Brian Acker, president, CEO and chief investment strategist at Acker Finley

Focus: North American large caps
_______________________________________________________________

MARKET OUTLOOK
We believe we are in the middle stages of a secular bull market in the U.S. dollar (now four years old since I first started mentioning this on BNN). This will ignite rates of return of all U.S. assets including equities, real estate, etc.

According to Model Price metrics, we believe the S&P 500 has a fair value of 2,950. That’s 22 per cent higher than this index is trading today. And 12 months from June, fair value will be 3,415, considering current earnings estimates.

For a value manager, like us, there are many discarded, unloved, and broken-down growth story stocks to choose from. If the U.S. economy can struggle along here, or God forbid accelerates these value names, it will produce, in our opinion, great rate of returns.

TOP PICKS

GILEAD SCIENCES (GILD.O)
Last purchased at US$70.44 on February 28, 2017. Upside to Model Price of 74 per cent as of June 1, 2017.

ENDO INTERNATIONAL (ENDP.O)
Last purchased at US$17.45 on November 16, 2016. Upside to Model Price of 145 per cent as of June 1, 2017.

IMPERIAL OIL (IMO.TO)
Last purchased at $43.69 on January 27, 2017. Upside to Model Price of 50 per cent as of June 1, 2017.
 

PAST PICKS: MARCH 9, 2016

EXXON MOBIL (XOM.N)

• Then: $82.40
• Now: $79.66
• Return: -3.32%
• TR: +1.05%

APPLE (AAPL.O)

• Then: $101.12
• Now: $153.76
• Return: +52.05%
• TR: 55.90%

GILEAD SCIENCES (GILD.O)

• Then: $87.83
• Now: $65.17
• Return: -25.79%
• TR: -23.51%

TOTAL RETURN AVERAGE: +11.14%