Canadian stocks are set to give American investors a twofer. As stocks go up, Gordon Pape, one of Canada's leading experts on mutual funds and the editor of The Canada Report, says that Americans get stock appreciation and a currency bonus – making investing in Canadian stocks more profitable than U.S. stocks.
And now, says Pape, is an especially good time to invest since stocks and the Canadian dollar have recently taken a breather.

We caught up with Gordon Pape to talk to him about earning market profits plus a currency bonus.

Is it time to ride the rails? In Gordon Pape's The Internet Wealth Builder, analyst Tom Slee reaffirms his buy rating on Burlington Northern Santa Fe (NYSE: BNI), his top pick in the sector.

"Burlington Northern is my preferred choice in the railroad industry. At first glance, Burlington Northern had a particularly bad first quarter.

"Profit was $0.86 a share, down sharply from $1.30 a share the year before. However, when unusual items such as an unfavourable coal rate decision are excluded, operating earnings amounted to a much more acceptable $1.13 a share, well above the 96c analysts were looking for.

"Some companies are managing very well now and quietly laying a foundation for solid earnings growth when the recovery gets underway," says Tom Slee.

The contributing editor to The Internet Wealth Builder adds, "A few even offer a good yield while we wait." One such company, he believes is Thomson Reuters Corp. (NYSE: TRI).

"I particularly like Thomson Reuters. It's low key and not terribly exciting, but by paying a $1.12 dividend to yield 4.1% the stock should provide investors with an excellent long-term return. Here's some background:

This post is part of a special report, Global advisors look to China.

"In my view, there is no sign of a sustainable rally in the US stock market on the horizon," says Glenn Rogers, asking, "So, against that gloomy backdrop, what's an investor to do?"

The contributing editor to Gordon Pape's Internet Wealth Builder suggests, "One area that looks interesting to me right now is China." Here, he highlights a trio of exchange-traded funds invested in the China market.

"The Chinese government is unencumbered by highly-paid bankers and fractious two-party politics so they have been able to move quickly to stimulate their economy and are generally well-positioned to come out of this downturn in good shape.

With its own economic stimulus program in place, a relatively stable banking system, and a stock market that has been resilient in recent months, numerous leading global investment advisors are looking bullishly towards China.

From technology to power, and from individual stocks to ETFs, and from Hong Kong to Taiwan to mainland China, we turn to seven leading advisors for their favorite ways for US investors to take a stake in Asia.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"If you're looking for a low-risk stock that's held up well in this dizzying market spiral, here it is: Fortis Inc. (TSE: FTS), my top pick for 2009," says Gordon Pape in The Canada Report.

"Fortis is trading at about the same level now in Canadian dollar terms as it was in early September. How many companies can say that?

"Don't confuse this with the troubled European financial giant of the same name. This Fortis is the largest investor-owned gas and electric distribution utility in Canada. Its regulated holdings include a natural gas utility in British Columbia and electric utilities in five Canadian provinces and three Caribbean countries.

"Third-quarter financial results were very strong and beat analysts' forecasts. Fortis reported net income of $49 million ($0.31 per share) compared to $31 million ($0.20 per share) in the same period of 2007 (figures in Canadian dollars). Year-to-date earnings were $169 million ($1.08 per share) compared to $114 million ($0.86 a share) for the first nine months of 2007.

This post is part of a special report, A Dozen Ways to Play an Obama Building Boom.

"I think we have bottomed in some sectors, including commodities and materials," explains Glenn Rogers. In Internet Wealth Builder, he explains, "President-elect Obama has said he will pour hundreds of billions into projects.

"The Chinese and the Europeans have also committed to huge amounts to infrastructure spending." Here, he looks at one play on this trend -- Cemex (NYSE: CX).

"If you want to venture back into the stock market at this point and you're a long-term investor, my advice is to buy high-quality names with low P/E ratios, no debt coming due next year, and the sustainable ability to pay a dividend.

"Late last month, this Mexican cement giant traded as low as $4.01. Then President-elect Obama announced his plan to spend billions on infrastructure projects and guess what happened?

"The share price shot up on the expectation that infrastructure spending will translate into a growing demand for cement.

"Cemex shares traded as high as $11.35 before pulling back to close the week at $8.16. That's still more than double the November low but this is a stock that was trading at over $30 last June so it still looks like good value at this level.

"It's hard to find any good news these days but I was pleasantly surprised with the third-quarter railway results, as almost all of the 'class 1 carriers' reported better than expected earnings," notes analyst Tom Slee.

The contributing editor to Gordon Pape's Internet Wealth Builder explains, "Several rail stocks are starting to look attractive at these depressed levels and Burlington Northern (NYSE: BNI) remains my preferred choice in the group." Here's his outlook.

"Even with the economic downturn starting to bite, reduced fuel costs and increased freight rates offset lower volumes. Equally important, the companies remain cautiously optimistic despite the miserable outlook.

"They are confident that further freight rate price increases in the 4% to 5% range are sustainable and will still allow them to undercut inefficient truckers.

"Unfortunately, none of this prevented the stocks from being battered during the market collapse. However, I think that fourth-quarter profits are likely to remain strong and the longer term outlook for railroads remains favorable.

"Burlington Northern continues to power ahead. A shrinking economy must eventually take its toll but there was no sign of any weakness in BNI's third-quarter results. Operating earnings came in at $1.91 a share, up 29% from $1.48 in 2007.

"During times such as these, I like to focus on big companies with clean balance sheets that pay decent dividends," says Glenn Rogers.

Here, the contributing editor to Internet Wealth Builder reviews his current stock holdings for a trio of global favorites offering upside potential while still allowing investors to "sleep well at night."

"Diageo Plc (NYSE: DEO) is well down from my original recommended price but compared to the overall market they have performed respectably.

"Meanwhile, the company recently issued a statement confirming its previous guidance of profit growth of between 7% and 9% in 2008.

"The company reported that organic net sales grew 6% in the three months to Sept. 30 and that there has been no material change in the financial position of the group during the period. Buy, with a target of $90.

"I have owned Knightsbridge Tankers (NASDAQ: VLCCF) longer than any other in my portfolio and it has never failed to pay a hefty dividend. The stock is currently trading at $17.40, thus yielding an incredible 17.2% based on a quarterly dividend of 75c a share.

"Philip Morris International (NYSE: PMI) remains a buy, despite these difficult markets," says Tom Slee in Gordon Pape's Internet Wealth Builder. Here he reviews the global tobacco firm.

"Spun off from the Altria Group earlier this year, Philip Morris International is off to a flying start.

"The company posted strong second-quarter earnings. After a special charge for its Rothmans acquisition, earnings came in at 81 cents a share, up from 69 cents a share the year before.

"The company had been reporting as a clearly defined division of Altria so it's possible to make comparisons and plot progress.

"Gross revenues rose 17.6% to $15.6 billion with double-digit growth in all business segments, helped to some extent by currency benefits. Sales were particularly strong in Egypt, Russia, and Argentina.

"At the same time, the company is engaged in an extensive cost reduction program. It's a positive picture and PM rewarded investors with a 17% dividend increase from $1.84 to $2.16 a year.

"This is what I had been hoping for. Management is willing to share the wealth with investors and this could become one of the few defensive income stocks with growth potential, as long as you don't mind investing in a cigarette manufacturer.

This post is part of a report entitled "Six-pack of technology favorites." You can read about the other top tech stock picks here.

"It's time to watch for buying opportunities -- and one of the companies on my personal list is Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM), whose shares are in buying range right now," says analyst Glenn Rogers.

The contributing editor to Gordon Pape's Internet Wealth Builder explains, "This semiconductor maker is a good choice for investors who would like to add to their information technology position with shares of a first-class company."

"Broadcom, located in Irvine, California, designs semiconductors for the wired and wireless communications industry. It is a major supplier to Apple's iPhone, which has taken the world by storm this past year.

"Specifically, it powers the brilliant display screen that has captivated users since the launch of the iPhone last year. (Full disclosure: I've just picked up my new 3G iPhone.)

"It also provides the chip that delivers the GPS navigation in the new iPhone. The company holds over 2,000 U.S. and foreign patents and has more than 7,400 pending patent applications.

"But Broadcom is not just an iPhone supplier. It also powers the Motorola TV set top boxes, Netgear wireless routers, Bluetooth and Blu-ray applications, digital television, VOIP, etc. There are lots of chipmakers out there but Broadcom operates in the areas that offer the highest growth potential and the least commoditization in this sector.

With concerns over recession, turmoil in the financial sector, fear of rising rates, high market volatility and a rising aversion to risk, many investors have been avoiding technology stocks.

Investors have feared that these economic headwinds will dampen both consumer spending for technology products and reduced capital expenditures for technology in the corporate sector.

Despite these concerns, some of the newsletter industry's leading advisors are looking beyond the current malaise and seeing longer-term value in some of the tech sector's leading players. They believe that much of the "bad news" is already reflected in the price of the shares, with little recognition being given to their longer-term potential.

For those willing to go against the crowd and buy, as they say, "while blood is running in the street," we offer a six-pack of technology stocks that the some top advisors considers to be among their favorite ideas.

"Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) is the only truly global steel manufacturer, operating in 60 countries on five continents," says Gordon Pape.

In his Internet Wealth Builder, he explains, "Like all steel companies, ArcelorMittal would be temporarily affected by a world recession but as a long-term international growth stock for your portfolio, it should be a winner."

"When you read through MT's 2007 annual report, you are left with the impression of a company with an insatiable appetite for growth. In just one year, MT entered into a joint venture deal for a steel mill in Saudi Arabia and built a new steel service centre in Poland.

"It also completed the acquisition of Sicarsta in Mexico, thereby creating that country's largest steel producer; received mining concessions in Senegal and purchased a 77% stake in a German gas distribution company to add to its regional energy network.

"It also bought a 51% stake in one of Turkey's largest steel companies and a 70% position in an Italian steel distributor; bought 100% of an Estonian steel galvanizing line.

"Having spent a lot of time recently studying the North American transportation industry, my conclusion is that trucking is on the decline while the railroads are poised to increase market share," notes Tom Slee.

The contributing editor to Gordon Pape's Internet Wealth Builder states, "The logical conclusion: buy rail stocks now." Here he looks at Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (NYSE: BNI).

"Who would have thought it? Railways are having a good year. They were supposed to be hunkered down, riding out the recession. Instead, the old iron horse is thriving.

"Surging demand for commodities is more than offsetting a slump in building materials shipments. Even higher energy costs are proving a plus for the railroads. Each jump in oil prices gives them a bigger edge over their gas guzzling competitors: trucks.

"Most important, the rails are able to raise rates despite the economic downturn. Their surcharges are sticking. Yet the stocks are out of favour.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"My favorite stock for 2008 for conservative investors is Yellow Pages Income Fund (Toronto: YLO.UN)," says Gordon Pape, editor of Internet Wealth Builder.

"In mid-2003, I recommended the purchase of Yellow Pages Income Fund to readers of my Internet Wealth Builder newsletter at C$10.

"Since then, we've received capital gain of $3.48 a share plus cash distributions of $4.33 per unit for a total return of 78%. This return occurred even given the Canadian government's decision to tax trusts starting in 2011.

"Looking ahead, we may not see as much movement in the share price, but the distributions should stay steady or rise marginally. For anyone seeking steady income, that makes this trust very attractive. At the current price the shares are yielding 8.4%, making them very good value.

"Management says that action will be taken to ensure Yellow Pages is not subject to the income trust tax but has not released specifics. Indications are, however, that it will be transformed into a high-dividend corporation.

"The combination of stability, yield, and a dominant position in the Canadian market make this a low-risk choice for conservative investors."