Both companies are said to be exemplary at repaying debt and shareholders.
Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX—CVE; NYSE—CVE)

Jefferies analyst Lloyd Byrne says Cenovus Energy Inc. (CVE-TSX, $23.02; CVE-NYSE, US$17.08) remains inexpensive relative   Read More

Canada plans to tax share buybacks by two per cent starting January 1, 2024. U.S. already taxes buybacks by one per cent. This could persuade companies to raise their dividends   Read More

“Earnings” seems like a simple concept. It’s just revenues less costs, right? But things are seldom as simple as they seem.
How can any corporation, income trust or other organization steadily   Read More

“Earnings” seems like a simple concept. It’s just revenues less costs, right? But things are seldom as simple as they seem.
How can any corporation, income trust or other organization steadily   Read More

These two US manufacturing stocks are giants with global scale.
3M Company (NYSE—MMM)
In the year to December 31, 2020, manufacturing stock 3M earned $5.384 billion, or $9.25 a share. This was   Read More

Stock market setbacks do happen. So it can pay to buy defensive beverage stocks. Their valuations and dividends are usually favourable compared with those of, say, tech stocks.

We regularly review   Read More

Now is as good a time as any to make changes in your investment program. Take a close look at your investment portfolio, and you may find some improvements are   Read More

Now is as good a time as any to make changes in your investment program. Take a close look at your investment portfolio, and you may find some improvements are   Read More

“In a world where things are changing fast / Ain’t too many things that are made to last / Hang on to her, boy / They don’t make them like   Read More

A study shows that from 1900 to 2017, dividends produced 90 per cent of the returns of investors worldwide. So focus as much on dividends as on profits and government   Read More

Companies that raise their dividends each year enable you to beat inflation and maintain or improve your lifestyle over the long haul. The 16 dividend stocks below remain buys.
Stocks that   Read More

These days you hear a lot about “enhancing shareholder value”. That is, managements of many firms want their shares to perform well. Management, of course, has a fair bit of   Read More

Floating-rate preferred shares have advantages and disadvantages. You earn higher dividend income, along with the potential for capital gains, when interest rates rise. But the opposite can occur when rates   Read More

Selling snow to Eskimos has always been a whimsical benchmark for successful sales reps here in the Great White North. But, selling water to Californians? Creating demand is certainly not   Read More

Analysts follow as many as 20 stocks, most of which are rated “buys”. Of those buys, an analyst has one or two special favorites seen as most suitable for new   Read More

Paychex, Inc. is rated a ‘buy’ for long-term gains and attractive, rising dividends. It earned record profits for the second year in a row—and expects to set a new record   Read More

Design and consulting firm Stantec Inc. is expected to earn more money this year and next. It’s using part of this growing income to raise its dividend. The shares of   Read More

Benjamin Graham wrote that investors should ignore the stock market most of the time. They should buy shares that the market greatly undervalues. And sell shares that the market has   Read More

Conglomerates often get a bad rap for being a jack of all trades. But for investors seeking diversification, these multi-sector stocks can be just the ticket. That’s the word from   Read More

AutoCanada’s share price has plunged even though its earnings are expected to rise further this year and next. It remains a buy for value investors seeking a share price recovery   Read More

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

Nature is springing back to life. But the markets are likely to correct significantly. Rebalance to emphasize cash and low-beta stocks. Keith Richards, portfolio manager at Barrie, Ont.-based ValueTrend suggests   Read More

Remember all the talk a year or so ago how gold would take off? Well, guess what? It didn’t. In fact, it’s now trading at an even lower price. Keith   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

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

Closed-end funds offer an alternative to traditional fund investing. One big difference is price. Even the best closed-end funds usually trade at a discount to their underlying asset value.
Closed-end funds   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

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

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

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

Many mutual-fund management companies offer services that can help investors organize their affairs. Some of these services may be of great assistance to the investor, while others tend to benefit the fund company more.   Read More

Investing for current income requires an entirely different way of thinking than does investing for growth. But mutual funds that offer current income as their main purpose still report their   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

 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

Putting money into your Registered Retirement Savings Plan, or RRSP, is a great way to start planning for your retirement. And there’s no better time to start thinking about your   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

 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

 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

Writing in The TaxLetter, Mark Halpern, a Certified Financial Planner and Trust and Estate Practitioner with Markham, Ontario-based illnessPROTECTION.com outlined several easy ways to help you and your family find   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

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

Alimentation Couche-Tard is earning record profits again. We expect the company to earn record profits this year and next. It remains a buy for further long-term gains and small but   Read More

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam-based Peter Pham wrote recently in Investor’s Digest of Canada that the Greenback’s growing strength shows continued confidence in the American economy. He told readers how   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

A criticism of the standard market capitalization-weighted exchange-traded fund, or ETF, is that it mimics an index that gives greater weight to stocks that are high in demand among investors,   Read More