Intact: 19 years of rising dividends

Article Excerpt

Shares of property insurer Intact have more than doubled in the past five years and recently hit a new all-time high. That’s mainly due to savvy acquisitions that expanded Intact’s geographic reach. The company now expects to pay out higher claims in 2024 as a result of severe weather events in Canada. However, that should not affect its ability to keep increasing your dividend. In fact, it has raised the annual rate each year for the past 19 years since its initial public offering in December 2004. INTACT FINANCIAL CORP. $265 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol IFC; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 178.4 million; Market cap: $47.3 billion; Dividend yield: 1.7%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.intactfc.com) is Canada’s largest property and casualty insurance provider. With the March 2024 payment, Intact raised your quarterly dividend by 10.0% to $1.21 from $1.10. The new annual rate of $4.40 yields 1.7%. In September 2017, Intact acquired OneBeacon Insurance Group for $1.7 billion U.S. The Minnesota-based…