canadian

We prefer top-quality utility stocks over bonds, mainly due to the favourable tax treatment of dividends compared to interest payments. We like both Canadian Utilities and ATCO, which both offer dependable dividends. ATCO’s holding company discount also enhances its appeal.


CANADIAN UTILITIES LTD....

THOMSON REUTERS CORP. $175 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol TRI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 479.4 million; Market cap: $83.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 9.6; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.thomsonreuters.com) sells specialized information (mainly through electronic channels) to professionals in the legal, and tax and accounting fields....

The COVID-19-induced surge in online shopping volumes has slowed with the re-opening of physical stores. That has helped lift the shares of these three retailers.


Even so, each of them continues to trade at an attractive multiple to its earnings, and will probably keep raising its dividend....

SUNCOR ENERGY INC., $42.65, 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 1,590 Petro-Canada gas stations.

With the December 2022 payment, Suncor raised your quarterly dividend by 10.6%, to $0.52 a share from $0.47....

RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC., $66.01, is a buy. The stock (symbol QSR on New York) gives you exposure to the world’s third-largest fast-food operator. That’s after McDonald’s (No. 1) and Yum Brands (No. 2). The company has 30,722 outlets in over 100 countries: 19,789 Burger King, 5,600 Tim Hortons (coffee and donuts), 4,091 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (fried chicken) and 1,242 Firehouse Subs.

TH International Limited (“Tims China”) will now become the exclusive operator and developer of the world-famous Popeyes® brand in mainland China.

Tims China (symbol THCH on Nasdaq) owns the exclusive master franchise for Tim Hortons coffee shops in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

To gain the rights, Tims China acquired PLKC International Limited (“Popeyes China”), which holds the exclusive rights to develop and sub-franchise the Popeyes brand in mainland China and Macau....

TECK RESOURCES LTD., $59.27, Toronto symbol TECK.B, remains a buy for investors seeking long-term gains from the Resources sector of their portfolio.

The stock jumped over 20% this week after the company rejected an unsolicited takeover offer from Switzerland-based mining firm Glencore plc (Over-the-counter Pink Sheets symbol GLCNF).

Glencore proposed to buy Teck for about $23 billion U.S....

The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer, now is a good time for new buying....

RioCan and Choice Properties continue to build new residential, office and industrial properties to cut their exposure to the retail industry. Their new properties should help both REITs raise investor distributions in the next few years. All in all, each trust remains attractive thanks to its high-quality properties and tenants.


RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, $20.73, is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 303.9 million; Market cap: $6.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.2%; www.riocan.com) owns all or part of 193 shopping centres and other properties across Canada, as well as 10 projects under development....

Insurers write policies, collect premiums from customers, and then invest those premiums to meet future claims. They’re required to invest significant amounts of that money in fixed-income instruments, namely bonds. That means high interest rates are a boon to their returns....

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $102.02 (Toronto symbol CP; shares o/s: 930.9 million; Market cap: $96.6 billion; Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 0.7%) has finally received approval from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board for its $31 billion acquisition of U.S.-based railway Kansas City Southern (KCS).


CP will now begin merging the two businesses on April 14, 2023....