holding company

Intact Financial Corp. generated 6.2% higher revenues and 20.7% higher earnings as it continues to rake in higher premiums and make the most of recent acquisitions.

Intact Financial is now close to its recent, all-time high—and the shares are up a spectacular 411% since we first recommended them at $42.95 in our April 2010 issue. We think this Power Buy is poised to keep moving even higher for you, our subscribers.


INTACT FINANCIAL, $219.30, is a Power Buy. The insurer (Toronto symbol IFC; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (www.intactfc.com; Shares outstanding: 178.3 million; Market cap: $39.1 billion; Dividend yield: 2.2%) is Canada’s largest provider of property and casualty coverage: it insures more than five million individuals and businesses....

On August 3, 2021, the old L Brands holding company (old New York symbol LB) split into two separate firms: Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works. Investors received one new share of Victoria’s Secret for every three shares of L Brands they held. L Brands then changed its name to Bath & Body Works.


Victoria’s Secret is now down roughly 60%, while the former parent has dropped 30%....

TWILIO INC., $60.10, symbol TWLO on Nasdaq, is a buy. The company offers a key service to software developers who create mobile apps. Specifically, its own software is used to connect apps to essential functions elsewhere on a device, including dealing with phone calls and messaging.

In the quarter ended March 31, 2024, revenue rose 4.0%, to $1.05 billion from $1.01 billion....

Demand for electrical power in Canada continues to rise due to several factors. Those include an expanding population and the shift to electric-powered cars. Moreover, the construction of new datacentres to handle power-intense artificial intelligence will also spur electricity demand.


A good way for investors to tap those trends is with these three high-quality power utilities....

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP., $165.71, New York symbol IBM, is a top pick for 2024.

The company is one of the world’s largest computer firms, with operations in over 175 countries.

With the June 2024 payment, IBM will raise your quarterly dividend by 0.6%, to $1.67 a share from $1.66....

POWER CORP., $36.86, is a buy. The conglomerate (Toronto symbol POW; Shares o/s: 600.8 million; Market cap: $24.3 billion; Rating: Above Average; Yield: 6.1%) has several primary investments, including controlling stakes in Canadian financial services firms Great-West Lifeco (insurance) and IGM Financial (mutual funds)....

POWER CORP. OF CANADA $37 is a buy. The conglomerate (Toronto symbol POW; Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 652.2 million; Market cap: $24.1 billion; Dividend yield: 6.1%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.powercorporation.com) has several primary investments, including controlling stakes in Canadian financial services firms Great-West Lifeco (insurance) and IGM Financial (mutual funds)....

These two global leaders now plan to shrink their operations. That’s good news for investors, as stock markets tend to prefer—and reward—companies with easy-to-understand businesses rather than those with complex conglomerate structures. Even so, we prefer Unilever over Sony for your new buying.


UNILEVER PLC (ADR) $47 is a spinoff buy. The company (New York symbol UL; Consumer sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.5 billion; Market cap: $117.5 billion; Dividend yield: 4.0%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.unilever.com) is one of the world’s largest makers of branded and packaged consumer goods....

EMERA INC., $48.80, Toronto symbol EMA, is a buy.

The company owns 100% of Nova Scotia Power, that province’s main electricity supplier. It also owns 100% of Teco Energy, which supplies electricity and natural gas to 1.3 million customers in Tampa Bay, Florida....