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Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI)
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Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)
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International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
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Roper Technologies Inc. (ROP)
Q: I have held IBM in my RRIF for several years. With dividends, I am about break-even on my purchase price. After the KD spinoff, I thought that IBM would move higher on P/E expansion to reflect higher earnings growth. This seemed to happen after the last quarterly earnings report, but now seems to be stalled. IBM popped up as good value on a P/CF screen you did in response to another client's question, so I am reluctant to sell it. However, you have also suggested in your recent answers to questions that GOOGL is very good value right now, and that the 20% discount from the offer price also makes ATVI good value. So would you wait for a turnaround in IBM and, if so, how long would you wait? Or would you move on and, if so, would you switch into GOOGL for a long term hold or ATVI for a short term profit? If the acquisition of ATVI closes within a year, a 20% return in a year, tax free in a RRIF, seems pretty attractive. The other company I have been considering as an IBM substitute is ROP. But your comments about the attractiveness of GOOGL and ATVI at current prices got me thinking. As always, I would appreciate your insights into the relative merits of these alternatives.