stock prices

The share prices of U.S. and Canadian utilities companies in general have not performed well over the past decade, lagging the broad market indexes. Reasons for this weaker performance include slow growth in electricity demand for power producers, as well as high interest rates that have hurt utilities overall.


However, several factors are now driving projections that U.S....

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO., $204.79, New York symbol JPM, is a buy.

Morgan is the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $4.09 trillion as of March 31, 2024.

With the April 2024, payment, Morgan increased your quarterly dividend by 9.5%, to $1.15 a share from $1.05....

GENERAL MILLS INC., $63.26, New York symbol GIS, is a hold.

This consumer staples giant is one of the world’s largest foodmakers. Its top brands include Cheerios (cereal), Pillsbury (baking dough), Progresso (soups and salads) and Blue Buffalo (pet food), which it acquired in April 2018 for $8.0 billion.

Higher food prices continue to prompt cost-conscious consumers to switch to private label brands....

Here’s the text of the most-recent letter I sent to our Portfolio Management clients in March:

“Guesswork plays a role in a lot of human decision-making, including decisions on investments.

For a while after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel last year, the stock market reaction didn’t seem to make sense....

Medium-sized companies are a bit like the proverbial middle child—they tend not to get as much attention from investors as the smallest or the biggest. But this creates opportunities for investors who are prepared to add the best of those stocks—or the ETFs that hold them—to their portfolios.


High-quality mid-cap stocks can offer the stability and balance sheet strength of large caps, while at the same time, they give investors growth potential similar to small caps.


What are mid-cap stocks?


Mid-cap stocks fall between large-cap stocks and small-cap stocks but the average size of mid-cap companies varies from market to market.


Index provider S&P ranks all U.S....

Blue chip companies are good companies to invest in, with a reputation for quality, reliability, and the ability to operate profitably.

Ignore the “bells and whistles” when it comes to making portfolio decisions and stick to simple investing for the long term.

Consumer defensive companies such as Walmart, Proctor & Gamble, and Nestle provide basic goods that consumers need even during a recession. It is therefore not surprising that these companies have relatively stable revenue and profit histories and can maintain their dividends during tough economic times.


In addition, the consumer defensive group also consistently holds up well during bear markets—a feat that is only matched by a few other segments such as healthcare and utilities.


Sector performance during tough times


When investor panic sets in, stocks go down leaving few places to hide....

The term “investment synergy” entered common investor use during the takeover craze of the 1960s. Keep reading to learn more.

Seizing Double-Barrelled Buying Opportunities Amidst Investor Fear and Hidden Market Value -- keep reading to learn more.