Expert: Steven Taylor - 3/21/2011

Question
In 1994 I purchased some stocks from A.C. Macpherson & Co. Inc.  Is there any way of finding out the value of those stocks or if they even still exist?  The stocks were a) LAVERTY INDUSTRIAL  DEVELOPMENT LTD and b) CENTURY CIRCUITS LTD.

Answer
Roy, I have been asked about both of those companies often. Macpherson stuck a lot of people with them.

Laverty did a 1 for 15 reverse split and became GHP Exploration, which later merged with another company (0.87 new shares for 1 old GHP share) to become TransAtlantic Petroleum. TransAtlantic trades on the TSX for about $2.98 per share. You will need to contact the current transfer agent, Computershare (www.computershare.com) about getting your old shares reorganized.

Century became Canadian Financial Holdings, which then became Calderone after a 1 for 10 reverse split. Calderone owned a chain of shoe stores, which appear to have gone bankrupt shortly after the merger. Calderone's shares don't appear to have ever resumed trading in Canada, and only briefly traded in the US before disappearing altogether shortly afterwards.