IBM has a long history of transforming itself in response to rapid changes in computer technology. In the past few years, it has shifted it focus to its cloud operations, which let users go online to access data files and computer applications stored on remote servers....

A: OceanaGold Corp., $3.19, symbol OGC on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 711.2 million; Market cap: $2.3 billion; www.oceanagold.com), is a mid-sized gold and copper producer.

Based in B.C., the company has a portfolio of four operating mines.

The Haile open pit and underground mine, located in Kershaw, South Carolina, is the largest gold mine on the U.S....

Gen Digital is the rebranded name for NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec—more on that below), one of our long-time tech stock favourites. The company changed its name to Gen Digital following its 2022 acquisition of European cybersecurity firm Avast plc for $8.1 billion.

Growth by acquisition adds risk—especially with a purchase as big as Avast....

NVENT ELECTRIC PLC, $78.55, symbol NVT on New York, makes stainless steel, aluminum and non-metallic covers and enclosures for electrical equipment, as well as electrical connections. Some of the company’s brands date back over 100 years and include Caddy, Erico, Hoffman, Raychem, Schroff and Tracer....

ELI LILLY AND COMPANY, $878.45, is a buy. The drugmaker (symbol LLY on New York) discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets human pharmaceutical products.

This week, Lilly’s stock continued to hit new all-time highs as the drugmaker moved one step closer to winning approval for its Donanemab Alzheimer’s drug.

This week, the drug received support from a panel of experts who advise the U.S....

TC ENERGY INC., $53.25, Toronto symbol TRP, is a buy.

TC generates steady cash flow for investors mainly through a 93,600-kilometre pipeline network that pumps natural gas from Alberta to eastern Canada and the U.S. Its other operations include 4,900 kilometres of crude oil pipelines and 13 power plants.

With the April 2024 payment, TC raised your quarterly dividend by 3.2%....

FEDEX CORP., $246.43, New York symbol FDX, remains a buy.

The company delivers packages in the U.S. and 220 other countries.

Due to lower volumes at its air-based Express business, FedEx plans to cut about 2,000 jobs at its European operations....

BCE INC., $45.18, Toronto symbol BCE, is still your #1 Income Buy for 2024.

The company is Canada’s largest traditional telephone service provider. It has 1.98 million residential customers in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces....

ETFs in brief


Exchange-traded funds are set up to mirror the performance of a stock-market index or sub-index....

The technology industry can be extremely profitable—for those companies that get it right. However, the industry is dynamic and highly competitive, leaving a graveyard full of failed startups and once successful companies that were overtaken by competitors. Investors in this segment need to be extremely knowledgeable about the companies and industry, or perhaps follow a less risky approach by investing in a broadly diversified technology ETF.


An important market component


Technology-focused companies make up a large part of the publicly listed equity market universe....