canadian

Canada’s Big Five banks continue to generate healthy profits for you, their shareholders. That’s despite their move to set aside more funds to cover potentially bad loans should the economy sour. Higher loan-loss provisions have nonetheless slowed earnings growth for some of the banks although we feel their decision to increase reserves helps protect investor value....

Consider these pointers on dividend investing for beginners to help you get your investing career off to a great start

Don’t let Preferred Shares give you a false sense of security

Today’s low interest rates lead some investors to put money in investment products that come with hidden risks.

For instance, I recently ran into an acquaintance who told me he is troubled by the low rate of return he is earning on his fixed-return investments....

Consider these factors and more to profit from holding the best Canadian utility ETF in your diversified portfolio

Canada’s top insurance firms remain great choices for investors seeking blue-chip growth plus solid yields. They’re also a great way for you to tap into fast-growing Asian demand for insurance and wealth management services.


MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP., $26.36, is a buy. This safety-conscious blue-chip company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 2.0 billion; Market cap: $51.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%; www.manulife.ca) is Canada’s largest life insurer.


Manulife also sells other forms of insurance, including health, dental and travel plans; in addition, it offers mutual funds and investment management services.


As of September 30, 2019, the company had $1.2 trillion in assets under administration....

INNERGEX RENEWABLE ENERGY, $16.86, is a buy. The power generator (Toronto symbol INE; Shares outstanding: 133.6 million; Market cap: $2.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield 4.2%; www.innergex.com) operates 37 hydroelectric plants, 26 wind farms and four solar power fields....

The six ETFs we update for you below mainly hold high-quality stocks that are widely traded on Canadian and U.S. exchanges. Each fund tracks the performance of a major stock market index for its investors. Note that this is different from riskier ETFs focused on narrower indexes or trends such as cryptocurrencies or cannabis.


Of course, you pay brokerage commissions to buy and sell these ETFs....

ISHARES S&P/TSX REIT INDEX ETF, $19.49, is a hold. The ETF (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) lets you tap into all 19 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX REIT Index.


Investors pay a reasonable MER of 0.61%, and it currently gives you a high 4.1% yield.

TELUS, $50.28, is a buy. The Canadian telecom leader (Toronto symbol T; Shares outstanding: 601.0 million; Market cap: $30.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.6%; www.telus.com) continues to expand its range of services to diversify as well as cross-sell to its existing customers.


Telus sees the diversification of its offerings as a way of protecting and building investor value. In addition to its main businesses, the company owns 65% of Telus International....

Welcome to your latest issue of Spinoffs & Takeovers! This month, we highlight spinoff opportunities ready to deliver strong returns for your portfolio. They include Keysight, and eBay and Aramark, among several others.


In addition, we provide you with key analysis of stocks now in the crosshairs of activist investors—and with the potential for lucrative spinoffs or takeovers....