S&P/TSX Composite Index (STAR)
With glowing hearts, we see the stock market rise. Shrugging off tariffs and economic uncertainty, Canada’s benchmark stock index rallied to fresh record highs this week, powered by gold and technology shares. With the S&P/TSX Composite Index up about 26 per cent this year and the U.S. Federal Reserve expected to cut interest rates at its meeting on Dec. 10, Canadians are experiencing some true patriot love for all the loonies piling up in their brokerage accounts.
Dollarama Inc. (STAR)
Last-minute gift ideas from Dollarama that are sure to get a reaction on Christmas morning: 1) Bathtub stopper with chain, $1.25; 2) Betty Crocker vegetable peeler, $2.50; 3) Febreze Extra Strength Fabric Refresher, $4.75. Or, if you’re feeling more generous, you could buy some Dollarama shares for that special someone on your list. The stock hit a record high this week, lifted by expectations that the retailer will report strong third-quarter results on Dec. 11, buoyed by sales of Blue Jays merchandise and Halloween items. Judging by the stock’s 600-per-cent return over the past 10 years, it’s the perfect item to buy and ho ho hold.
Barrick Mining Corp. (STAR)
For years, investing in Barrick was about as profitable as panning for gold in a shopping mall fountain. But the stock has finally started to shine now that gold prices are soaring and activist investor Elliott Investment Management has taken a roughly $1-billion stake in the struggling gold miner. With Elliott pushing to split Barrick into two companies – one focused on lower-risk mines in the Americas and the other holding riskier properties in Africa and elsewhere – there might be gold in them thar shares after all.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (STAR)
If bricks-and-mortar stores are dying, someone ought to tell the folks at Hollister. The teen-focused chain owned by Abercrombie & Fitch posted same-store sales growth of 15 per cent in the third quarter ended Nov. 1, even as sales fell 7 per cent at the namesake A&F banner. Here’s some advice, kids: Don’t spend all of your money on clothes. Put aside some cash every month, because you’re going to want to buy a home one day and … Hey, take your AirPods out! I’m talking to you!
Symbotic Inc. (STAR)
First, the AI-powered robots took over our factories. Then, when we least expected it, they came for us. Science fiction? Don’t count on it. Symbotic shares jumped after the warehouse-automation company, which builds robotic systems for Walmart and others, posted fourth-quarter results above expectations. It also added its first health care customer, Medline, which distributes surgical products. It’s obvious where this is going: When the uprising begins, the robots won’t just control the warehouses – they’ll control all the life-saving medical supplies, leading to the extinction of humanity.