Key updates on your safety-conscious stocks

MANULIFE FINANCIAL, $29.72, is a buy. This safety-conscious blue-chip company (Toronto symbol MFC; Shares o/s: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $53.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 4.9%; www.manulife.ca) is one of Canada’s largest life insurers. The company also sells other forms of insurance including health, dental and travel plans;… Read More

Hold off on new buying

ISHARES S&P/TSX REIT INDEX ETF, $15.83, is a hold. The ETF (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) lets investors tap all 16 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX REIT Index. Investors pay an MER of 0.61%, and the fund gives you a 4.7% yield.
The… Read More