Scott Clayton

Scott is an associate editor at TSI Network. He is the lead reporter and analyst for Dividend Advisor, Power Growth Investor and Canadian Wealth Advisor and a member of the Investment Planning Committee. Scott began his investment and financial career working with Pat McKeough at The Investment Reporter in the 1980s. Subsequently, he worked at the Financial Post Corporation Service for 10 years. He joined TSI Network in 1998. He is a Bachelor of Economics graduate of York University, and he also has an M.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business.

Posts by the author

How To Invest

5 Facts About Investing in Stocks You Should Know to Maximize Profits

Discover five facts about investing in stocks that will help you make better investment decisions over the long term. Learn more in this article now.

4 min read

Scott Clayton

Growth Stocks

Successful Investors Use These Key Tips to Find the Best Growth Companies to Invest In

4 min read

Scott Clayton

Growth Stocks

How to Find the Best Growth Stocks to Invest in Right Now

4 min read

Scott Clayton

Dividend Stocks

Bell Aliant looks to sustain its strong dividend

Dividends often don’t get the respect they deserve, especially from beginning investors. That’s because a dividend stock’s yearly 3% or 5% yield may not seem impressive alongside yearly capital gains of 10%, 20% or 30% or more. Yet dividends are far more reliable than capital gains. So with today’s low interest rates, investors are paying more attention to dividend yields (a company’s total annual dividends paid per share divided by the current stock price). That’s why the high dividend yield of a company like Bell Aliant stands out....

2 min read

Scott Clayton

ETFs

Japanese ETF looks to profit from ongoing tsunami reconstruction

We think conservative investors could hold up to 10% of their portfolios in foreign stocks. One way to do that is to buy carefully chosen exchange traded funds (ETFs) that have an overseas focus. The best ETFs offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of high quality stocks. ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND (American Exchange symbol EWJ; us.ishares.com) is an exchange traded fund that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan index....

1 min read

Scott Clayton

Growth Stocks

Tech stock takes control of Loblaw’s health clinics

CALIAN TECHNOLOGIES (Toronto symbol CTY; www.calian.com) operates in two areas: the business and technology services division (which supplies 70% of Calian’s revenue) provides engineers, health care workers and other skilled professionals to clients on a contract basis. The systems engineering division (30% of revenue) sells hardware and software for testing, operating and managing satellite and other communication systems. In the three months ended June 30, 2012, Calian’s revenue rose 1.4%, to $59.3 million from $58.5 million a year earlier. Earnings rose slightly, to $3.48 million, or $0.45 a share, from $3.45 million, or $0.45 a share....

1 min read

Scott Clayton

Growth Stocks

This tech stock aims to expand its systems to more international oil and gas rigs

This summer, natural gas prices dropped below $2 U.S.per thousand cubic feet, a 10-year low. That’s mainly because of new shale gas discoveries. Prices are now around $2.84, still well below last year’s high of almost $5. Oil prices have weakened, as well. They are now down 16%, from $109 a barrel in February to $92 today. Oil prices will continue to vary, while gas prices will likely recover. The key for this tech stock that serves the energy industry is that prices remain high enough to generate increased drilling for both oil and gas....

2 min read

Scott Clayton

Energy Stocks

Encana and Cenovus keep building in face of declining energy prices

Encana took its present form on December 1, 2009, after the old EnCana Corp. split itself into two new companies: the new Encana, which focuses on natural gas, and Cenovus Energy, which specializes in oil sands. Falling gas prices have pushed Encana’s shares down about 30% since the split. Oil prices have weakened lately, but Cenovus’ shares are up about 14%. ENCANA CORP (Toronto symbol ECA; www.encana.com) is one of North America’s largest natural gas producers. Its reserves should last over 11 years....

2 min read

Scott Clayton

Dividend Stocks

Brookfield Renewable Power looks to sustain high dividend yield

BROOKFIELD RENEWABLE ENERGY PARTNERS L.P. (Toronto symbol BEP.UN; brookfieldrenewable.com) owns 170 hydroelectric generating stations, seven wind farms and two natural-gas-fired plants. In all, it has 4,909 megawatts of generating capacity. Roughly 35% of Brookfield Renewable’s generating capacity is in Canada, with another 45% in the U.S. and 20% in Brazil. The company sells virtually all of its power under agreements that are an average of 24 years in length....

1 min read

Scott Clayton

ETFs

South Korean ETF taps into one of Asia’s largest economies

We think conservative investors could hold up to, say, 10% of their portfolios in foreign stocks. One way to do that is to buy carefully chosen exchange traded funds (ETFs) that have an overseas focus. ISHARES MSCI SOUTH KOREA INDEX FUND (New York Exchange symbol EWY; buy or sell through brokers), is an exchange traded fund that aims to track the MSCI Korea Index....

2 min read

Scott Clayton

How To Invest

Primaris REIT could be takeover candidate

When the government introduced its income trust tax, most real estate investment trusts (REITs) were exempted. A year and a half after the tax took effect, this has kept REITs popular among investors seeking income as well as capital gains. PRIMARIS RETAIL REAL ESTATEINVESTMENT TRUST (Toronto symbol PMZ.UN; www.primarisreit.com) owns large malls in medium-sized Canadian cities and suburban areas. In all, it owns 33 properties that contain 13.7 million square feet of leasable area....

1 min read

Scott Clayton

Dividend Stocks

Dividend stocks: Takeover gives Pembina big stake in natural gas liquids

Pipelines have been in the news. Canada’s largest pipeline company, TransCanada Corporation (symbol TRP on Toronto) has made headlines with its ongoing disagreement with the U.S. government over the completion of its Keystone XL pipeline to the Gulf Coast. The Obama administration blocked the Nebraska section of the project last November, citing environmental concerns. TransCanada has submitted a proposal for a re-routing of the pipeline and is awaiting a new environmental review. Pembina Pipelines had attracted much less attention until it came up with some interesting news of its own this year: the purchase of a firm with significant assets in natural gas liquids (NGL)....

2 min read

Scott Clayton