acquisition

A: Exco Technologies Ltd., $7.30, symbol XTC on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 38.9 million; Market cap: $286.0 million; www.excocorp.com), operates in two segments: Automotive Solutions, and Casting and Extrusion.

Based in Markham, Ontario, Exco was founded in 1952....

In the second half of the 1990s, Walmart was a broker/media market favourite. It rose from around $10 a share in the mid-1990s, to around $70 by the start of the year 2000. Back then, Walmart stock was still featured in the broker/media limelight, and its P/E (per-share price to earnings ratio) was close to 50.0 to 1.0.

After that, a 17-year lull set in....

ORACLE CORPORATION, $63.29, symbol ORCL on Nasdaq, is one of the world’s largest software providers. It started in database software but has since branched out to enterprise resource planning, human capital management, customer relationship management, and more....

ALGONQUIN POWER & UTILITIES CORP., $14.74, Toronto symbol AQN, is a top pick for 2022.

The company has two main businesses: the Regulated Services Group provides regulated electricity, gas, water distribution and wastewater collection services in Canada, the U.S., Chile, and Bermuda; and the Renewable Power Group produces electricity from about 40 clean-energy plants in North America.

Algonquin last raised your quarterly dividend with the July 2022 payment....

A: PerkinElmer Inc., $128.75, symbol PKI on New York (Shares outstanding: 126.2 million; Market cap: $15.7 billion; Manufacturing sector; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.perkinelmer.com), manufactures analytical and genetic testing equipment, diagnostic tools, and other products and services for the life sciences, food, environmental, and related industries.

In September 2021, the company completed the acquisition of BioLegend, a leading provider of life-science antibodies and reagents....

W.W. GRAINGER INC., $489.19, symbol GWW on New York, is a leading wide product line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the U.K. Grainger serves more than 4.5 million customers worldwide offering more than 2 million maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products in its High-Touch Solutions lines and more than 30 million products through its expanding Endless Assortment lines.

Products offered include safety and security supplies, cleaning and maintenance equipment, material handling equipment, and lighting and electrical supplies....

ENBRIDGE INC., $51.22, Toronto symbol ENB, is a buy.

The company operates pipelines that pump oil and natural gas from Western Canada to eastern Canada and the U.S. It also distributes gas to 3.9 million consumers in Ontario.

Enbridge has agreed to sell a 11.57% stake in seven pipelines to a consortium of 23 First Nations and Métis groups....

Pembina Pipeline recently put its natural gas-processing facilities in Western Canada into a new joint venture with private equity firm KKR. It will use cash it received through the deal to pay down debt and buy back shares. That should push up the stock. At the same time, investors should also look forward to higher dividend payments.


PEMBINA PIPELINE CORP....

INTACT FINANCIAL CORP. $198 is a buy. The insurer (Toronto symbol IFC; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 175.3 million; Market cap: $34.7 billion; Dividend yield: 2.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.intactfc.com) raised its quarterly dividend with the March 2022 payment....

NORTONLIFELOCK INC. $21 is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol NLOK; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 665.6 million; Market cap: $14.0 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.nortonlifelock.com) last raised its quarterly dividend by 7.0% with the December 2019 payment, to $0.125 a share from $0.075....