TD BANK, $103.33, is a buy for patient, income-seeking investors. The lender (Toronto symbol TD; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $176.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.1%; www.td.com) has now moved up over 35% since the start of this year.


That’s mainly because TD has sold its entire 10.1% stake in Charles Schwab Corp. (New York SCHW) for about $20 billion. It’s using $8 billion of that cash to buy back 5.7% of its outstanding shares.

The shares of oil and gas stocks remain high as energy demand stays strong. We continue to recommend that most investors maintain some exposure to the oil and gas industry as part of a balanced portfolio. But, to cut risk, you should stick with producers that have positive cash flow even in times of low energy prices. Here are two that should meet that requirement. Moreover, they pay solid dividends:

ISHARES S&P/TSX REIT INDEX ETF, $16.11, is a hold. The ETF (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) lets investors tap all 16 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX REIT Index. Investors pay an MER of 0.61%, and the fund gives you a 5.1% yield.


The ETF’s top holdings are Canadian Apartment REIT (13.5%), RioCan REIT (10.9%), Granite REIT (9.5%), First Capital Reality REIT (8.2%), Choice Properties REIT (8.0%), Dream Industrial (6.9%), SmartCentres REIT (6.9%), H&R REIT (6.3%), Boardwalk REIT (5.6%) and Allied Properties REIT (4.8%).

Until recently, higher interest rates had increased the demand for bonds and hurt demand for REITs. Still, with rates now falling, Choice Properties and RioCan remain excellent ways for investors to earn high, steady income.

INVESCO SOLAR ETF, $41.57, is a buy for aggressive investors. The ETF (New York symbol TAN; buy or sell through brokers) tracks solar-related companies (including technology firms and utilities) listed on global exchanges.


Its top holdings are First Solar (China; solar panels), 9.3%; NEXTracker Inc. (U.S. solar trackers), 9.3%; GCL Technology (China; polysilicon), 7.5%; Enphase Energy (U.S.; home solar systems), 6.9%; Sunrun (U.S.; panels), 6.5%; and Xinyi Solar (China; solar panels), 5.0%. The ETF’s MER is a relatively high 0.67%.



The long-term outlook for renewables remains positive as governments and corporations move steadily away from fossil fuels.

If you’re looking for ETFs with quality holdings and exceptionally low fees, then Pennsylvania-based Vanguard Group offers you strong options.


Vanguard is one of the world’s largest investment management companies. In all, it administers over $10 trillion U.S., spread across 441 mutual funds and ETFs. Here are two of its ETFs that we see as buys for you right now.

CENOVUS ENERGY, $22.76, is a buy for long-term gains. Canada’s third-largest oil producer (Toronto symbol CVE; Shares o/s: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $41.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 3.5%; www.cenovus.com) has now agreed to acquire rival MEG Energy Corp. (Toronto symbol MEG). It operates an oil sands property, which is well placed near Cenovus’s operations at Christina Lake in northern Alberta.


The deal will increase the company’s overall production by 110,000 barrels a day to 720,000.

Most of Pembina’s pipelines operate under long-term contracts. That helps lower the company’s risk in today’s uncertain economy. The long-term agreements also result in a high, sustainable dividend yield for shareholders. At the same time, the dependable income bolsters Pembina’s appeal and supports its share price.

A: Savers Value Village Inc., $12.37, symbol SVV on New York (Shares outstanding: 155.6 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; www.savers.com), is the largest for-profit thrift operator in the U.S. and Canada. It operates 354 stores in the U.S., Canada, and Australia under the Savers, Value Village, Village des Valeurs, Unique and 2nd Ave. banners.
The company first sold shares to the public and began trading on June 29, 2023, at $18 a share. It now trades at nearly half its IPO price.



Savers Value Village was founded by Bill Ellison, who opened the first store in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1954. His father was a career officer with the Salvation Army who managed their second-hand clothing stores. He helped finance his son’s first store.

A: The decision to go public or remain private depends on a number of factors that a company’s owners must evaluate from the unique perspective of the firm.


The main reason that a company sells shares to the public through an initial public offering (IPO) is to raise capital from a large number of investors. This capital could be used for any number of things—from funding growth by acquisition and the expansion of existing operations to funding research and paying down debt. Share capital is also generally cheaper than debt financing, especially for junior companies that have to pay high interest rates on loans.