canadian

Growth by acquisition adds risk, but WELL Health aims to cut that risk by buying complementary businesses. As well, the Canadian health-care sector is a government-backed, recession-resilient industry.


WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES, $6.25, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol WELL; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (www.well.company; Shares outstanding: 249.9 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; No dividend paid) completed seven acquisitions in 2024....

We’ve uncovered six tariff-resistant Canadian service stocks with a strong U.S. presence on our dividend screen.

Finning International’s shares have gained over 197% since the COVID-19 pandemic, as governments invested in new public infrastructure projects. That has increased demand for its construction equipment. New mining projects in Canada and South America have also spurred its growth.

The company’s customers operate in cyclical industries, which adds to its risk....

INTACT FINANCIAL CORP., $288.21, is a buy. The stock (symbol IFC on Toronto) offers investors exposure to Canada’s largest provider of property and casualty insurance. Intact insures more than five million individuals and businesses. Its major brands are Intact Insurance, Canada BrokerLink and belairdirect.

In a bid to add value for investors, the company acquired OneBeacon Insurance Group for $1.7 billion U.S....

TELUS CORP., $21.80, Toronto symbol T, is your #1 Income Buy for 2025.

The company is Canada’s largest wireless carrier with 13.88 million subscribers (including non-cellphone devices such as tablets). It also sells landline phone, Internet and TV services in B.C., Alberta and eastern Quebec.

Starting in 2011, Telus began rewarding its shareholders with twice yearly dividend increases....

Traditional telecommunications service providers, such as Telus and BCE, are trading at substantially lower valuations compared to other “infrastructure” type companies. This is not only true for Canadian companies, but also for U.S. and other similar companies in Europe.


Growth and profitability: Railways in the lead


In order to compare the various infrastructure groups, we selected the main Canadian and U.S....

Telecommunications form an integral part of the economic infrastructure. Strict licensing standards and high capital requirements result in considerable barriers to entry. Despite slow growth, many of the major telecommunication companies have steady cash flows, high levels of profitability, and rising dividends....

One of the key attractions of exchange-traded funds is their lower fees compared to mutual funds. In addition, as more competitors entered the market, fees on many ETFs continue to drop.


One of the older U.S.-based funds with a large asset base and higher fees is the IShares MSCI Canada ETF $41.96 (New York symbol EWC)....

CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD. $34 (www.canadianutilities.com) is a buy. The company distributes electricity and natural gas in Alberta and Australia. It also owns or invests in power plants in Canada, Mexico, Australia and Chile....

Imperial Oil’s shares have dropped recently in response to threatened U.S. tariffs on Canadian oil imports. However, the company’s falling operating costs should help reduce any tariff-related impact. In fact, Imperial is so confident in its prospects, it just raised your dividend by 20%.


IMPERIAL OIL LTD....