Lower costs bolster IGM’s dividend

IGM FINANCIAL INC. $39 is a buy. The mutual fund seller (Toronto symbol IGM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares o/s: 237.8 million; Market cap: $9.3 billion; P-to-S ratio: 2.7; Divd. yield: 5.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.igmfinancial.com) has announced several new initiatives in a plan to improve… Read More

Their new businesses will lift your dividends

These top Canadian insurers continue to use acquisitions to expand into new markets and to enhance their current businesses. That bodes well for investors, as the additional earnings should lead to more and higher dividend increases.
MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP. $26 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol MFC;… Read More

Two new Fidelity ETFs for Canadian investors

The large U.S.-based fund manager Fidelity has steadily expanded its ETF offerings—both in its home market and in Canada. Here’s a look at two of the six new Fidelity funds recently launched in the Canadian market.
FIDELITY GLOBAL INNOVATORS ETF $10.92 (NEO Exchange symbol FINN) invests globally in companies… Read More

Two Canadian insurers with gains ahead

Insurers write policies, collect premiums from customers, and then invest those premiums to meet future claims. They’re required to invest significant amounts of that money in fixed-income instruments, namely bonds. That means high interest rates are a boon to their returns. Both these insurance stocks… Read More

Great-West sells Putnam

GREAT-WEST LIFECO, $38.87, is still a hold. The company (Toronto symbol GWO; shares outstanding: 931.7 million; Market cap: $36.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.4%; www.greatwestlifeco.com) has now agreed to sell its money-losing U.S.-based Putnam Investments mutual fund business to Franklin Resources, Inc. (New York symbol… Read More