acquisition

CANADIAN TIRE CORP., $153.58, Toronto symbol CTC.A, is a top pick for 2024.

The company operates 502 Canadian Tire stores, which sell automotive parts and services, and household and sporting goods; franchisees run most of the locations. The company’s other operations also enrich its outlook....
IMPERIAL OIL LTD., $88.61, Toronto symbol IMO, is a buy.

This company gets over 90% of its production from oil sands operations in Alberta. Imperial also has conventional oil and natural gas operations in the West and holds stakes in offshore projects in Atlantic Canada.

Its other operations include three refineries (one in Alberta, two in Ontario) and a petrochemical plant in Sarnia, Ontario.

Imperial now plans to spend between $1.9 billion and $2.1 billion on capital upgrades and exploration in 2025....
Inari Medical has multiple growth catalysts on the horizon and strong market leadership in its core segments as it continues to grow revenues aggressively.
Oil giant Chevron recently won U.S. regulatory approval for its deal to buy smaller rival Hess Corp. While expanding by acquisition adds risk, the new operations will add several promising properties to Chevron’s reserves. The extra cash flow will also let the oil giant keep raising your dividend—something it’s done each of the past 37 years.


CHEVRON CORP....
These two firms are cutting costs, which will help them cope as consumers shift away from processed foods. Those savings will let them improve the quality of their products, and protect their dividends.


CAMPBELL’S CO. $42 is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol CPB; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 298.1 million; Market cap: $12.5 billion; Dividend yield: 3.7%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.thecampbellscompany.com) recently changed its name from Campbell Soup Co....
In the past few years, insurance giant Sun Life has expanded its operations in Asia. Specifically, it’s in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, and the region now contributes about 18% of earnings.


The company also continues to benefit from the aging North American population, with rising demand for health insurance and wealth management services.


We expect these factors to drive the company’s earnings—and your dividend—over the next several years.


SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC....
The pandemic presented both of these firms with unique challenges. However, each remained profitable and is now well positioned to keep prospering. Trends underway as well as the strong position of each firm in its key markets will power future gains. Both of these leaders are buys.


ALCON, $85.54, is a buy. The firm (New York symbol ALC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.alcon.com; Shares outstanding: 499.7 million; Market cap: $42.3 billion; Dividend yield 0.3%) is the world’s biggest eye-care company....
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an example of an investment idea that could boost your investment returns, or, more likely, end up costing you money. All in all, we think that the biggest, surest gains from AI will come from investing in established businesses that are already profitable and growing, and that can gain all the more by applying AI to their operations.


Here are two companies that are already profitably taking advantage of AI, and they should be among the leaders in the push to extend AI’s use:


SHOPIFY, $170.88, remains a buy. The company (Toronto symbol SHOP; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.shopify.ca; Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $213.6 billion; No dividends paid) offers merchants of all sizes Internet-based software to design, set up and manage e-commerce stores across multiple sales channels....
Motorola continues to report robust revenue earnings growth as the shares keep climbing with a 48.0% gain this year so far.
A: Organon & Co., $14.72, symbol OGN on New York (Shares outstanding: 257.5 million; Market cap: $3.8 billion; www.organon.com), is a global healthcare company focused on improving women’s health....