BNN Market Call Tonight – December 7, 2018 – Top Picks

HALMA PLC (HLMA.LON)

Halma is a health and safety sensor technology group which makes products that detect hazards and protects assets at work in public and commercial buildings. Product demand is steady and, while not recession-proof, it can hold its own in difficult markets. Only 25 per cent of their sales are in the U.K. and European markets, so any drop in the British pound is beneficial to higher sales and earnings.

FIRST CASH FINANCIAL SERVICES (FCFS.O 0.89%)

First Cash Financial Services owns and operates pawn stores in the U.S., Mexico and other South American countries. When economies fall into recession, pawn shop activity picks up. If the U.S. dollar falls and the price of gold rises, First Cash Capital also benefits as they deal a lot with pawned gold jewelry. Since its first payment in 2015, the company has been raising its dividend by about 18 per cent annually.

METRO INC (MRU.TO 0.90%)

Metro is a Canadian food retailer in Quebec and Ontario that has recently purchased the assets of Jean Coutu, a pharmacy retailer. This is an inelastic consumer company that performs in both strong and weak economies. It currently trades at 14.5 times 2020 earnings as profits and dividends are expected to grow by 10 per year.