Key updates on your safety-conscious stocks

MANULIFE FINANCIAL, $29.72, is a buy. This safety-conscious blue-chip company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $53.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 4.9%; www.manulife.ca) is one of Canada’s largest life insurers. The company also sells other forms of insurance including health, dental and travel plans;… Read More

These two insurers offer growth and income

Insurers write policies, collect premiums from customers, and then invest those premiums to meet future claims. That need to cover claims means they invest significant amounts of their funds in fixed-income instruments, primarily bonds. That also means high interest rates are a boon to their… Read More

We agree with Elliott on these two

Activist investor Elliott Investment Management is now targeting two firms it feels could boost shareholder value with asset sales or spinoffs. We agree with its proposals, and see both stocks as attractive buys.
CROWN CASTLE INTERNATIONAL CORP. $117 is a buy. The company (New York symbol CCI; Manufacturing… Read More

Two top ETFs for international gains

Generally speaking, Canadians are blocked from buying mutual funds that are registered in the U.S. unless those funds are also registered with provincial securities commissions. (Moreover, some Canadian mutual funds are only available in a limited number of provinces.)
Investors in this country can, however, buy… Read More

Updating your Conservative-Growth Payers: Manulife Financial Corp.

MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP. $26 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol MFC; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio; Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $46.8 billion; Dividend yield: 5.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.manulife.ca) is Canada’s largest life insurer. It also sells other forms of insurance, including health, dental… Read More

The UAE is prominent among sovereign wealth funds

Sovereign wealth funds are state-owned investment funds that taps into a country’s cash reserves—and the number of sovereign wealth funds globally has grown steadily over the past two decades, from 62 funds in 2000 to 176 in 2023. During that time, assets under management jumped… Read More