investing

I’ve often written and spoken about the poor reliability of using market indicators to guide your investment decisions. Recently I’ve said this reliability is likely to be even worse now, if only due to unsettling developments such as the pandemic, the unprecedented plunge in interest rates, and fears about U.S.-China head-butting.

Recently an investor asked, “If we don’t use market indicators, how are we supposed to decide what and when to buy?”

That’s a big question....

BCE and Telus are high-quality firms with businesses that were well-prepared to withstand the COVID-19 slowdown. Longer term, the recent launch of their new ultrafast 5G wireless networks provides strong growth prospects and should boost their cash flow to pay for dividend increases.


TELUS, $27.51 (Toronto symbol T; Shares outstanding: 1.4 billion; Market cap: $37.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.6%; www.telus.com) gives you a stake in a wireless business that has 10.8 million subscribers....

Buying the top Canadian energy stocks can strengthen your resource sector holdings if you follow this advice. Learn more in this article now.

Investing rules of thumb are usually misleading, but there are time-tested ones that can help you succeed with investing. Learn more in this article.

Each year, major industry associations such as Lipper and Fundata produce lists of award-winning mutual funds and ETFs. Here’s a close look at a few of their top winners.


As well, please check out the Supplement on page 60 That’s where we highlight factors contributing to top ETFs.


DYNAMIC ACTIVE GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF $47.48 (Toronto symbol DXG; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $1.2 billion) invests globally in firms that pay a dividend or are expected to pay a dividend....

Canadian Utilities remains a great pick for income-seeking investors. In fact, in our TSI Dividend Advisor newsletter, the company earns our “Highest” Dividend Sustainability Rating. That measures how likely a company is to maintain—or, even better, keep raising—its dividend....

Including the top metal stocks in your portfolio can add volatility. But it can diversify your holdings, as well as boost your long-term gains.

Business for our two top Canadian insurance recommendations remains strong, both in Canada and internationally. These two stocks have recovered all of the ground they lost in March 2020—and we think they are now poised to move even higher. Meanwhile, each insurer offers you solid, sustainable dividend yields.

MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP., $27.19, is a buy. This safety-conscious blue-chip company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $52.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.1%; www.manulife.ca) is Canada’s largest life insurer.

Manulife sells other forms of insurance, including health, dental and travel plans; its mutual funds and investment management services further diversify its revenue stream.

As of March 31, 2021, the company had $1.3 trillion in assets under administration....

Pfizer has stayed in a narrow range of $32 to $42 in the past year. However, we feel two recent developments will let it move higher in the next few years and spur your returns.


The first is Pfizer’s development of an effective COVID-19 vaccine....

A: Medtronic plc, $130.12, symbol MDT on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $175.4 billion; www.medtronic.com), develops, makes and distributes a wide range of healthcare-related devices and equipment....