# Just a survey...



## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Hypothetical discussion. If you could hold one, and only one, stock for the rest of your investing career, what would it be and why?


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

indexxx said:


> Hypothetical discussion. If you could hold one, and only one, stock for the rest of your investing career, what would it be and why?


Amazon ... amzn (or google ... goog) ... these guys are/will be into everything ... clicks over bricks.

Hypothetical assumption: I could sell at any time and so end "my investing career" :cheerful:


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## thompsg4416 (Aug 18, 2010)

Tough one. BCE or TD I think. Old business that doesn't go out of style. Both generate capital gains and have a div and have been and will likley continue to be around for a long time to come.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

indexxx said:


> Hypothetical discussion. If you could hold one, and only one, stock for the rest of your investing career, what would it be and why?


Are you looking for that single stock that will make you rich in your golden years? 

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/08/14/coca-cola-stock-share-worth-millions/

It's hard to pick just a single stock, because many fall under the criteria of being companies that will last a lifetime/pay good dividends, etc.

What companies would you grab if March 6/2009 were to repeat today?


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## Ethan (Aug 8, 2010)

CNR. There are only 2 major railways in Canada, I cannot see a new company having the capital and political clout to build a new railway in Canada. This means CNR has significant pricing power. Rail remains the most efficient way to transport goods over land. As long as cheap imported products need to be brought into the mainland from the coast, and commodities need to get to the coast from the mainland, railways will be in strong demand.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

indexxx said:


> Hypothetical discussion. If you could hold one, and only one, stock for the rest of your investing career, what would it be and why?


Could you clarify, are we excluding ETFs and other funds? Is this question only about corporations who operate a business and earn income?


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Ethan said:


> I cannot see a new company having the capital and political clout to build a new railway in Canada.


I wish you had written this powerful comment a couple of years ago. 

CNR definitely one of my untouchable stocks that are not for sale!


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Stock = RSI (picked from CMF)
Reason = Buy, hold and prosper (and hopefully forever) ... :biggrin:


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## Ethan (Aug 8, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> I wish you had written this powerful comment a couple of years ago.
> 
> CNR definitely one of my untouchable stocks that are not for sale!


I thought about your above question, if we were to see a repeat of March 6, 2009, which stock would you want to own. I immediately thought of the banks, as I thought the financials were hardest hit by the Great Recession, and justifiably so. I ran a Google Finance chart that plotted all of the banks returns from March 6, 2009 to today. The best bank was TD with an increase of 125%. Then I put CNR into the chart, and found out that its return was 145%.

If you extend the chart to before the Great Recession, January 1, 2007, the best bank is still TD with a 21% gain. CNR returned 100% over that period.

I realize the past is not necessarily indicative of the future, but I just can't see a scenario where CNR does not generate market beating returns for its investors.


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## scomac (Aug 22, 2009)

The simple and elegant solution to your query would for me be Coca Cola. Global, recession proof, an affordable product with repeatable sales that appeals to all demographics regardless of income, geography or status with pricing power. It's the single best investment that I can think of as it will mirror economic growth, population growth and inflation all wrapped up in one nice, neat package. It has a 100 year history and there's no reason to believe that it won't be around and just as strong 100 years hence; Warren Buffett was right!


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Ethan said:


> 1. I ran a Google Finance chart that plotted all of the banks returns from March 6, 2009 to today. The best bank was TD with an increase of 125%.
> 2. Then I put CNR into the chart, and found out that its return was 145%.
> 3. I realize the past is not necessarily indicative of the future.....


1. Are you sure it was not CM? Did you count the dividends? 
2. Impressive!
3. Indeed, but it all depends on the stock.

Thanks for the calculations.

Time after time, one can see how some of the winners had been nothing but common-sense, aka no-brainers.


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## Ethan (Aug 8, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> 1. Are you sure it was not CM? Did you count the dividends?


I don't think Google Finance includes dividends. If dividends were included, CNR's outperformance isn't as stellar, as it typically pays a dividend yield half that of the banks.


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## daddybigbucks (Jan 30, 2011)

Transcanada pipeline for me.
its like an underground railroad.

Boring as hell, but a consistent moneymaker.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Toronto.gal said:


> Did you count the dividends?


Use stockcharts.com to compare performance between stocks, ETFs, etc... it includes dividends.

You can specify a timeframe and look up the stock's price at any historical date. This price will be adjusted for splits & dividends. Compare to today's price and you get a total return


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## LOST (Aug 30, 2010)

My one lifetime stock would be Novo Nordilsk. They basically have a monopoly on Insulin Production. When the so- called neveau riche Chinese get a taste for our western diet there will be a pandemic of diabetics
the world has never seen. I would have bought in $42 when Dave Driscoll recommended it but it has little liquidity. Now it is at $180 and out of my price range.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

BCE from Canada. Dividend hikes and capital appreciation over time.

KO from US. As above.


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## Uranium101 (Nov 18, 2011)

Berskhire


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## Ethan (Aug 8, 2010)

Uranium101 said:


> Berskhire


I expected you to say Cameco.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

LOL, that was funny Ethan! :biggrin:

Btw, I had been joking about CM; I mentioned it only because I know many here hate it [not me].

*James:* thanks!


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## Uranium101 (Nov 18, 2011)

Ethan said:


> I expected you to say Cameco.


Cameco is not a forever holding stock imho


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## 1sImage (Jan 2, 2013)

McDonald's


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## sharbit (Apr 26, 2012)

Waste Management


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Toronto.gal said:


> Are you looking for that single stock that will make you rich in your golden years?
> 
> http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/08/14/coca-cola-stock-share-worth-millions/
> 
> ...


I would take out a home equity loan on my house and buy TCK.a - 7.8 to 60.00

RY bank at 19.00 was an unreal buy.


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## scomac (Aug 22, 2009)

Hawkdog said:


> I would take out a home equity loan on my house and buy TCK.a - 7.8 to 60.00


I liked it a lot better when it was under $4 in Nov. 2008. Having said that, would you have really been prepared to take out a home equity loan to buy a speculative stock that was most likely going to be an all or nothing bet? You may not realise it, but TCK was on the brink of bankruptcy as it was drowning in debt that it had taken on for the Fording Coal acquisition earlier that year. There was a real and palatable sense of uncertainty as to whether or not they were going to be able to get the financing rolled over. If they couldn't get the deal done, they were going to be effectively under the administration of CCRA.

It's easy to talk boldly when you have the benefit of hindsight. It's quite another thing when you are staring down the beast in real time. I know that it made an impression on me a I had the funds available to take a flyer on 1000 shares or so, but I figured why take on the additional risk of a zero when everything else was being thrown out like last week's leftovers even though they were hot off the grill.


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## Argonaut (Dec 7, 2010)

I did an analysis on all stocks in the TSX 60 recently, and gave them letter grades in four categories: fundamental, technical, outlook, and overall. There were only two stocks with A+'s in all categories, Telus and CN Rail. So I would take one of these.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Toronto.gal said:


> Are you looking for that single stock that will make you rich in your golden years?


Well, of course, I think we probably ALL are around here! But that is not what prompted the question- just curiosity and for the want of spurring some interesting discussion.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

There were people who did that exact thing, wasn't an original idea on my part.

Not sure my balls are big and hairy enough for TCK, but RY for sure.
I completely agree with your bold comment.



scomac said:


> I liked it a lot better when it was under $4 in Nov. 2008. Having said that, would you have really been prepared to take out a home equity loan to buy a speculative stock that was most likely going to be an all or nothing bet? You may not realise it, but TCK was on the brink of bankruptcy as it was drowning in debt that it had taken on for the Fording Coal acquisition earlier that year. There was a real and palatable sense of uncertainty as to whether or not they were going to be able to get the financing rolled over. If they couldn't get the deal done, they were going to be effectively under the administration of CCRA.
> 
> It's easy to talk boldly when you have the benefit of hindsight. It's quite another thing when you are staring down the beast in real time. I know that it made an impression on me a I had the funds available to take a flyer on 1000 shares or so, but I figured why take on the additional risk of a zero when everything else was being thrown out like last week's leftovers even though they were hot off the grill.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

CNR or KO on us side.


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## cato (Jul 4, 2011)

I will pick an Utility, although the form might change, people will always need energy in one form or another. Question is which one? I will go with Fortis.

Like the choice of KO though.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

indexxx said:


> But that is not what prompted the question- just curiosity and for the want of spurring some interesting discussion.


I know! Should have put a smilie next to my question.


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