Free online betas are hard to find for Canadian stocks unless they are also listed on a U.S. stock exchange such as the NYSE, or Nasdaq. To find Canadian stocks listed on the NYSE, go to www .nyse.com/abou t/listed/lc_all_region_l.html. For Nasdaq-listed companies, go to www.nasdaq.corn!screening/company-list.aspx.
For a Canadian U.S.-listed company's beta, go to finance.yahoo.com, enter the stock's ticker symbol, then click on "Key Statistics" to find the beta. If you have access to Financial Post Advisor, betas of Canadian companies are found in Corporate Analyzer (click on "market data"). Using one of these methods, find the beta estimates for 5 different Canadian stocks and estimate their required rates of return. Use the current 3-month Treasury bill yield, available at www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/interest-rates/t-bill-yields, as the risk -free rate and a 7% market risk premium. Also, record the main business activities of the firms.