Investment Dealer Raymond James Ltd. today announced its Canadian Equity Analysts’ Best Picks list for 2007.

The list highlights 17 individual stocks of Canadian companies that Raymond James analysts expect will produce superior results during the
upcoming year.

The 17-analyst-selected stocks are:

  • Angiotech Pharmaceuticals (ANP-T);
  • AutoCanada Income Fund (ACQ.UN-T);
  • Canadian REIT (REF.UN-T);
  • Canadian Royalties (CZZ-T);
  • CCS Income Trust (CCR.UN-T);
  • Domtar (DTC-T);
  • Encana (EXA-T);
  • First Quatum Minerals (FM-T);
  • Frontera Copper (FCC-T);
  • Genivar Income Fund (GNV.UN-T);
  • Gennum (GND-T);
  • Gilden Activewear (GIL-T)
  • Proex Energy (RXE-T);
  • Progress Energy Trust (PGX.UN-T);
  • Steeplejack Industiral Group (SID-T);
  • Trinidad Energy Services Trust (TDG.UN-T); and
  • Yamana Gold (YRI-T).

“In terms of measuring performance, this is a static, one-year list and we will tally the returns at the end of 2007,” says Darren Martin, head of research at Raymond James Ltd. “Although unforeseen elements can affect any company’s stock performance, our analysts are confident that the fundamentals
of these firms are sound and should produce enhanced value for investors during 2007.”

Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, the 2006 Canadian Best Picks generated a total return of 15.4% on average versus 18.4% for the S&P/TSX composite total return index, from the Dec. 9, 2005 selection date through to Dec. 8, 2006. The Best Picks 2006 List consisted of 14-analyst selected stocks. Over its four-year history, the Canadian Best Picks returned an average of 19.8% versus 20.5% for the S&P/TSX.