investment

BANK OF MONTREAL, $121.78, Toronto symbol BMO, remains a buy.

The bank recently agreed to acquire California-based Bank of the West from France’s BNP Paribas for $16.3 billion U.S.

Bank of the West provides a variety of retail and commercial banking services to over 1.8 million customers through 514 branches in 24 states, mainly in the Western and Midwestern regions of the U.S....
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 rising interest rates are a boon to their returns....

Generally speaking, Canadians are blocked from buying mutual funds that are registered in the U.S. unless those funds are also registered with provincial securities commissions. (Moreover, some Canadian mutual funds are only available in a limited number of provinces.)


Investors in this country can, however, buy exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, listed on U.S....
Buying the best fast food stocks can add steady growth to your stock holdings. Find out what to look for in these stocks and discover one of our recommendations.
A: CRH plc (ADR), $37.48, symbol CRH on New York (Shares outstanding: 756.4 million; Market cap: $28.4 billion; www.crh.com), is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of building materials....
Using a growth by acquisition strategy doesn’t always lead to a profitable outcome, but we share an instance where it worked among waste management stocks.
3M COMPANY, $129.14, New York symbol MMM, is still a buy for long-term gains.

The company makes over 60,000 consumer and industrial goods, including air purifiers, adhesives, bandages and components for medical devices. Investors tap its main brands, including Post-it notes, Scotch tape, Scotch-Brite cleaning products, Scotchguard protection and Thinsulate insulation.

3M last raised its quarterly dividend with the March 2022 payment....
There is no “one-size-fits-all” ideal investment portfolio mix. But there are some key portfolio diversification tips that every investor should follow.
GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $33 is a hold. Canada’s second-largest life insurer (Toronto symbol GWO; Conservative Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; shares outstanding: 931.8 million; Market cap: $30.7 billion; Dividend yield: 5.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.greatwestlifeco.com) last raised its quarterly dividend with the December 2021 payment....
ALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $32 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 128.0 million; Market cap: $4.1 billion; Distribution yield: 5.5%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.alliedreit.com) owns 200 office buildings and 13 properties under development, mainly in major Canadian cities.


Starting with the January 2022 payment, Allied raised its monthly distribution by 2.9%....