investment

AMAZON.COM INC., $2,910.49, symbol AMZN on Nasdaq, is a buy. The company is one of the world’s largest online retailers. It’s also the third-largest digital ad provider in the U.S. Its Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the world’s largest cloud infrastructure service providers.

Amazon shares jumped this week after the company announced that it’s splitting its shares on a 20-for-1 basis, as well as buying back up to $10 billion of its stock.

The stock split is subject to shareholder approval at its annual shareholder meeting, which is scheduled for May 25....

CANADIAN TIRE CORP., $177.73, Toronto symbol CTC.A, is a buy.

Investors tap the company’s 504 Canadian Tire stores. They sell automotive parts and services, and household and sporting goods; franchisees run most of the locations. Still, the company’s other operations also enrich its outlook....

This month we highlight an ETF that targets “technology innovators” at a challenging time. We also look at a Canadian-listed ETF that invests in the U.S. corporate preferred securities market.


TD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY INNOVATORS INDEX ETF $6.77 (Toronto symbol TECI) aims to invest in “technology innovators” that it sees as having high growth rates and are more profitable than their peers....

Brazil is one of the top 10 global economies, and is richly endowed with a range of basic commodities. Still, the country currently faces significant challenges.


Elevated inflation—amid supply disruptions—has driven up prices for food and other goods....

RioCan’s plan to narrow its focus to major urban areas and to diversify into residential properties helped it weather the COVID-19 lockdowns. The trust’s recent distribution increase is another sign its strategy is working.


RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $25 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 317.8 million; Market cap: $7.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 6.8; Distribution yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.riocan.com) owns all or part of 207 shopping centres and other properties across Canada, as well as 13 projects under development....

The Bank of Canada recently raised its benchmark lending rate from 0.25% to 0.50%, its first increase since 2018. It has also signalled that more hikes are coming as it aims to lower Canada’s inflation rate to around 2% from the current 5.1%.


Generally, higher interest rates should help these three financial firms....

A: Hydrofarm Holdings Group Inc., $13.86, symbol HYFM on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 44.6 million; Market cap: $582.2 million; www.hydrofarm.com), is a leading distributor of hydroponics equipment and supplies for controlled environment agriculture....

As expected, the war in Europe is rattling investors, and the media are milking it for attention from readers, viewers and, indirectly, advertisers. Needless to say, they are doing so the old-fashioned way—accentuating the negative. That was easier to do before the Russians invaded....

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, $25.23, is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units o/s: 309.8 million; Market cap: $7.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Yield: 4.0%; www.riocan.com) continues to benefit from the re-opening of malls and restaurants....

The market plunge at the start of the COVID-19 crisis lowered prices for most REITs. That’s because the pandemic forced many businesses to temporarily close. However, the waning pandemic should see the economy increasingly normalize in the next several months....