Best Canadian Companies For 2015

Janet Yellen�� first press conference as Chair of the Federal Reserve created a bit of a stir, as a rather offhand remark about the timing of the first increase to the fed funds rate since May 2006 created a mini-selloff for yield-focused equities.

As we stand here on the cusp of rising rates–and rates can only head higher from here, barring another economic downturn–it�� important to keep in mind that, despite the long-term challenges they face, utilities��fundamentals remain solid.

The Australian dollar has pushed out to a four-month high, as evidence continues to mount that the economy Down Under is gaining momentum.

The Canadian dollar, meanwhile, came under renewed pressure, as traders weighed Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz�� dovish monetary policy stance against Ms. Yellen�� relatively hawkish tone.

Utility-stock indexes continue to push out to near-term highs, Australian equities are well off the near-sixth-month low set in early February and the S&P/Toronto Stock Exchange Composite Index, despite the loonie�� weakness, actually established a post-Global Financial Crisis/Great Recession high on March 20, 2014.

The most hated stock rally of all time continues, providing a compelling backdrop for the latest installment of our monthly Australian Edge/Canadian Edge/Utility Forecaster subscriber chats, which took place Wednesday afternoon, March 26.

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: ENI S.p.A. (E)

Eni SpA, an integrated energy company, engages in the exploration, production, transportation, transformation, and marketing of oil and natural gas. The company also involves in the production and sale of electricity; refining and marketing of petroleum products; and production and sale of petrochemical products and hydrocarbons. In addition, it engages in the offshore and onshore hydrocarbon field construction. Further, the company offers offshore and onshore drilling, and offshore design and engineering services for oil and gas companies. It has a strategic partnership with Gazprom for the joint development of projects in the upstream oil and gas markets. Eni SpA operates in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, and the Americas. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy with an additional office in San Donato Milanese, Italy.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  I'm going to sell ENI S.p.A. (E) out of my Dividend Income portfolio today. The dividend portfolio is too energy-heavy for my liking at the moment, given that I think oil prices are likely to be flat to lower in 2014, and given the likelihood of major supply and delivery disruptions this year. ENI—with its exposure to supply problems in Libya, Nigeria, Mozambique, and former (so far at least) Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, and its exposure on the demand side to the less-than-robustly growing Italian economy—currently offers an unattractive mixture of risk and reward.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Italy-based oil giant ENI SpA (NYSE: E  ) advanced 12% and yields 5.3%. The company suffered serious disruption by political unrest in Libya a few years ago, and is now facing unrest in Egypt, as are Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A  ) and others. ENI is active in Syria�as well. ENI sports double-digit revenue and earnings growth, with revenue growth accelerating in recent years. It has been moving into natural gas in recent years.

• [By Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy]

  There is a lot of buzz over recent energy activity in Sub-Saharan Africa. With Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC  ) and Eni (NYSE: E  ) making large gas finds off the coast of Mozambique, several majors are now looking to get in the game as well. BP plans to spend $540 million over the next five years to develop a part of this gas field that could hold well over 100 trillion cubic feet.�

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. (AXL)

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, engineering, design, and validation of driveline and drivetrain systems, and related components and chassis modules for automotive industry in the United States. The company?s driveline and drivetrain systems comprise components that transfer power from the transmission and deliver it to the drive wheels. These products include axles, chassis modules, driveshafts, power transfer units, transfer cases, chassis and steering components, driving heads, crankshafts, transmission parts, and metal-formed products. It offers products for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, passenger cars, crossover vehicles, and commercial vehicles. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Cooper Tire & Rubber (CTB) has gained 1% to $24.86 today, but its trading more on whether investors expect its acquisition by Apollo Tyres to be completed. Car-part companies, however, are also exhibiting weakness today. TRW Automotive (TRW) has fallen 0.8% to $77.91, Lear (LEA) has dipped 0.4% to $74.78 and American Axel and Manufacturing (AXL) is off 0.5% to $18.99.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of American Axle & Manufacturing (NYSE: AXL  ) jumped as much as 13% after the company reported earnings.

  So what: First quarter revenue rose slightly, to $755.6 million, and net income was $7.3 million, or $0.23 per share after adjusting for debt refinancing costs. Consensus estimate was for $750 million in revenue, and earnings of $0.16 per share.�

• [By Seth Jayson]

  American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings (NYSE: AXL  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on May 3. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

Top 10 Growth Companies To Invest In 2015: Sensata Technologies Holding N.V.(ST)

Sensata Technologies Holding N.V., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells sensors and controls primarily in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. It operates in two segments, Sensors and Controls. The Sensors segment offers pressure sensors, force sensors, temperature sensors, speed sensors, position sensors, motor protectors, and thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers and switches. Its sensors are used in various applications, such as automotive air-conditioning, braking, transmission, air bag, heavy vehicle off-road, industrial, aerospace, defense, and data/telecom applications, as well as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) applications. The Controls segment provides bimetal electromechanical controls, thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers, power inverters, and interconnection products. This segment also offers application-specific products, including motor and compressor protectors, circuit breakers, semicondu ctor burn-in test sockets, electrical HVAC controls, power inverters, precision switches, and thermostats. Its products are used in heating and air-conditioning systems, refrigerators, aircraft, automobiles, and light industrial system applications in industrial, aerospace, military, commercial, and residential markets. The company offers its products primarily under the Sensata, Klixon, Airpax, and Dimensions brand names. It serves original equipment manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive, industrial, and commercial end-markets; and industrial and commercial manufacturers and suppliers in the climate control, appliance, semiconductor, datacomm, telecommunications, and aerospace industries, as well as motor and compressor suppliers. The company was founded in 1916 and is based in Almelo, the Netherlands. Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. is a subsidiary of Sensata Investment Company S.C.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Toshiro Hasegawa]

  Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) fell 1.1 percent to A$73.73. Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) retreated 1.1 percent to S$3.78 today after posting earnings.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Sensata Technologies Holding (NYSE: ST  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.(POT)

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. produces and sells fertilizers and related industrial and feed products primarily in the United States and Canada. The company mines and produces potash, which is used as fertilizer. It also offers solid and liquid phosphate fertilizers; animal feed supplements; and industrial acids that are used in food products and industrial processes. In addition, the company produces nitrogen fertilizers, as well as nitrogen feed and industrial products, including ammonia, urea, nitrogen solutions, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. Further, it holds the right to mine 785,759 acres of land in Saskatchewan; and 58,263 acres of land in New Brunswick in Canada. The company sells its fertilizers primarily to retailers, dealers, co-operatives, distributors, and other fertilizer producers; industrial products primarily to chemical product manufacturers; and purified phosphoric acid directly to consumers of the product. Potash Corporation was founded i n 1953 and is based in Saskatoon, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By idahansen]

  Due to the impact of The Great Recession, stocks in the agricultural sector such as Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), The Mosiac Company (NYSE: MOS), and Potash of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) are trading well below highs. The exchange traded fund for the industry, DBA Power Shares, (NYSE: DBA), is down more than 17% for the last year. Despite this bearish trend, legendary investors such as Warren Buffett, George Soros, and Jim Rogers are very positive for the agriculture group. With the long term bullish outlook for the sector from the greatest investors in history, small cap stocks active in the fertilizer sector such as Sirius Minerals (LSE: SXX) and Americas Petrogas (TSX: BOE) are especially attractive.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  There seems little worry that�PotashCorp (NYSE: POT  ) �will cut its dividend -- which it called "sacrosanct" this past December�-- even though it's planning on cutting some 18% of its workforce this year in the face of flagging demand.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  As anyone who's tried to trade fertilizer stocks like Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (NYSE:POT), Agrium Inc. (NYSE:AGU), or Mosaic Co. (NYSE:MOS) already knows, these agricultural chemical names are all over the map. They're affected by their underlying fundamental values, as most stocks are. MOS, POT, and AGU are also pressured like any other commodity stocks are, and those ebbs and flows don't necessarily jive with the normal, fundamental-based ebb and flow. Finally, stocks like those of Potash - sometimes still referred to as Saskatchewan - Mosaic, or Agrium are also impacted by the ever-changing level of crop yields, crop supply and demand, and food-commodity prices. And, that market isn't in sync with the stock market or the overall commodity market. The overall result is a lot of volatility, but not a lot of predictability.... or is there?

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: Waste Management Inc.(WM)

Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company also owns, develops, and operates waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Its collection services involves in picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site; and recycling operations include collection and materials processing, plastics materials recycling, and commodities recycling. In addition, it provides recycling brokerage, which includes managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and electronic recycling services, such as collection, sorting, and disassembling of discarded computers, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. Further, the company e ngages in renting and servicing portable restroom facilities to municipalities and commercial customers under the Port-o-Let name; and involves in landfill gas-to-energy operations comprising recovering and processing the methane gas produced naturally by landfills into a renewable energy source, as well as provides street and parking lot sweeping services. Additionally, it offers portable self-storage, fluorescent lamp recycling, and medical waste services for healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individuals, as well as provides services on behalf of third parties to construct waste facilities. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  Furthermore, the company has a wide economic moat largely stemming from three factors: its efficient scale, its high switching costs and its intangible assets. Of the 20 commercial hazardous-waste landfills operational in the U.S., the majority are run by US Ecology and its main competitors Waste Management Inc. (WM), and Clean Harbors Inc. (CLH). With barriers to entry stemming from regulatory permits, and a limited market size, ECOL has managed to achieve an efficient scale in the market with five hazardous waste-sides. The company�� intangible assets consist of long-term regulatory permits, which enable US Ecology to posses a ��atekeeper privilege��regarding barriers to new entrants. In addition, customer switching costs are high, thus further adding to the firm�� ability to sustain growth in the long term.

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: KBR Inc. (KBR)

KBR, Inc. operates as an engineering, construction, and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power, and industrial sectors worldwide. Its Downstream business unit provides front end engineering design; detailed engineering; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC); EPC management; and program management services to petrochemical, refining, coal gasification, and syngas markets. The company?s Government and Infrastructure business unit provides program and project management, contingency logistics, operations and maintenance, construction management, engineering, and other services to military and civilian branches of governments and private clients. Its Services business unit delivers engineering, construction, construction management, fabrication, maintenance, and turnaround services. It also offers maintenance, construction, and drilling support services for offshore oil and gas producing facili ties using semisubmersible vessels. This segment serves oil, gas, petrochemicals, and hydrocarbon processing industries, as well as power, alternate energy, pulp and paper, industrial and manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. The company?s Technology business unit offers various process technologies, including value-added technologies in the coal monetization, petrochemical, refining, and syngas markets. Its Upstream business unit constructs liquefied natural gas, gas-to-liquids, onshore oil and gas production facilities, offshore oil and gas production facilities, and onshore and offshore pipelines. The company?s Ventures business unit invests in and manages projects, where the company provides engineering, construction, construction management or operations, and maintenance services. KBR, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  KBR (NYSE: KBR) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.70 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion.

  Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is estimated to post a Q3 loss at $0.04 per share on revenue of $142.67 million.

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Those hefty contract wins, plus the forward P/E of just 14 — make CBI one of the best stocks to buy.

  KBR (KBR)

  Spun-off from oil service stock Halliburton (HAL), KBR (KBR) could an interesting ��alue��pick for building outAmerica�� energy boom.

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: PPL Corporation(PPL)

PPL Corporation, an energy and utility holding company, generates and sells electricity; and delivers natural gas to approximately 5.3 million utility customers primarily in the northeastern and northwestern U.S. The company operates in four segments: Kentucky Regulated, International Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Supply. The Kentucky Regulated segment engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity; and the distribution and sale of natural gas to approximately 1.3 million customers in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The International Regulated segment owns and operates electricity distribution businesses in the United Kingdom that deliver electricity to 7.7 million customers. The Pennsylvania Regulated segment delivers electricity to approximately 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania. The Supply segment owns and operates power plants to generate electricity using coal, uranium, natural gas, oil, and water res ources; markets and trades electricity and other purchased power to wholesale and retail markets; and acquires and develops domestic generation projects. It controls or owns a portfolio of generation assets of approximately 11,000 megawatts in Montana and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s distribution system included 649 substations with a capacity of 25 million kVA, 28,838 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 24,131 cable miles of underground conductors in the United Kingdom. It also operated 377 substations with a capacity of 31 million kVA, 33,122 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 7,368 cable miles of underground conductors in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Some companies even make their regular dividend payments by raising capital, either from debt offerings or by selling new shares. Utilities PPL (NYSE: PPL  ) and Southern� (NYSE: SO  ) have used this strategy for years, as capital-intensive operations often make it necessary for utilities to find sources of cash elsewhere in order to give investors the dividends they've come to rely on.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  FirstEnergy wasn't the only utility to feel the burn from backwards hedges. Exelon (NYSE: EXC  ) took a one-time $235 million hit this quarter as natural gas prices unexpectedly headed higher. Likewise, PP&L's (NYSE: PPL  ) generation unit EPS fell more than 50%, primarily because of trimmed hedged wholesale prices. Meanwhile, Ameren (NYSE: AEE  ) is defying traditional diversity by exiting the generation business and relying entirely on regulated sales for revenue. While this might cause the utility to lag when margins expand, it safeguards earnings and keeps this dividend stock sustainable no matter where commodity prices head.

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc(VRX)

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and markets pharmaceutical products in the areas of neurology, dermatology, and branded generics. It offers Wellbutrin XL to treat depressive disorders; Xenazine to treat chorea associated with Huntington?s disease; CeraVe to rebuild and repair skin barrier; and Kinerase, a cosmetic product. The company also provides Zovirax ointment to treat initial genital herpes; Xerese to treat recurrent herpes labialis; Elidel to treat atopic dermatitis; and Acanya and Atralin gels to treat acne vulgaris. In addition, it offers Cesamet to treat nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy; Tiazac XC to treat hypertension and angina; Wellbutrin to treat depressive illness; Sublinox to treat insomnia; and Lodalis to treat hypercholesterolemia. Further, the company provides Cold-FX to strengthen immune system; Duromine/Metermine for weight loss; Difflam to treat sore throa ts; and Duro-Tuss and Rikodeine to treat dry and chesty cough, as well as various branded generics for treatments, including antibiotics, treatments for cardiovascular and neurological diseases, antifungal medications, and diabetic therapies. Additionally, it offers Bisocard to treat hypertension and angina pectoris; Flucinar, a corticosteroid ointment; and Sachol mouth ulcer gel; Bedoyecta to treat neurotic pain; M.V.I., a hospital dietary supplement for trauma and burns; Tandene to treat fever and headache; Melleril to treat anxiety and depression; and products for therapeutic classes, such as vitamin deficiency, antibacterials, and dermatology. It markets its products in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Latin America, southeast Asia, and South Africa. The company was formerly known as Biovail Corporation and changed its name to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. in September 2010. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in M ississauga, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brendan Mathews]

  We asked which current CEOs fit the�Outsiders�mold. Thorndike reeled off a short list of names, but he started with Michael Pearson of�Valeant Pharmaceuticals� (NYSE: VRX  ) . He went on to mention Nicholas Howley of�TransDigm Group� (NYSE: TDG  ) , and Rich Kinder of�Kinder Morgan� (NYSE: KMI  ) .�

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Andrew Yates, AFP/Getty Images LONDON -- The board of AstraZeneca on Monday rejected the improved $119 billion takeover offer from U.S. drugmaker Pfizer, a decision that caused a sharp slide in the U.K. company's share price as many investors think it effectively brings an end to the protracted and increasingly bitter takeover saga. The board said in a statement that it "reiterates its confidence in AstraZeneca's ability to deliver on its prospects as an independent, science led business." Pfizer (PFE), which is the world's second-biggest drugmaker by revenue, has been courting No. 8 AstraZeneca (AZN) since January, arguing their businesses are complementary. On Sunday, it raised its stock-and-cash offer by 15 percent to $118.8 billion, or 70.73 billion pounds. That would be the richest acquisition ever among drugmakers and the third-biggest in any industry, according to figures from research firm Dealogic. AstraZeneca didn't take long to reject the new offer, its board arguing Pfizer is making "an opportunistic attempt to acquire a transformed AstraZeneca, without reflecting the value of its exciting pipeline" of experimental drugs. Because Pfizer said it won't raise its offer again or launch a hostile takeover bid over the heads of AstraZeneca's board, the prospect of a deal looks increasingly remote unless AstraZeneca shareholders urge a change of mind. Pfizer has said it hopes AstraZeneca's shareholders will push for a deal. "This has been going on for quite some time and we have been in very deep engagement over the whole of the weekend," AstraZeneca Chairman Leif Johansson told the BBC. "If Pfizer now says this is the final offer I have to believe what they say." Shareholders in AstraZeneca seemed to think a deal is now unlikely, with the company's share price slumping 11 percent to 43.15 pounds. Johansson said his management team had told Pfizer over the weekend that it would need to see a 10 percent improvement over the 53.50 pounds-per-shar

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Hyperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ: HPTX  ) , a biopharmaceutical company focused on treatments for orphan diseases and hepatology, rose as much as 10% after receiving orphan drug exclusivity status for Ravicti from the Food and Drug Administration, and exercising an option to acquire two additional urea cycle drugs from Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX  ) .

Best Canadian Companies For 2015: Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX)

Barrick Gold Corporation engages in the production and sale of gold, as well as related activities, such as exploration and mine development. The company has a portfolio of 25 operating mines and a pipeline of projects located in North America, South America, the Australia Pacific region, and Africa. It also produces copper and holds interests in oil and gas properties located in Canada. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Last year, Barrick Gold (ABX) lost 48%, Newmont Mining (NEM) fell 48%, Goldcorp (GG) declined 39%. Iron miner Cliff’s Natural Resources (CLF), meanwhile, finished the year down 30%, while Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX) gained 17%.

• [By Daniel Putnam]

  First, and most important, earnings estimates are stabilizing. In the past sixty days, 2013 estimates for the major gold miners have begun to tick up. In most cases, the increase is very modest. For instance, Goldcorp‘s (GG) EPS estimates have climbed from $0.91 to $0.95, while Barrick Gold‘s (ABX) have inched up from $2.57 to $2.64. Newmont Mining (NEM), Anglogold Ashanti (AU), and Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) have shown similar gains. This positive rate of change marks a significant departure from the steady stream of bad news investors have had to endure in recent years.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Compared to other gold miners, Barrick Gold (ABX) and Newmont Mining (NEM) haven’t gotten much love from investors this year.

  Associated Press

  Shares of Newmont Mining have gained 3.2% so far this year, while Barrick Gold has risen 4.8%, even as the SPDR Gold ETF (GLD) has gone up 8.6% and the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) has advanced 16%.

  Credit Suisse analysts Anita Soni and Robert Reynolds still rate Newmont Mining and Barrick Gold shares Neutral, but turned more positive on the companies’ share prices today. They explain why they raised their price target on Barrick Gold…

  Our ]target price] increases to US$21 as we raise our [net-asset value] multiple to 1.60x (from 1.20x) to reflect [Barrick Gold's] relatively conservative $1,100/oz gold price assumption for reserves, exploration upside potential within its asset base (demonstrated by its 15Moz Goldrush discovery) and strong base of low cost assets. Our [Operating Cash Flow] is reduced for FY15 to $1.17/sh (from $1.58/sh) as we model higher sustaining capex and corporate spending than previously.

  …and on Newmont Mining:

  Our [Newmont Mining] TP increases to US$26 (from US$21) on higher forecast OpCFa and a higher NAV target multiple. Our OpCFa for FY14/15 on average increased to $1.80 (from $1.40) onhigher production and lower costs in 2015 than our prior forecast, now reflecting guidance. Our NAV declined to $14.83/sh (from $18.92/sh), primarily on Nevada (less reserves and higher CS cost est.) and Ahafo (higher CS cost est.). Our target NAV multiple is raised to 1.50x, at a slight discount to peer [Barrick Gold] (1.60x).

  A resolution of the ore export ban in Indonesia is necessary to become more constructive on [Newmont Mining], as the strong 2015/2016 FCF would provide [Newmont Mining] with additional balance sheet flexibility to pursue value accretive project development, or external M&A. [Newmont Mining] benefits from a lo

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  That is very bullish for companies in the gold sector such as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX), Goldcorp (NYSE: GG), Wishbone Gold (OTC: WISHY) and Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY).