Posted at 7:00 a.m.
The name of the Montreal franchisor MTY appeared this week on the short list of five dark horses for 2022 presented by Acumen Capital.
Through dark horse (which could be translated as “surprise winner”), Acumen refers to a little-known “candidate” who achieves unexpected success. The securities selected on this list have surprisingly lost the confidence of many investors or remain under the radar, it says. “This report aims to provide perspective on potential catalysts that may surprise on the upside in 2022.”
“ MTY continued to demonstrate the strength of its business model in 2021. Despite headwinds caused by the pandemic, labor shortages and supply chain issues, the company generated record cash flow used to lower debt levels. Following this deleveraging, MTY is well positioned to complete a major acquisition. »
Besides MTY, Black Diamond Group, GameHost, Hammond Power Solutions and Waterloo Brewing are the other names on the list.
MTY lands on this list for the second year in a row.
Dollarama earned a buy recommendation this week. Peter Sklar has been suggesting buying the stock since Friday, saying the company is better positioned than other retailers (including Canadian Tire) to get through an inflationary period.
“Dollarama has unique attributes that make the title attractive, such as the flexibility offered by its pricing structure, its ability to adjust formats and its reputation for economic value. Consumers are unlikely to notice 25-cent or 50-cent increases left and right as long as this strategy is used skillfully.
Two directors of Fiera Capital have just bought blocks of shares in the Montreal asset manager. Geoff Beattie bought some for around $100,000 on January 13. On the same day, Norman Steinberg bought some for just over $50,000.
Logistec and Velan are two Quebec names among the three top picks presented Thursday noon by portfolio manager Stephen Takacsy, of Lester Management, during the show Market Call, on the airwaves of the financial channel BNN Bloomberg. The securities of the two Montreal companies immediately appreciated on the stock market. Stephen Takacsy expects maritime services provider Logistec to report record results in March, as he argues industrial valve maker Velan’s stock is trading at less than 50% of its book value. He says he is pressuring Velan management to do a stock buyback and sell the company.
The TD Bank launched earlier this week its new mobile application for trading on the Stock Exchange, called NégociTitres. This new service offers 50 commission-free stock trades. Beyond 50 transactions, customers pay $9.99 per transaction. The discount brokerage subsidiary of the National Bank and the Disnat subsidiary of Desjardins had for their part announced the gratuity last year by abolishing commissions for stock transactions.
A member of the board of directors of Dollarama has just sold nearly $200,000 worth of shares in the Montreal retailer. Huw Thomas sold a block of $3,000 shares on January 12 at a unit price of $63.07. He has been an independent director at Dollarama since 2011.
The Quebec titles of Richelieu Hardware, ECB and iA Financial Group (Industrial Alliance) hit a 52-week high this week in Toronto. At the opposite, Tecsys, Dialogue, Lion, Saputo, Coveo, Taiga, Hexo, Marlet good food, Lightspeed and Xebec just hit a new 52-week low.
Canadians can contribute an additional $6,000 to their TFSA again this year. Some will also make contributions to an RRSP and even an RESP. All of these vehicles carry additional cash for stock market investments at the start of the year.