Lockheed Martin Corp. (STAR)
When you’re capturing foreign dictators, deploying troops on your own streets and threatening to steal territories from other countries, having an effective military is essential. That helps to explain why President Donald Trump wants the U.S. to boost its defence budget to US$1.5-trillion in 2027, up from about US$1-trillion in 2026. He said on Truth Social that the increase will “allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.” Lockheed Martin and other defence stocks soared on the news, but it probably won’t help Mr. Trump’s chances for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Minto Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust (STAR)
Elevator going up! Investors in Minto Apartment REIT were enjoying a penthouse view after the residential landlord agreed to be taken private for $2.3-billion, including debt, or $18 per unit – a 32-per-cent premium to the price before the deal was announced. Minto unit-holders weren’t always living large, mind you: With apartment REITs impacted by falling immigration levels and rising rental supply, Minto’s unit price had tumbled more than 50 per cent from its 2021 high. Evidently, the buyers – Crestpoint Real Estate Investments LP and Minto’s founding Greenberg family – saw a screaming bargain where others saw a money pit.
S&P/TSX Composite Index (STAR)
Multiple-choice quiz! The “January effect” refers to: a) the feeling of dread you get when you open your December credit card bills, b) chronic lower back pain caused by shovelling too much wet snow, or c) the theory that stocks tend to rise in the first month of the year as share prices rebound from tax-loss selling in December – a trend that could come to pass this month if the market can just hold on to its gains for the next three weeks. Answer: c)
WD-40 Co. (DOG)
WD-40 describes itself as “a global marketing organization dedicated to creating positive lasting memories.” Because who doesn’t get all misty-eyed when they recall squirting lubricant onto a squeaky hinge? On the other hand, WD-40’s fiscal first-quarter results – which included a puny 1-per-cent increase in sales and an 8-per-cent drop in earnings per share – are something investors would rather forget.
Gap Inc. (STAR)
There once was a business named Gap
Whose stock price chart looked like, well, crap
But the shares climbed up high
On UBS’s upgrade to “buy”
Now, investors are starting to clap