Financial markets always face risks. Low-risk investments such as government bonds pay so little that you lose money to inflation. So it’s important to invest in stocks despite the risks   Read More

The Money Reporter regularly publishes tables of recommended government bonds, corporate bonds and preferred shares suitable for income-oriented investors. The monthly Fact and Advice Sheet also gives guidance for current   Read More

Growth stock Alimentation Couche-Tard released stronger earnings for the nine months to February 1. It has also agreed to acquire 315 service stations in Denmark from A/S Dansk Shell. This   Read More

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P.  is a publicly traded limited partnership that engages in the acquisition and management of infrastructure investments on a global basis. Its current business consists of the   Read More

A decline in BCE’s landline legacy home phone business has been more than offset by increases in its wireless, Fibe TV and internet divisions. Odlum Brown equity analyst Cory O’Krainetz   Read More

U.S. Key stock PepsiCo earned more in 2014, excluding currency changes and one-time items. It expects to earn more in 2015. This gives this global consumer goods stock the means   Read More

Russel operates in the cyclical manufacturing sector. Current weakness in its share price presents a buying opportunity. While you wait for this cyclical rebound, Russel’s yield makes it one of   Read More

Many retailers have closed all, or trimmed the number of, their Canadian stores. This gives the successful survivors room to expand. Continue to invest in consumer goods stocks such as   Read More

Johnson & Johnson has gone through a spate of recent problems, but its size, earnings record, dividend record, productivity and R & D still make this healthcare solutions giant a   Read More

Toromont Industries remains a buy. This manufacturing company’s stock has raised its dividends for 26 years in a row. This attracts income-seeking investors. The company’s growing earnings should lead to   Read More

In mid-2015 Baxter will split into two companies. One will focus on medical products for healthcare solutions; the other on developing and marketing biopharmaceuticals.
On March 9, there was an anniversary   Read More

BCE Inc. earned more last year and expects to earn more in 2015. Given its aim of paying out 65 to 75 per cent of its earnings in profits, the   Read More

CAE Inc.’s shares have climbed in recent months. That’s because its sales and earnings per share have risen. Earnings-per-share growth is accelerating and its outlook is favorable. CAE remains a   Read More

Canadian Oil Sands Limited (TSX─COS) has reduced its quarterly dividend to $0.05 a share for the first quarter of 2015. The company had previously indicated its intention to reduce its   Read More

We continue to include Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (TSX─POT; NYSE─POT), among our best buys for income.

In December we wrote, “It’s important to hold some resources stocks for proper diversification. The   Read More

Metro Inc. (TSX─MRU) did well in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Its sales and earnings per share climbed. The company is expected to earn more for the full year.   Read More

Investment Analyst Murray Leith likes the way the new executive team at Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX─MFC) has turned things around. For starters, he says, they’ve used hedging to take a   Read More

 In fiscal 2014, Richelieu Hardware (TSX─RCH) earned record profits for the fifth year in a row. It’s expected to earn record profits again in fiscal 2015 (fiscal years end November   Read More

PPG Industries (NYSE─PPG), one of our U.S. Key stocks, earned record profits in 2014. It’s expected to earn more this year and next. The world’s leading coatings and specialty-materials company   Read More

National Bank’s (TSX─NA) net income, earnings per share and total revenues all increased in fiscal 2014. Indeed, for all three of these measures of financial performance, 2014 marked the twelfth   Read More

 In the first quarter of fiscal 2016, Shaw Communications’ existing businesses generated lower revenue and operating income than a year earlier. But newly-acquired ViaWest offset the shortfall.

The company has   Read More

Oil prices have plummeted since June, 2014. Other commodity prices have declined. This has hurt the share prices of the producers. Oil companies are a lot cheaper than they were. The same is true of many mining companies that we review   Read More

Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. (TSX─WB) showed some pretty impressive slope side action during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 according to Sheila Broughton, managing director and head of research at   Read More

Among the stocks we recommended as best buys over the second half of 2014 was Enerplus Corporation (TSX─ERF; NYSE─ERF). Unfortunately, this stock was one of the worst performers on our   Read More

 Alimentation Couche-Tard (TSX—ATD.B), one of our Key stocks, is acquiring The Pantry in the U.S. That company operates 1,512 convenience stores in 13 states. This transaction is large. But given   Read More

Oil prices have plunged, of course. We expect prices to remain lower for an extended period of time. That’s partly because ‘fracking’ shale oil can be turned on and off   Read More

Sometimes when the outlook for growth at a company stalls, it can present an opportunity to scoop up valuable shares at bargain prices. On the other hand, it may be   Read More

TD Bank Group’s (TSX—TD; NYSE–TD) fourth-quarter results and outlook were greeted with horror by investors. They promptly punished the bank’s stock by selling it and causing the shares to fall   Read More

PotashCorp (TSX—POT; NYSE–POT) is a buy for long-term price gains and high dividends that have risen each year since 2010.

Potash says it is “the world’s largest crop nutrient company and   Read More

Montreal-based Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX—GIL; NYSE—GIL) earned more in the year to October 5. It expects to earn more in the year ahead. This supplier of branded basic family apparel   Read More

Toromont Industries Ltd. (TIH–TSX) is one of the world’s biggest dealers of equipment made by Caterpillar Inc. (CAT–NYSE).

Headquartered in Toronto, Toromont is the exclusive dealer of Caterpillar heavy equipment for   Read More

We regularly point out that it pays to buy the big five Canadian banks. They remain buys for long-term price gains as well as high and rising dividends.

All five earned   Read More

Dividend Re-Investment Plans, or “DRIPs,” can assist you in building your wealth. You can instruct companies with DRIPs to reinvest your dividends into new shares. You can build your wealth   Read More

Although many investors buy the units of real estate investment trusts, or REITS, and other high dividend-paying stocks for their attractive income — and maybe also for capital appreciation —   Read More

Metro Inc. earned more in fiscal 2014, which sent its share up. This supermarket chain is expected to earn more in fiscal 2015 (which began on September 28) and fiscal   Read More

Wall Street strategists have started to issue their 2015 forecasts. And if a report by Goldman Sachs is any indication of the forecasts to follow, you might want to forget   Read More

Magna International is profiting from a strong demand for cars. It should earn more money this year and next. It remains a buy for further gains and rising dividends.

Vehicle manufacturers   Read More

 Headquartered in Toronto, Barrick Gold Corporation is the world’s biggest gold producer, boasting a range of operations around the globe. But for Deutsche Bank analysts Jorge Beristain and Wilfredo Ortiz,   Read More

We’ve always held a high opinion of dollar-cost averaging. That’s because we’ve often seen this investment strategy richly reward those who follow it.

To dollar-cost average, of course, you invest equal   Read More

TransCanada Corp. (TSX—TRP), one of our Key stocks, is pleased with the outcome of the U.S. mid-term elections. That’s because the pro-business Republican party now controls both the Senate and   Read More

American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs, give you ownership in companies based outside of Canada and the U.S. This can give you several benefits. One is diversification—geo-political and industrial. It’s tempting   Read More

Plunging petroleum prices may have chilled the oil patch and the halls of government alike. But they’ve given investors a heaven-sent opportunity to scoop up some best-of-breed outfits in the   Read More

Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin is one of the world’s leading engineering and construction groups and a major owner of infrastructure. It provides services in a variety of sectors including oil and gas,   Read More

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are looking pretty good in current markets. After lagging the S&P/TSX Composite Index for much of 2014, the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index held up well   Read More

Corus Entertainment (TSX—CJR.B) earned more in fiscal 2014. But since it earned less than expected and lowered its expectations for 2015, its share price fell.

Corus is expected to earn more   Read More

Canadian Pacific Railway earned record results in the first nine months of 2014. As trade with Asia and traffic grows, so should its earnings. This will give the railroad the   Read More

Hardwoods Distribution (TSX—HWD) is doing better than it seems. We expect it to earn more this year and next. It remains a buy for long-term share price gains and dividends.

In   Read More

Great-West Financial, a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco, a member of the Power family, has completed the acquisition of the J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services large-market recordkeeping business. Great-West considers the   Read More

More companies are buying back their shares. According to The Economist, the companies in Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index spent $500 billion on share buybacks in 2013. The trouble is,   Read More

Ensign Energy Services’ shares fell in a recent selloff of oil services stocks. But the company is building its fleet of rigs in Canada, the U.S. and overseas. This will   Read More

CAE’s share price has fallen recently but it did better than it seems in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. It has also sharpened its strategic focus. The company raised   Read More

Manulife Financial (TSX: MFC) has agreed to acquire the Canadian-based operations of Standard Life plc for about $4 billion in cash. A key reason for the acquisition is Standard Life’s   Read More