Visa Inc.

One of the best methods of building wealth over time is to zero in on the shares of companies (or the ETFs that hold them) with sound fundamental value. That includes a history of consistently strong sales and earnings, or cash flow. A solid balance sheet and a strong hold on a growing clientele are also pluses.


Here are three ETFs that aim to select high-quality companies with solid value: One ETF focuses on well-established U.S....
The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer, now is a good time for new buying....
Information technology has been the best-performing market segment over the past 25 years, although there have been some big downs along with the big ups. Going forward, we still see top information technology stocks—and the ETFs that hold them—as an attractive component of an investor’s overall Manufacturing sector holdings.


Please see the supplement on page 70 for more information about the risks and rewards involved in technology ETFs....
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC., $194.99, Nasdaq symbol TXN, is still a buy.

The company is a leading maker of analog chips. Its products convert inputs, like touch, sound and pressure, into electronic signals that computers can understand.

Texas Instruments is now building a new facility in Sherman, Texas, to house as many as four new chipmaking plants....
VISA INC. $275 is a buy. The company (New York symbol V; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 2.05 billion; Market cap: $563.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 17.0; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.visa.comwww.visa.com) operates the world’s largest electronic-payments network....
This section is the second part of our discussion on ETFs that represent each of the five main economic sectors. Here we cover ETFs in the Consumer, Manufacturing and Finance sectors.


Please see the supplement section starting on page 49 for more information on our five-sectors approach.


BMO GLOBAL CONSUMER STAPLES HEDGED TO CAD INDEX ETF $22.97 (Toronto symbol STPL; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Conservative; Market cap: $36.6 million) tracks the FTSE Developed Consumer Staples Capped Index and invests globally....
The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer, now is a good time for new buying....
MCDONALD’S CORP., $281.95, New York symbol MCD, is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2024.

The company is the world’s largest fast-food chain with over 40,000 restaurants in 119 countries. It serves a wide variety of food but is best known for its hamburgers and french fries.

McDonald’s has formed a new, exclusive alliance with Krispy Kreme Inc....
Capital One Financial recently agreed to merge with Discover Financial Services. The deal, if approved, would create the largest U.S. credit card company by loan volume.

Despite the emergence of a significant new competitor, the shares of American Express rose on the news....
The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer, now is a good time for new buying....