Pfizer Inc.

TORONTO-DOMINION BANK, $77.84, Toronto symbol TD, remains a buy for patient, income-seeking investors.

With the January 2024 payment, TD raised your quarterly dividend by 6.3%. Investors now receive $1.02 a share instead of $0.96. The new annual rate of $4.08 yields a solid 5.2%.

The bank has agreed to pay a fine of $3.09 billion U.S....
These two medical industry leaders are facing demands from activists to expand their current cost-cutting plans. While that pressure helps draw investor attention to their high-quality assets, Pfizer is your better choice for long-term gains.


PFIZER INC....
ALPHABET INC., Nasdaq symbols GOOG $164.52 [class C: non-voting] and GOOGL $163.24 [class A: one vote per share], is your #1 Aggressive buy for 2024.

The company is the parent of Google, the world’s leading Internet search engine—it handles over 80% of global search requests....
FORTIS INC., $60.33, Toronto symbol FTS, is a buy.

The company is the main supplier of electrical power in Newfoundland and PEI. Fortis also owns electrical utilities across Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. In addition, the company distributes natural gas in British Columbia, Arizona and New York State.

Fortis is now raising your quarterly dividend by 4.2%....
PFIZER INC., $29.11, New York symbol PFE, remains your #1 Income Buy for 2024.

The company is one of the world’s largest makers of prescription drugs. Its top-selling brands include Enbrel (arthritis), Ibrance (breast cancer) and Prevnar (pneumonia).

With the March 2024 payment, Pfizer raised your quarterly dividend by 2.4%....
These three medical products makers (including Kenvue, see box) have struggled as independent firms. While all three have solid prospects, embecta is the only one we see as a buy right now.


EMBECTA CORP. $16 is a spinoff buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol EMBC; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 57.3 million; Market cap: $916.8 million; Dividend yield: 3.8%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.embecta.com) took its current form in April 2022 when Becton Dickinson & Co....
The underlying growth trends for healthcare remain strong as the global population grows older and emerging economies become wealthier.


Meanwhile, new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) will serve to boost the already-strong prospects of healthcare stocks by improving the management of patient diagnostics, administrative processes, and drug discoveries....
Pfizer used the huge profits from its COVID-19 products to buy makers of other promising drugs, particularly cancer treatments. These new drugs should drive the company’s long-term growth, and let it keep raising your dividend.


PFIZER INC. $29 is your #1 Income Buy for 2024. The company (New York symbol PFE; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 5.7 billion; Market cap: $165.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield: 5.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pfizer.com) began operating in 1849 and is now one of the world’s largest makers of prescription drugs....
ICON plc is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides support services to the medical manufacturing industry.


ICON provides drug development and clinical trial services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device firms. It is one of a few CROs with the global infrastructure to carry out late-stage, multinational trials.


ICON ranks second in the world in the CRO category, among major competitors including IQVIA, Medspace, and Fortrea....
MCDONALD’S CORP., $276.69, New York symbol MCD, is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2024.

The company is the world’s largest fast-food chain with over 42,000 restaurants in 119 countries. It serves a wide variety of food but is best known for its hamburgers and french fries.

McDonald’s has increased its selling prices in response to rising labour and other operating costs....