canadian

In the past few years, insurance giant Sun Life has expanded its operations in Asia. Specifically, it’s in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, and the region now contributes about 18% of earnings.


The company also continues to benefit from the aging North American population, with rising demand for health insurance and wealth management services.


We expect these factors to drive the company’s earnings—and your dividend—over the next several years.


SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC....
We see both Calian and Wajax as having bright futures given their high-demand services and the resulting growth prospects. Meanwhile, each stock offers you a sustainable yield. Both are buys.


CALIAN GROUP, $47.73, is a buy. The stock (Toronto symbol CGY; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (calian.com; Shares outstanding: 11.8 million; Market cap: $555.0 million; Dividend yield: 2.4%) lets investors tap the Ottawa-based company’s four main operating segments:


Advanced Technologies offers products and engineering services for the space, communications, nuclear, agriculture, defence and government sectors....
A: Richelieu Hardware Ltd., $38.16, symbol RCH on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 55.2 million; Market cap: $2.1 billion; www.richelieu.com), imports, makes and distributes specialty hardware products.

The company sells to manufacturers of kitchen, bathroom, storage and closet cabinetry as well as makers of home and office furniture, and doors and windows....
VSE CORP., $108.21, symbol VSEC on Nasdaq, provides aftermarket distribution and repair services through its two operating segments: Aviation (74% of revenue) and Fleet (26%).

The Aviation unit provides aftermarket parts, distribution and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services....
TORONTO-DOMINION BANK, $75.87, Toronto symbol TD, remains a buy for patient, income-seeking investors.

With the January 2025 payment, TD will raise your quarterly dividend by 2.9%. Investors will then receive $1.05 a share instead of $1.02....
SUNCOR ENERGY INC., $52.37, Toronto symbol SU, is a buy.

The company is Canada’s largest integrated oil firm, with major projects in the Alberta oil sands. It also operates four refineries (three in Canada and one in Colorado), along with over 1,800 Petro-Canada gas stations.

Suncor now expects to spend between $6.1 billion and $6.3 billion on exploration and upgrades in 2025....
The shares of these two utilities continue to rise, mainly because falling interest rates make their high dividend yields more appealing to income-seeking investors. As well, their new projects will give them even more room for dividend hikes.


CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD....

Finning supplies Caterpillar heavy equipment and support services to resources companies, so its revenues tend to move up and down with commodity prices.


To offset that cyclical risk, the company typically signs long-term support contracts when it sells new equipment, which gives its predictable revenue streams....
On October 1, 2024, TC Energy completed the spinoff of its oil pipeline business as separate company South Bow. Investors received 0.2 of a South Bow share for every TC share they held.


TC recommends that shareholders allocate 91% of their adjusted cost base to their TC Energy shares, and 9% to their South Bow shares....
TSI’s Scott Clayton has unearthed a sextet of dividend-paying gems hiding in plain sight. These companies, spanning industries from railway giants to potato powerhouses, have seen their share prices take a beating in 2024. But don’t be fooled by their temporary fall from grace – our rigorous TSI Dividend Sustainability Rating System suggests these stocks are coiled springs, ready to bounce back with a vengeance.

We’ve identified six companies that not only maintain rock-solid dividend credentials but also possess the financial firepower and market positioning to deliver potentially explosive returns in 2025 and beyond....