Dividends can produce as much as a third of your total return over long periods, and you can even retire on dividends.
There are 4 key stock dividend dates that are involved with dividend payments:
1- The Declaration Date is several weeks in advance of a dividend payment—it’s when company’s board of directors sets the amount and timing of the proposed payment.
2- The Payable Date is the date set by the board on which the dividend will actually be paid out to shareholders.
3- The Record Date is for shareholders who hold the stock before the payable date and receive the dividend payment. That date is set any number of weeks before the payable date.
4-The Ex-Dividend Date is two business days before the record date and it’s when the shares begin to trade without their dividend. If you buy stocks one day or more before their ex-dividend date, you will still get the dividend. That’s when a stock is said to trade cum-dividend. If you buy on the ex-dividend date or later, you won’t get the dividend. The ex-dividend date is in place to allow pending stock trades to settle.
We think very highly of stocks that have been paying dividends for five or more years, at TSI Network. Many of these stocks fit in well with our three-part Successful Investor philosophy:
1- Invest mainly in well-established companies;
2- Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; and Utilities);
3- Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.
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Telus expects the lower dividend rate will save a total of $2.7 billion by the end of 2028. It will use the savings to pay down its long-term debt of $26.43 billion (as of June 30, 2026). That’s a high 120% of its market cap.
The insurer’s U.S.-based Empower unit has now agreed to acquire the retirement plan and benefits administration business of Milliman Inc. That firm has 1.5 million participants and $130 billion U.S. in assets under administration.
TC ENERGY INC., $89.47, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol TRP; Shares outstanding: 1.04 billion; Market cap: $93.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.9%; www.tcenergy.com) has targeted $28 billion worth of new projects and upgrades through 2030. That includes responding to growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and demand from expanding datacentres.
While its 62%-owned IGM hasn’t published downsizing numbers from its streamlining plans, severance and other associated costs should total $70 million (after-tax).
PRIMARIS REIT, $22.58, is a buy. The trust (Toronto symbol PMZ.UN; Units o/s: 118.1 million; Market cap: $2.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Yield: 3.9%; www.primarisreit.com) owns 29 properties with 15.1 million square feet of leasable space. Its occupancy rate is 91.1%.
You can’t fake a record of dividends. That’s why we place a high value on a sustained history of dividend payments. When you’re looking for income-producing stocks, a high dividend yield should also be one of your most important investment considerations. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of sustainability.
Our exclusive TSI Dividend Sustainability Rating System uses eight factors to determine a company’s ability to maintain its current dividend, and increase the payment over time.
The insurer continues to benefit from strong demand for its workplace pension programs, especially in the U.S. In the quarter ended June 30, 2026, revenue rose 21.8%, to $13.12 billion from $10.77 billion a year earlier.
SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC. $116 is a buy. The stock (Toronto symbol SLF; Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 557.4 million; Market cap: $64.7 billion; Dividend yield: 3.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.sunlife.ca) lets investors tap Canada’s third-largest life insurance company by market cap after Manulife (No. 1) and Great-West Lifeco (No. 2). In addition to Canada, Sun Life operates in the U.S., Asia and the U.K.