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Stars and Dogs

A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week

CANADIAN TIRE (STAR)

Business quiz! Shares of Canadian Tire jumped after the retailer: a) declared a special dividend of $5 a share, to be paid in windshield washer fluid and hockey pucks; b) announced the first global bond offering priced in Canadian Tire money; c) reported same-store sales growth of 3.9 per cent in the third quarter, hiked its dividend by 38 per cent and said it intends to repurchase $550-million of class A non-voting shares by the end of 2018. Answer: c.

(CTC.A-TSX), $161.89; up $5.89 or 3.8%

TAKE-TWO INTERACTIVE (STAR)

Whether you enjoy hitting three-pointers in NBA 2K18 or blasting away at police officers and running over innocent pedestrians in Grand Theft Auto V, Take-Two Interactive's video games offer hours of wholesome fun for the entire family. Shareholders are having a good time, too: Lifted by the success of its Grand Theft and NBA franchises and expectations for a strong holiday season, the company raised its full-year revenue guidance, sending the shares to a record high.

(TTWO-Nasdaq), $115.68 (U.S.); up $6.75 or 6.2%

AVIGILON (STAR)

Avigilon makes video surveillance equipment, building access-control systems and other security products to deter bad guys. (Tip: a large dog on a chain is also effective.) With demand for its high-tech equipment growing, the company said third-quarter revenue surged 13 per cent to $108.2-million and adjusted earnings jumped 42 per cent to $12.9-million – both records – prompting Avigilon to raise its full-year outlook. Crime doesn't pay, but owning this stock does.

(AVO-TSX), $19.57; up $1.57 or 8.7%

VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS (STAR)

A stopped clock will be right twice a day. And, every once in a while, Valeant Pharmaceuticals' stock will be a "star." Shares of the struggling drug maker rose after it swung to a third-quarter profit of $1.3-billion (U.S.) from a year-earlier loss of $1.22-billion, lifted by tax benefits and strength in its Bausch & Lomb eyecare business. With Valeant maintaining its full-year adjusted earnings forecast, the stock only has to climb another 1,600 per cent or so to get back to its 2015 high.

(VRX-TSX), $19.48; up $4.75 or 32.2%

SNAP (DOG)

Now we know why it's called Snap: Because when you snap your fingers, your money is gone. Hurt by growing competition from Facebook's Instagram, Snapchat's daily active users rose just 2.9 per cent sequentially in the third quarter – less than the 5-per-cent growth analysts had expected. With Snap's third-quarter net loss more than tripling to $443.2-million (U.S.) from a year earlier and the company planning to redesign its app, Snap's stock just got slapped.

(SNAP-NYSE), $12.76 (U.S.); down $2.51 or 16.4%