Raymond James Announces Canadian Equity Analysts' Best Picks for 2010

TORONTO , Jan. 12 /CNW/ - Investment Dealer Raymond James Ltd. today announced its Canadian Equity Analysts' Best Picks list for 2010.

The list highlights 13 individual stocks of Canadian companies that Raymond James analysts expect will produce superior results during the upcoming year. The 13-analyst-selected stocks are:

    
        Aura Minerals Inc.     GLV Inc. (GLV.A-TSX)      Quadra Mining Ltd.
            (ORA-TSX)                                        (QUA-TSX)

         Cenovus Energy       Gran Tierra Energy Inc.      San Gold Corp.
      (CVE-TSX / CVE-NYSE)     (GTE-TSX / GTE-AMEX)          (SGR-TSXV)

       The Churchill Corp.           H&R REIT            West Fraser Timber
            (CUQ-TSX)               (HR.UN-TSX)               (WFT-TSX)

       Eastern Platinum Ltd.         Methanex             Yamana Gold Inc.
            (ELR-TSX)         (MEOH-NASDAQ / MX-TSX)    (AUY-NYSE / YRI-TSX)

                             Pan American Silver Corp.
                              (PAAS-NASDAQ / PAA-TSX)
    

"Simply put, the Best Picks list represents a current snapshot of our analysts' best money-making ideas taking into account their judgment about company fundamentals, growth prospects and associated risks to the stock's anticipated appreciation," says Daryl Swetlishoff, Head of Research at Raymond James Ltd. "While this is an annual list, performance will be measured and analysts given a chance to review their selections in six months."

Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, the performance of the 2009 Canadian Best Picks was outstanding generating a total return of 145% on average versus 87% for the S&P/TSX Small Cap Index from the December 4, 2008 selection date through to January 4, 2010 . Since its inception in 2003, the Raymond James Canadian Best Picks list has beat the relevant index in six of the past eight years.

Swetlishoff reminds investors that these picks are not intended as a model portfolio and are selected with no limits in terms of sector concentration or market capitalization. "We expect these stocks to outperform over the next six to twelve months, however, our best advice for investors remains to select high-quality companies, allocate assets appropriately and invest for the long term."

Raymond James is a leading North American independent full service investment dealer offering a full range of professional investment services and products including: private client services, financial and estate planning, portfolio management, insurance, equity research, investment banking and institutional sales and trading. Through its network of approximately 5,300 Financial Advisors across North America and in key international centers, Raymond James serves more than 1.9 million individual clients and manages more than $229 billion in client assets under administration. For more information about Raymond James , please visit our web site at: www.raymondjames.ca.

Within the last 12 months, Raymond James Ltd. has undertaken an underwriting liability or has provided advice for a fee with respect to the securities of Aura Minerals, GLV, Pan American Silver, Quadra Mining and Yamana Gold.

For further information: Peter Kahnert, Corporate Communications and Marketing: [phone], [email protected]