Q: Pat, I have owned Shaw Communications for a number of years and have benefitted from a steady dividend payment. It seems to me though, that competitive risks are increasing for this company. What is your opinion of this company as an investment? Thank you.

A: Shaw Communications, $28.73, symbol SJR.B on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 487.6 million; Market cap: $14.0 billion; www.shaw.ca), is one of the largest cable-television operators in Canada. It’s also a provider of satellite TV, high-speed Internet, and telephone services.
Shaw entered the data-centre business through the acquisition… Read More

A Yield to Caution

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT INC. $11 (Toronto symbol CJR.B; Shares outstanding: 193.0 million; Market cap: $2.1 billion; Dividend yield: 10.5%; www.corusent.com) is focused on TV broadcasting and content after its April 2016 acquisition of Shaw Media for $2.65 billion.

Corus now owns 45 specialty TV channels, 15 conventional… Read More

BCE INC. $58

BCE INC. $58 (Toronto symbol BCE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 865.6 million; Market cap: $49.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 4.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bce.ca) is Canada’s largest telephone provider, with 6.7 million customers in Ontario, Quebec and… Read More

A good pick for rattled investors

BCE has outperformed the market during the current downturn: the stock has gained 7.9% since the start of 2016, compared to a 6.3% decline in the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

The company continues to benefit from upgrades to its wireless and fibre-optic Internet and TV networks… Read More