A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week
NFI Group (DOG)
For years, shares of bus maker NFI Group – formerly New Flyer Industries – were in the fast lane. Now they’re stranded at the side of the road with a blown engine. After posting disappointing third-quarter results in November, the company warned this week that fourth-quarter earnings will be hit by factors such as lower-than-expected vehicle deliveries, continuing startup costs at a U.S. parts facility and margin pressure in the private motor-coach business. The wheels on this bus go down and down.
NFI - TSX, $31.19, down 8.96%
Bank of America (STAR)
Robbing a bank is one way to make money, but it’s generally frowned upon by law enforcement and the court system. Here’s a better way: Invest in a bank. Shares of Bank of America soared after the second-largest U.S. bank by assets posted better-than-expected results, including a fourth-quarter profit that tripled to a record US$7.3-billion, driven by lower taxes and a strong performance from its consumer-banking division. Beats doing time in a maximum-security prison.
BAC - NYSE, US$29.30, up 12.56%
Snap (DOG)
Business quiz! Shares of Snap, the parent of messaging app Snapchat, fell after a) the company’s computer systems were hacked by North Korea, causing a picture of Kim Jong-un to pop up on users’ screens; b) companies pulled their advertising from the app, saying, “It’s starting to cut into teenagers’ homework time, and their grades are more important than our profits"; c) Snap chief financial officer Tim Stone resigned after eight months on the job – the latest in a series of senior executives to leave the struggling company. Answer: c.
SNAP - NYSE, US$6.19, down 1.43%
Signet Jewelers (DOG)
Spend three months’ salary on an engagement ring? At this rate, the jewellery industry would be grateful if you spent even a couple of days’ salary. The already battered shares of Signet Jewellers, owner of Kay, Zales, Peoples and other chains, took another steep dive after the company said holiday same-store sales fell 1.3 per cent for the nine weeks ending Jan. 5, prompting Signet to cut its sales and earnings guidance for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2019. Clearly, investors aren’t wedded to this stock.
SIG - NYSE, US$25.40, down 28.55%
Maxar Technologies (DOG)
After Maxar Technologies’ 80-per-cent plunge last year, you’d think the satellite maker’s stock would have been close to hitting bottom. Nope. Picking up where it left off, the stock has continued its free fall, hammered by recent news that one of Maxar’s imaging satellites – which generated US$85-million of revenue last year – suffered a failure in its stabilization mechanism and “will likely not be recoverable.” With president and chief executive Howard Lance resigning this week, investors are all spaced out.
MAXR - TSX, $6.65%, down 14.08%
John Heinzl