The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 3.91 per cent in the third quarter, with gains moderating after a blowout Q2 as equity markets digested the shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, prospects for continued economic shutdowns and the impact of lower-for-longer interest rates.
Those gains have the Toronto benchmark ranked 25th out of 92 global peers, sandwiched between Romania’s Bucharest BET Index and Germany’s DAX Index, and comfortably lagging the performance of the U.S. broad-market S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average.
In all, nine of the 11 TSX subgroups were in positive territory for the quarter, indicating a degree of breadth to the gains.
Below, BNN Bloomberg takes a look at the TSX leaders and laggards for the quarter that was.
Sector leaders:
Industrials: +13.22 per cent
Utilities: +9.88 per cent
Materials: +8.76 per cent
Industrials led the way for the TSX, as investors looked to parse the impact on Canada’s economic reopening on the nation’s transport, construction and equipment makers. Utilities, which typically perform well in a low-rate environment due to their need to borrow capital to fund expansions and have a habit of paying steady dividends, took second spot with a nearly 10 per cent gain. The materials subgroup took third sport with a nearly nine per cent gain, with gold prices holding near a multi-year high due to global economic uncertainty. But it wasn’t just the precious metal that helped the subgroup, with some strength in copper lifting base metals producers amid speculation Chinese industrial activity was beginning to recover from the pandemic-induced demand destruction.
Lead gainers:
Trillium Therapeutics Inc.: +72.45 per cent
Pretium Resources: +50.00 per cent
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: +42.88 per cent
Trillium Therapeutics:
Trillium hasn’t just been a standout performer in the third quarter, it’s been the top performer on the TSX Composite Index so far this year, rising more than 1,000 per cent. The company, which develops cancer treatments for conditions including lymphoma, has seen encouraging results for some of it’s treatments, buoying investor enthusiasm. Trillium’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by some of the heavy hitters in the pharma industry, with Pfizer Inc. taking a US$25 million equity stake in the firm during the quarter. Trillium also raised $150 million in Q3 through a share offering.
Pretium Resources:
The rising price of gold lifted all boats, but none more than single-mine operator Pretium. The company, which operates its Brucejack mine in north-west British Columbia, surged past analyst expectations in its most recent quarter. The rising price of bullion prompted Pretium to raise its full-year free cash flow expectations, based on an average gold price of US$1,800 per ounce. However, Pretium also warned that COVID-19 measures would raise costs as it looks to protect its workers and operations from the ravages of the virus. Pretium’s Brucejack mine is a sprawling claim with difficult geological hurdles and is seen as a potential acquisition target, with Barrick Gold Chief Executive Officer Mark Bristow having been reluctant to say the mining giant wouldn’t take a look at a potential tie-up.
Ritchie Bros Auctioneers:
Canada’s preeminent dealer of used industrial, farming and construction equipment has thus far weathered the pandemic-induced slowdown. Net income decreased a paltry two per cent in the company’s most recent quarter, even in the face of lockdowns and a drop in overall economic activity. There is, however, a degree of counter-cyclicality to Ritchie Bros results. As a middleman for the sale of second-hand equipment, the firm often benefits from customers seeking out deals on the second-hand market rather than shelling out for brand new equipment.
Sector laggards:
Health care: -14.44 per cent
Energy: -9.39 per cent
Communications services: +0.79 per cent
Trillium’s outsized gains weren’t enough to spare the health care sector from posting the weakest performance of the composite’s 11 subgroups in the quarter. Health care was hammered by some noticeable weakness in the cannabis sector as pot stocks continue to be punished for rocky performances. Energy’s rough ride continued, albeit with a disconnect from underlying energy prices. While individual stocks have been under pressure, crude oil prices have largely been in a holding pattern, with North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate hovering around US$40 per barrel as investors assess how the pandemic and subsequent economic reopenings impact the demand picture. Communications services has seen a bit of a mixed bag through the quarter, as Canada’s Big Three telcos spar with new entrants over wholesale network access rates and Cogeco battles a takeover offer from Altice USA and Roger Communications, which muddies the picture when it comes to overall performance.
Lead laggards:
Aurora Cannabis Inc: -63.07 per cent
Vermilion Energy Inc: -48.51 per cent
Enerplus Corp: -36.13 per cent
Aurora Cannabis:
Aurora’s stock has been demolished amid persistent cannabis oversupply concerns. Shares in the company plunged more than 25 per cent in one trading session alone after the company disappointed investors with its fourth-quarter results as growing pains persist in the cannabis market. The firm was also chastised by MKM Partners, with their analyst calling on Aurora to stop growing so much cannabis as the market remains out of balance with consumer demand. The company says it expects to reach positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) by the second quarter of 2021, about 18 months later than earlier projected.
Vermilion Energy:
The geographically-diversified energy company, which operates not only in North American but also off the coast of Ireland and France, has seen its share price swing with the vagaries of international energy markets. Fund flows from operations, a key metric in the energy sector, plunged 52 per cent in the company’s most recent quarter as concerns over global energy demand mounted. Vermilion has also been hampered by price impacts from internal squabbling over production quotas for OPEC members and suspended its dividend in April.
Enerplus:
The energy price pressures also took a toll on Enerplus in the third quarter. The company, which operates in Western Canada, North Dakota, Montana and Pennsylvania, posted a 13 per cent decline year-over-year in its most recent quarter, reflecting a troubled picture for overall consumer demand. Enerplus also booked significant impairment charges in the quarter, further hampering results.
Which top TSX gainer are you most likely to invest in?
It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.
Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.
Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.
You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:
I’m a great communicator.
I’m detail oriented.
I’m a team player.
Tangible:
“At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
“For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
“While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”
These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.
Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.
When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.
Not impressive: Education
Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.
You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.
If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.
The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.
More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.
Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”
If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.
The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.
Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.
The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.
The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.
The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.
The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.
Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.
In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.
“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.
As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.
Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.
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