canadian

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian financial regulators have instructed federally regulated firms, including Manulife and Sun Life, to postpone their planned dividend increases. However, it’s likely dividend hikes will resume some time later this year as the pandemic eases.


MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP....

Uncertainty over the future of the traditional office model because of COVID-19 has weighed on these two REITs. However, their high-quality properties and tenants continue to help them weather the pandemic. What’s more, their current payouts still seem sustainable.


ALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $39 is a buy. The trust (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 127.3 million; Market cap: $5.0 billion; Dividend yield: 4.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.alliedreit.com) creates value for investors through its 202 office buildings, mainly in major Canadian cities....

Enbridge’s new projects, combined with improving oil and gas prices, should help boost its share price. The stock remains down from $55 in February 2020. That was before the pandemic and the drop in oil prices.


Moreover, 98% of the company’s revenue comes from regulated projects or take-or-pay contracts....

A: The BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF, $33.51, symbol ZLB on Toronto (Units outstanding: 72.8 million; Market cap: $2.4 billion;
www.etfs.bmo.com), provides exposure to a low beta-weighted portfolio of Canadian stocks. The aim is to reduce your exposure to market volatility.


The ETF selects 40 or so (currently 47) of the lowest beta stocks (more on beta below) from the 100 largest and most-liquid stocks in Canada....

First, the good news: cannabis legalization will eventually lead to some great business successes....

The best blue chip stocks to invest in now have strong reputations, a history of success, and stock characteristics that lead you to believe that you could hold them indefinitely

One of the key tenets of our Successful Investor philosophy is to diversify by spreading your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors: Manufacturing & Industry, Resources & Commodities, Consumer, Finance, and Utilities.


And as part of your holdings, we continue to recommend that most Canadian investors hold at least two or three of Canada’s Big Five banks (TD Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, CIBC, Bank of Montreal and Royal Bank)....

The Vanguard Total World Stocks ETF (VT) gained 0.1% in January 2021. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) lost 0.3%, and the iShares MSCI Canada Equity ETF (EWC) lost 1.1%. The iShares Core EAFE ETF (IEFA), which excludes U.S....

Canadian investors, not unlike investors from most other countries, often have a bias for investing in their home markets. Familiarity with the domestic environment and companies—and a lack of familiarity with foreign markets—are big reasons.


And we agree with that bias—we still recommend that most Canadians hold the bulk of their portfolios in Canadian stocks, or ETFs that hold those stocks.


One good reason for that is Canadian taxpayers who hold Canadian dividend stocks get a special bonus....

Banks and other financial services firms suffered in early 2020 as the pandemic took hold. But most have since bounced back. Meanwhile, once COVID-19 eventually subsides and economic activity strengthens, the best of these stocks should be strong performers. That’s all the more so because the pandemic has accelerated their shift to online services as a way of servicing clients while cutting costs.


Here are three ETFs—among them two Canadian-listed funds—that provide investors with exposure to U.S....