it can continue.

This week, we debut a new segment pitting 2 KeyStone analysts against each other in a rapid-fire “Case For and Case Against” an individual stock. Our third analyst will act as judge, jury, and executioner to pick the winning argument. In the line of fire this week is Cannabis giant, Canopy Growth Corporation (WEED:TSX). This week’s Your Stock, Our Take was sent in from a listener on Constellation Software Inc. (CSU: TSX), a great Canadian success story and capital compounder which manages and builds industry specific software. Finally, our Star of the Week is VitalHub Corp. (VHI:TSX-V), which develops mobile healthcare solutions that allow clinicians to access information about patients. The stock is up over 20% in the last 5 days and 90% in the last three months. We let you know if it can continue.

This week we kick off with a brief discussion on SPACs. With everyone from hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and Oakland Athletics general manger Billy Beane to former Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn, former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, backing SPACs. And, Virgin Galactic, DraftKings and Nikola Motor Co. all going public through a SPAC. The SPAC has come mainstream. We let you know what they are and if they are a unique opportunity.

Our first Your Stock, Our Take is on Netflix Inc. (NFLX: NASDAQ), the largest video streaming company in the world. A listener asks us how the shutdown, with more people staying at home and watching video, has impacted Netflix and whether we would buy the company at the current price?

Our second Your Stock Our Take was sent in from a listener on ParkLawn Corp. (PLC: TSX), one of the largest providers of deathcare products and services in North America with operations in 5 Canadian provinces and 15 U.S. states. The listener notes ParkLawn has continued to make acquisitions during the pandemic and whether it is a long-term growth opportunity. 

This week in our Your Stock, Our Take segment we start by taking a listener question on The Joint Corp. (JYNT:NASDAQ), a franchisor of clinics and an operator of clinics in certain U.S. states. While still a small-cap, the company has more than 550 locations nationwide and over seven million patient visits annually, making The Joint Chiropractic a key leader in the U.S. chiropractic industry. Hit by the global shutdown, the business has a track record of growth and its stock continues to perform well. We take a dive into current valuations and see if the growth can continue.

Our second Stock pick is Converge Technology Solutions (CTS: TSX-V), a Hybrid IT solution provider (ITSP) with operations in the United States and Canada focused on delivering high quality hardware, software, and managed services solutions to corporate and government institutions. A listener asks us our take on the stock.

Finally, our Star of the Week is SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG: NASDAQ), a stock which entered our coverage at BUY when the stock traded at $107 just 5-months ago and today has jumped 148% to close today at $265.00. SolarEdge designs, develops and sells direct current (DC) optimized inverter systems for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. We review operations and what has led to the huge share price gains in the past 5-months since our recommendation.

This week in our Your Stock, Our Take segment we start by taking a listener question on one of the leading online groceries in Canada, Goodfood (FOOD: TSX). The stock is up 24% over the last 5 trading days and up approximately 200% since the start of the year – we let you know why and if there is further potential in the stock. Our second YSOT is NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT (NWH.UN: TSX), which holds 183 properties under management with a 97.3% occupancy rate. Its asset mix is around 55% hospitals & healthcare facilities and around 45% medical office buildings. The stock pays a strong 7% yield, and we let you know if it has growth potential. Our final YSOT comes in from a listener in reference to profitable Canadian micro-cap RIWI Corp. (RIWI: TSX-V). RIWI is an intriguing global trend-tracking and prediction technology firm, with a solid balance sheet and a focus on growing its recurring revenue base. A listener asks us if the company’s shares remain an opportunity.

This week in our Your Stock, Our Take segment we start by taking a listener question on Canadian communication companies. Specifically, whether Telus Corporation (T: TSX), is a good dividend/growth investment at its current price. Our second YSOT comes in from a listener on StorageVault Canada Inc. (SVI:TSX-V), which owns, manages, and rents self-storage and portable storage space to individual and commercial customers. A listener asks us our take on whether the stock remains a good growth opportunity. Finally, our Dog of the Week is Nikola Corporation (NKLA: NASDAQ), a stock we took a hard pass on earlier this year when it was included as a question in our YSOT segment. Nikola, which purportedly designs and manufactures battery-electric and hydrogen-electric vehicles, saw its founder, Chairperson, and largest shareholder, Trevor Milton, step-down amid allegations, he hasn’t exactly been truthful with investors. The stock dropped 20% on the day and is off 79% from its June highs.

This week in our Your Stock, Our Take segment we start by taking a listener question on Yamana Gold Inc. (YRI: TSX), a dividend paying, Canadian gold producer with a stable of exploration and development-stage projects located throughout the Americas. The second stock pick comes in from a listener on Vibe Bioscience Ltd. (VIBE: CSE), a micro-cap US-based Cannabis business with the goal of becoming a vertically integrated operator. We let you know if it looks like a contender or pretender. While it would have been a Dog last week, this week’s volatile Star is Tesla (TSLA: NASDAQ) is a vertically integrated sustainable energy company. The company is best known as the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world with global deliveries of 367,000 vehicles in 2019. We let you know our take on the current valuations.

We have a packed show for you this week. We start by looking at Thursday’s sell-off on the heels of new record highs for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ. In our Ask Us Anything segment we answer a listener question on how to use SEDAR, a useful but awkward tool for looking at all documents filed by every public company in Canada. In our Your Stock, Our Take segment start by taking a listener question on Canadian Small-Cap dividend payor, Pivot Technology Solutions (PTG: TSX). Pivot is an IT (information technology) infrastructure and service provider. The listener asks whether its high 8.5% dividend yield is sustainable if Pivot passed KeyStone’s growth and value criteria? Finally, after our appeal for questions on gold related growth and value stocks, we have been flooded with listener questions and put together a quick segment on some of the more frequently submitted gold names including SandStorm Royalty (SSL:TSX), Premier Gold Mines (PG:TSX), and Roxgold (ROXG:TSX).

This week in KeyStone’s Stock Talk Podcast, we pose the question as to whether the Stock Market is Showcasing Economic Reality, as the S&P 500 hits all-time highs after a rapid V-shaped recovery from the initial COVID-19 induced sell-off. In our Your Stock, Our Take segment we start by taking a look at Canadian micro-cap, C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. (CMI:TSX-V), a leading global provider of mobile auto-deploying satellite antenna systems. A listener who had made a great return on our recommendation on the stock in the past, asks us our take on the stock today. Our second YSOT, is a significantly larger business, US-based Yeti Holdings Inc. (YETI:NYSE), a global designer, retailer, and distributor of premium outdoor products. The stock, which went public in October of 2018 at $17.00, has seen its share price jump 209% since this time. A listener asks how the company’s current valuations stack up to our models. Our third question came in on GFL Environmental Inc. (GFL:TSX), a large cap, environmental services company in North America, providing services such as non-hazardous solid waste management, infrastructure & soil remediation and liquid waste management throughout Canada and in 23 states in the United States. A listener mentioned seeing a “Short Report” on this relatively newly listed public company and asked us our take on the stock from a fundamental perspective.

This week in our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take a look at a unique green power producer, Boralex Inc. (BLX:TSX). The company develops, builds and operates renewable energy power facilities in Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. We recently reviewed the stock for our upcoming Renewable Power Report and a listener asks us our take on the business. Our Star of the Week is XPEL Inc. (XPEL:NASDAQ), a stock which KeyStone clients are very familiar with as it has been a strong buy recommendation in our Canadian Small-Cap or Growth Stock and US Growth Stock coverage for just under 3-years. XPEL, which provides protective films and coatings, including automotive paint protection film, surface protection film, automotive and commercial/residential window films, and ceramic coatings, has seen its share price jump 79% this month, 373% in the last year and 1,920% since we recommended it at $1.42 less than 3-years ago. XPEL reported better-than-expected second quarter results which boosted the stock. Congrats to all clients who owned the stock. Finally, our Dog of the Week is Canadian based financial technology, or fintech, company. Mogo Inc. (MOGO:TSX). Mogo’s stock price is down about 18% over the past 5 trading days, after it announced mixed quarterly results this past week. Shares are off about 32% over the past year.

This week in our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take a look at two unique businesses sent in by listeners. The first, micro-cap, CEMATRIX Corporation (CVX:TSX-V) manufactures and supplies cellular concrete products developed from proprietary formulations across North America. A listener asks how the shutdown has affected business and if we think the company is a good way to play potential government infrastructure spending post shutdown. Our second YSOT is on Canadian digital media and marketing company, Yellow Pages Limited (Y:TSX). Yellow Pages local online properties including YP.ca, Canada411 and 411.ca. The company also continues to publish the Yellow Pages print directories, despite the fact that even most rotary phone aficionados appear to have graduated to something known as Google.

This week begins with a preview of our upcoming Canadian Alternative / Green Energy & Sector Report. In our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take at the ridiculous movement of shares in Eastman Kodak Company (KODK:NYSE) over the past week. Most of our listeners will know of the storied company well, for those that do not, Kodak is a global technology provider focused on print and advanced materials and chemicals. Our Star of the Week is no stranger to KeyStone Clients, having been recommended and sold for a 400% gain, then re-recommended just 5-months ago to clients. The company, Photon Control Inc. (PHO:TSX), primarily designs and produces precision temperature and position sensors used by semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment (WFE) manufacturers. The stock is up 25% this past week and 156% in the last 5-months since our re-recommendation. Our Dog of the Week is SIR Royalty Income Fund (SRV:TSX), owns a portfolio of 60 restaurants in Canada. SIR's Concept brands include: Jack Astor's Bar and Grill®, with 38 locations; Scaddabush Italian Kitchen & Bar® with 10 locations; and Canyon Creek®, with five locations. The stock is off 13% in the past 5-days and 70% year-to-date.

This week we start with M&A activity or lack thereof over the first 6-months of the year and what that could mean for the balance of 2020 and into 2021.  In our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take a look at an interesting renewable energy finance company. The company, RE Royalties Ltd. (RE:TSX-V) which acquires revenue-based royalties from renewable energy generation facilities by providing a non-dilutive financing solution to renewable energy generation and development companies. Our Star of the Week is Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (WPRT:TSX), a transportation technology company, which engages in the engineering, manufacture, and supply of alternative fuel systems and components. The stock was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year but is up over 37% in the past five trading days. We let you know what is driving the rebound. The first time ever Aaron will be hosting a Live Dividend Growth Stock Focussed Webinar on July 28th at 7pm Pacific.

This week we start by talking dividend stocks and specifically dividend growth stocks. Why they are right for your portfolio, particularly in this environment. And we intro a new Webinar dedicated to this topic. In our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take a look at two interesting companies. The first, Transalta Renewables (RNW:TSX), a renewable independent power producer. With the stock paying a 6.3% dividend a listener ask us the sustainability of that dividend and the growth potential for the business. Our second YSOT is on CloudMD Software & Services Inc. (DOC:TSX-V), a company which is helping digitize the delivery of healthcare by providing patients access to all points of their care from their phone, tablet or desktop computer. Telemedicine applications are hot, and a listener asks whether CloudMD’s revenue growth is leading to strong profit growth as well. We let you know how this small cap is progressing.

This week we will begin by briefly touching on an article detailing how, and I quote, “Subprime Canadian borrowers are weathering the crisis just fine.” How Joe Bidens tax plan could affect US markets. In our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take a look at three interesting companies. The first, Gatekeeper Systems Inc. (GSI:TSX-V), a provider of intelligent video solutions for public transport and smart cities. We have two “Stars” for listeners this week. The first, should be no stranger to KeyStone clients being the first Cannabis related stock we ever recommended just in December/January of the past year. The company, Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (TRUL:CNX), is a vertically integrated "seed-to-sale" company and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve’s shares have surged 30% in the past week. Our Second star is, NexTech AR Solutions Corp. (NTAR:CSE), which develops and operates augmented reality solutions. The stock is up 70% in the past week. We let you know if it continues to be an opportunity or a potentially dangerous investment at present.

This week we will begin by briefly revisiting our discussion on FaceBook (FB:NASDAQ) from last week, we will touch on electric car manufacturer Tesla overtaking Toyota as the world’s most valuable car manufacturer by market cap, and Warren Buffett’s first significant purchase since COVID-19. In our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take a look at three interesting companies. The first, MediPharm Labs (LABS:TSX-V), once a singular standout in terms of profitability in the Canadian Cannabis sector, has lost 70% of its value in 2020 – is it an opportunity or value trap? In our second segment, Aaron will be running a comparison on NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA:NASDAQ), and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD:NASDAQ). NVIDIA is leading designer of graphics processing units (GPUs) which are used in high-end PCs for gaming, data centers as well as AI and machine learning applications. For its part, Advanced Micro Devices produces microprocessors for the computer and consumer electronics industries with the majority of the sales are in CPUs and GPUs.

This week in KeyStone’s Stock Talk Podcast, we continue our discussion of the stock market’s coming potential “lost decade”. We take a look at this concept in reference to the Schiller PE and if the Market is Cheap or Expensive at present. In our Your Stock, Our Take segment we take a look at a couple of small-cap companies sent in by listeners, including a dividend payer and one cash rich technology play. The first, Decisive Dividend Corporation (DE:TSX-V), is an acquirer of diverse profitable companies including everything from a wood and gas stove business to and air blast sprayers and a business that provides products to the cement, mining, oil and gas, aggregate, and coal industries. The second is, Quarterhill Inc. (QTRH:TSX), historically an IP licensing business which is now focusing on the acquisition and management of technology companies that provides products and services worldwide. Finally, our Dog of the week, FaceBook (FB:NASDAQ), which needs no introduction. Mark Zuckerberg’s social media giant has come through the pandemic well, but is facing significant challenges near-term – Aaron discusses the impact on the stock.