​​​The internet provides an overwhelming amount of information for investors, some of it conflicting and most of it irrelevant. So much information is available that many folks suffer from analysis paralysis and end up doing nothing. After trying several sources of investing information over the decades, I chose to limit myself to the Value Line Investment Survey reports, supplemented by the annual reports issued online by the small number of companies that I hold in my portfolio. 

 

An individual subscription to Value Line is relatively expensive however, I am able to access Value Line reports online through my subscription to the Calgary Public Library and I expect the public library in most major cities in Canada offer the same service. The Value Line coverage universe includes about 1700 public companies, the majority being headquartered in the U.S. However, Value Line issues analyst reports for about 80 Canadian companies, all traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.  A complete Value Line report for Sun Life Financial is presented below as an example of a typical report. Value Line also provides a guide which explains how to interpret the financial information presented in its reports. 

 

The Canadian companies covered by Value Line include most of the largest companies in each sector of the Canadian economy, including banking, transportation, technology, communications, mining, petroleum and utilities. If, as suggested, you limit the number of holdings to a maximum of about 15, the Value Line universe should provide an adequate selection of financially stable Canadian companies to chose from. If you wish to have a larger pool of candidates, Value Line covers most of the mature, financially stable, American companies.

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Before you decide to invest in shares of a particular company, you should read a selection of the company's annual reports

from prior years, so that you become familiar with the company's management, operations, and plans for the future. In particular you should review the company's previous financial statements and record of dividend payments.

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