asset management

We continue to recommend investors diversify their Finance holdings beyond Canada’s Big Five banks to other high-quality stocks. That includes the three we analyze below. Each of these firms is a leader in its niche market, which helps to cut risk. Even so, we see one in particular as a good choice for your new buying right now.


GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC....

Business for our two top Canadian insurance recommendations remains steady, although COVID-19 has slowed their share-price growth. Still, both firms should rebound quickly once the coronavirus outbreak eases. That will lift the value of their shares. Meanwhile, each insurer offers you a high, sustainable dividend yield.


MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP., $22.43, is a buy. This safety-conscious blue-chip company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $43.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.0%; www.manulife.ca) is Canada’s largest life insurer.


Manulife sells other forms of insurance, including health, dental and travel plans; its mutual funds and investment management services further diversify its revenue stream.


As of September 30, 2020, the company had $1.3 trillion in assets under administration....

Canadian finance regulators have instructed banks and other big financial institutions to freeze their dividends during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Manulife and Sun Life are in a strong position to resume regular increases when the crisis passes.


MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP....

Growth stocks can be riskier than well-established firms, but the best of them often make good long-term investments. They may be well-known stars or quiet gems, but they do share one common attribute: they grow at a faster-than-average rate within their industry, or within the market as a whole, for years or decades.


Here we look at two ETFs that select growth stocks from the U.S....

The Canadian economy ranks among the top 10 globally and has performed better than most of its large, developed peers over the past decade. The country is also among the top 15 most-competitive economies in the world; to date, it has fared relatively well at containing the COVID-19 pandemic....

Mutual fund fees are under pressure from low-fee ETFs and government regulations. As a result, IGM Financial is expanding its wealth management operations. That will improve its long-term earnings given that wealth management generates higher margins than mutual fund sales.


IGM FINANCIAL INC....

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $55.88, is a buy. The bank (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $67.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 6.4%; www.scotiabank.com) has agreed to settle charges by U.S....

THYSSENKRUPP AG (ADR) $7.52 is okay to hold, but only for aggressive investors. The company (U.S. over-the-counter bulletin board symbol TKAMY; Shares outstanding: 622.5 million; Market cap: $4.7 billion; Dividend suspended in 2020; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.thyssenkrupp.com) is a German industrial conglomerate with operations that manufacture steel, automotive components and warships....

Exchange-traded funds have traditionally offered investors three main advantages: ease of trading, low fees, and transparency. We still believe passively managed ETFs—which simply track benchmark indexes—do the best job of meeting those goals. However, actively managed ETFs, where fund managers tinker with their holdings to beat the benchmarks, are gaining popularity in Canada....

Business for our two top Canadian insurance recommendations remains strong, although COVID-19 has slowed their share-price growth. That reflects their drop in wealth management fees this spring as the pandemic hurt their client portfolios. The market downturn also hit their own extensive investment portfolios.


However, both firms should rebound quickly once the coronavirus outbreak eases....