Updates on your Conservative stocks: Great-West Lifeco, Loblaw, & Teck Resources

Article Excerpt

GREAT-WEST LIFECO INC. $33 (www.greatwestlifeco.com) is a hold. The company is Canada’s second-largest life insurer, after Manulife Financial. Canada’s banking regulator—the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions—has lifted the restrictions on capital distributions placed on banks and insurers due to COVID-19 uncertainty. As a result, Great-West now pays a quarterly dividend of $0.49, up 11.9% from the previously payment of $0.438. The new annual rate of $1.96 yields a high 5.9%. However, rising interest rates could hurt the value of the bonds in its investment portfolio. Great-West is hold. LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD. $114 (www.loblaw.ca) is a buy. The retailer plans to build a new 1.2-million-square-foot distribution facility on land just north of Toronto controlled by Choice Properties REIT (Toronto symbol CHP.UN). Note—Loblaw and Choice Properties are majority owned by George Weston Ltd. (Toronto symbol WN). The new facility, which should open in early 2024, will also use automation to keep its labour costs down. Loblaw is a buy. TECK RESOURCES LTD. $56 (www.teck.com) is a buy. The company aims to raise the…