stantec

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, $131.94, Toronto symbol RY, is a buy.

Due to concerns over rising interest rates and inflation, Canada’s largest bank by market cap continues to set aside more funds to cover potential loan losses.

In its fiscal 2024 first quarter, ended January 31, 2024, loan-loss provisions jumped 52.8%, to $813 million from $532 million a year earlier.

That’s mainly why Royal’s earnings before unusual items in the quarter fell 5.0%, to $4.01 billion from $4.22 billion....

The shares of engineering firm Stantec are up over 50% in the past year and hit a new record high of $108.66 in January 2024. That gain is largely due to increased government spending on infrastructure projects in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also announced a new strategic plan, which should further spur its earnings—and your returns—over the next few years.


STANTEC INC....

TELUS CORP., $25.06, Toronto symbol T, is your #1 Income Buy for 2023.

The company had 12.87 million wireless subscribers as of September 30, 2023. It also sells landline phone, Internet and TV services in B.C., Alberta and eastern Quebec.

Telus recently acquired additional wireless spectrum (or radio frequencies) from the federal government....

CANADIAN PACIFIC KANSAS CITY LTD., $97.81, Toronto symbol CP, is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2023.

The company took its current form on April 14, 2023, when Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. completed the acquisition of U.S.-based railway Kansas City Southern.

CP paid $31 billion U.S....

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS INC. $73 is a buy. The company (New York symbol WH; Cyclical-Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 84.3 million; Market cap: $6.2 billion; Dividend yield: 1.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.wyndhamhotels.com) is the world’s largest hotel franchiser, with 9,100 hotels in more than 95 countries.


Wyndham last raised your quarterly dividend by 9.4% with the March 2023 payment to $0.35 a share from $0.32....

HOME CAPITAL GROUP INC. (Toronto symbol HCG) is a mortgage lender serving borrowers who fail to meet the stricter standards of Canada’s traditional lenders. Smith Financial Corp. has now completed its takeover of the company. As a result, Home Capital’s shares stopped trading on the Toronto exchange on August 31, 2023.


Home Capital shareholders received $44.28 a share in cash....

CAE INC., $31.66, Toronto symbol CAE, remains a buy for long-term gains.

The company is a leading maker of flight simulators for commercial and military aircraft. It also operates pilot-training schools in over 40 countries and makes mannequins and other medical-simulators for training health professionals.

CAE continues to gain as air travel volumes return to pre-pandemic levels....

CAMPBELL SOUP CO., $46.05, New York symbol CPB, is a buy for long-term gains.

Campbell last raised your quarterly dividend with the February 2021 payment. Investors now receive $0.37 a share, up 5.7% from $0.35. The new annual rate of $1.48 yields a solid 3.2%.

Under its new strategic plan, which began in 2018, Campbell sold most of its international and refrigerated-foods businesses....

Rising interest rates boost bond yields and their appeal with investors. Conversely, rising rates can hurt the appeal of high-yield utilities, and their shares, since those companies must pay higher interest on their debt. Still, top utilities remain financially healthy and continue to expand and pay dividends....

TORONTO-DOMINION BANK $78 is a buy. The lender (Toronto symbol TD; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $140.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.9; Dividend yield: 4.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.td.com) has cancelled its deal to acquire First Horizon Corporation (New York symbol FHN) for $13.4 billion U.S....