Latest Stock Advice
Top pick Yum Brands Inc. gives you sales growth, steady EPS growth, and a solid dividend
Teck Resources Ltd. is a solid bet on higher copper prices with its big merger winning approvals
Toromont Industries Ltd. should see continued earnings growth thanks to its leading market share and Canada’s plan to increase spending on infrastructure projects.
Top pick Barrick Mining just raised its dividend a whopping 140% as it generates record earnings and continues its strategic asset reorganization.
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How to identify the top copper mining stocks—and how to best to fit them into your portfolio
A Member of Pat McKeough’s Inner Circle asked for his advice on an ETF that focuses on Canadian finance firm common shares, preferred shares and corporate bonds.
Pat likes the high distribution rate but warns that rate may be unsustainable....
Pat likes the high distribution rate but warns that rate may be unsustainable....
ENCANA $6.14 (Toronto symbol ECA; Shares outstanding: 849.8 million; Market cap: $4.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.4%; www.encana.com) plans to spend $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion upgrading its properties in 2016, down 25% from 2015 (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). Even with the drop, it expects production at its four main oil projects—Montney (B.C.), Duvernay (Alberta) and Eagle Ford and Permian (both in Texas)—will rise 12% this year. The company has also cut its annual dividend rate by 78.6%, to $0.06 a share from $0.28. In addition, Encana has eliminated the 2% price discount it offered to shareholders who chose to reinvest their dividends in new shares. In all, these moves will save $185 million a year....
CANADIAN REIT $43.00 (Toronto symbol REF.UN; Units outstanding: 73.0 million; Market cap: $3.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 4.2%; www.creit.ca) owns 197 properties, including retail, industrial and office buildings, across Canada and in Chicago. These holdings contain 24.9 million square feet of leasable area. The trust’s occupancy rate is 93.8%. In the three months ended December 31, 2015, Canadian REIT’s revenue rose 1.0%, to $110.6 million from $109.5 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit gained 1.3%, to $0.76 from $0.754. The trust aims to expand by developing its own properties rather than through large acquisitions. Over the next two to three years, it’s developing 12 projects to add 1.1 million square feet of space. Canadian REIT takes on partners to help carry out big projects....
POWER CORP. $28.98 (Toronto symbol POW; Shares outstanding: 414.4 million; Market cap: $13.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.3%; www.powercorporation.com) holds its financial assets through its 65.7% ownership of Power Financial. That holding includes 58.7% of IGM Financial, a leading Canadian mutual fund provider. IGM had $131.0 billion worth of assets under management as of January 31, 2016, down 9.9% from $145.5 billion a year earlier. The company’s fee income rises and falls with the value of the mutual funds and other securities it manages, so its revenue and earnings decline when the price of these assets falls. However, IGM sells most of its funds through its own salesforce. This makes it less dependent on selling through the brokerage industry than its competitors. Its sales model also lets IGM form close relationships with its clients and keep redemption rates down....
ISHARES CDN REIT SECTOR INDEX FUND $15.10 (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) holds the 15 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index. Expenses for iShares CDN REIT are 0.60% of its assets. The fund yields 6.0%. The ETF’s largest holding is RioCan REIT at 20.6%, followed by H&R REIT (12.9%), Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (9.2%), Smart REIT (9.1%), Canadian REIT (7.7%), Allied Properties REIT (6.4%), Cominar REIT (6.2%), Dream Office REIT (5.4%), Boardwalk REIT (4.7%), Granite REIT (4.5%), Artis REIT (4.2%), Crombie REIT (2.6%), Dream Global REIT (2.2%), Pure Industrial REIT (2.1%) and Northview Apartment REIT (1.9%)....