Top 5 Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2014

Global equity markets continued to rise during the first three months of 2014. This extends their rally to five years, with only periodic interruptions. One such interruption occurred when the political standoff between Russia and Ukraine prompted some investors to assess the implications of Russia's aggression from the sidelines. The ensuing equity correction was relatively modest and short-lived, as global equity markets soon resumed their upward trajectory, with the MSCI World Index (C$) finishing the quarter with a 5.2% gain.

Unlike previous quarters, Canadian equity markets were among the frontrunners, as illustrated in Chart A. Canada's rise was fuelled by significant gains by resource companies, particularly early in the quarter. Chart A also shows the strong quarterly results achieved by equity markets in the U.S. and Europe, although it should be noted that the depreciation of the Canadian dollar relative to most major world currencies had a significant influence on the magnitude of these returns. For example, though the S&P 500 Index (C$) reported a 5.8% return, the gain in U.S. dollars was a healthy, but less pronounced rise of 1.8%.

Hot Semiconductor Companies To Invest In 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 Ben Levisohn]

  Which of course begs the question: Why didn’t Samuelson cut Potash (POT)? He has an answer:

  We downgrade [Mosaic] to Sell but keep [Potash] at Neutral given (1) greater valuation support at POT given its 4.1% dividend yield, which we view as sustainable given our pricing/cash flow forecasts, which we also believe is a key appeal for [Potash��] large Canadian institutional holders, (2) a more favorable cost outlook at� [Potash] following recent headcount reductions, which should help the company improve utilization at lower-cost facilities (e.g., Rocanville), and (3) earnings ballast from a less negative near-term [Neutral] outlook at [Potash]. That said, our revised $32, 12-month price target for� [Potash] still implies 5% downside and our core K industry view is that both companies will be significantly impacted.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Potash Corp of Saskatchewan (POT), for instance, lost 16% last year, while Mosaic (MOS) dropped 15%, Intrepid Potash (IPI) plunged 26% and Agrium (AGU) declined 5.9%.

• [By Sara Murphy]

  PotashCorp� (NYSE: POT  ) and Russia's Uralkali are the two primary potash suppliers to Brazilian farmers. PotashCorp makes only a passing reference to Brazil in its 2012 10-K:�"Potash from our Saskatchewan operations for sale outside Canada and the United States is sold exclusively to Canpotex, which is an export marketing and sales company. A significant portion of Canpotex sales are to China, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and�Japan."�

• [By CJ Capital Research]

  I have written two articles discussing the recent events in the potash industry, and why I am long Potash Corp (POT). The first article describes how the Uralkali-Belaruskali fallout will impact the potash market in the short and long run. The second article describes why I believe that POT is not as exposed to the perceived macro headwinds as many believe. In this article, I will attempt to address my readers' questions and examine all the major fundamental reasons why I am long POT. If you read to the end, I will also offer my unique perspectives on the whole Uralkali spectacle.

Top 5 Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2014: Brookfield Office Properties Inc. (BPO)

Brookfield Properties Corporation is a publicly owned real estate investment firm. The firm engages in the ownership, development, and management of premier commercial properties. It also provides ancillary real estate service businesses, such as tenant service and amenities. The firm invests in the real estate markets of the United States with a focus on North American cities, including New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Calgary, Denver, and Minneapolis. It primarily invests in properties and development sites predominantly office buildings. The firm operates as a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. It was formerly known as Carena-Bancorp Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Le Holding Carena-Bancorp Inc. in 1978. The company further changed its name to Carena-Bancorp, Inc. in 1985; to Carena Developments Limited in 1989; and to Brookfield Properties Corporation in 1996. Brookfield Properties was founded in 1923 and is based in New York, New York wi th an additional office in Toronto, Canada

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Brookfield Office Properties (NYSE: BPO) got a boost, shooting up 13.45 percent to $19.02 after Brookfield Property Partners (NYSE: BPY) proposed to acquire Brookfield Office Properties for $19.34 per share.

• [By Mike Arnold]

  Brookfield's public assets include a 21% stake (and potentially more given certain warrants held by Brookfield) in General Growth Properties (GGP), a 51% stake in Brookfield Office Properties (BPO), a 36% stake (again, more if certain warrants are exercised) in Rouse Properties (RSE) and 21% stake in Canary Wharf Group Plc, which is majority owned by Songbird Estates Plc (SBEPF.PK).

• [By Victor Selva]

  Xerox Corporation (XRX), with a market capitalization of $13.11 billion, is among the largest companies in the global document markets. It is a provider of business process and document management. The company is a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company engaged in managing transaction processes.

Top 5 Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2014: Nu Skin Enterprises Inc.(NUS)

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. develops and distributes anti-aging personal care products and nutritional supplements worldwide. The company sells its personal care products under the Nu Skin brand; and nutritional supplements under the Pharmanex brand. Its personal care product line includes core systems, targeted treatments, total care, cosmetic, and Epoch, a product formulated with botanical ingredients. The company?s nutritional supplements product line comprises micronutrient supplements, targeted solution supplements, and weight management products. It also sells Vitameal, which are nutritious meal products for starving children or purchased for personal food storage. In addition, the company offers other products and services consisting of digital content storage, water purifiers, and other household products. It sells its products primarily through a network of independent distributors in north Asia, the Americas, Greater China, Europe, and the south Asia/Pacific. The c ompany also operates retail stores to sell its products in China. As of December 31, 2010, Nu Skin Enterprises operated 40 stores throughout China. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Provo, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS  ) were looking refreshed today, gaining as much as 14% today after the company lifted its guidance significantly for the current quarter and full year.

• [By Victor Nguyen]

  (c) 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Top 5 Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2014: Talisman Energy Inc.(TLM)

Talisman Energy Inc., an upstream oil and gas company, engages in the exploration, development, production, transportation, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. It primarily operates in North America, the North Sea, and southeast Asia. The company was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Companies backing out of Poland
  In addition to the above-ground risks of regulatory, licensing, and taxation uncertainty, disappointing initial results from shale test wells have led some companies to rethink doing business in the country. Last month, Poland's shale prospects were further dashed when Talisman Energy (NYSE: TLM  ) and Marathon Oil (NYSE: MRO  ) decided to pull out from their operations in the country.

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Faced with growing uncertainty, some operators are even scaling back investments and reducing cash flow guidance. Talisman Energy (NYSE: TLM  ) , Canada's sixth-largest independent oil producer, cut its capital budget forecast for the year by 25%, while Cenovus Energy (NYSE: CVE  ) in December lowered its cash flow forecast for the year by 16% to as low as C$3.1 billion. And Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE: CNQ  ) said that it plans to reduce spending on thermal sands production.