WilliamMLeighty634 blog

Key points Analysts expect a 9.5% increase quarter over quarter in revenue for Nutrien (TSX:NTR)(NYSE:NTR) stock.The company closed an acquisition last quarter and increased its annual guidance, hitting records. But can it do it again? Nutrien, the world’s largest provider of crop nutrients and services, will announce its earnings on Monday, Nov. 1 after market close. This will be followed by a conference call the next day, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. ET. Motley Fool investors will watch the Saskatchewan-based nutrient company for signs that optimism can continue. Nutrien stock set records last quarter, beating analyst expectations. In fact, it’s done this for the last four consecutive quarters. Furthermore, revenue growth remains incredible given supply chain issues, more than doubling quarter over quarter last earnings report. So, let’s take a look at what Motley Fool investors can expect on the TSX from Nutrien stock. Earnings Nutrien stock has had a strong run in 2021. The stock c...

Oftentimes new investors make up small-cap, micro-cap, and nano-cap stocks, lumping them together in the same category and unconsciously assigning the same attributes to them like volatility, weak financials, limited capital to work with, etc. But that’s not actually the case. Small-cap stocks tend to be relatively more stable than micro, especially nano-cap stocks, and many can be considered leaders in their niche industries. It’s primarily a financial classification and should be treated as such. And if you are trying to diversify your portfolio from a market capitalization perspective and wish to add some small-cap stocks to it, there are three that you should keep an eye on. n architectural service company With a market capitalization of $466 million, IBI Group (TSX:IBG) is on the lower end of the small-cap spectrum. The company offers a wide variety of architectural, engineering, and design services. The company has an impressive ESG profile, and it helps new constructions...

This September marked the sixth consecutive month that Canada saw inflation rates rise above 3%. And while some politicians and banks are still throwing around the phrase “transitory inflation,” many others are finally accepting the dreaded truth: inflation rates aren’t going away anytime soon. At least, not for this year. And probably not the next. In fact, many experts are now predicting inflation will level out to pre-pandemic levels sometime in 2023. For Canadians who are feeling cash-strapped, that’s grim news. But there’s still some hope — with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can inflation-proof your finances. Here are just three simple ways to fight inflation. 1. Get a rewards or cash-back credit card Perhaps the easiest way to combat inflation is earn money while you spend. With some of Canada’s top cash-back or rewards credit cards, you could earn 3-5% back on some of your everyday purchases. That’s enough to keep pace with inflation, plus keep some for yourself. ...

This earnings season has not been great, with significant tech winners posting rare misses on the top or bottom lines. Indeed, the concerns over slowed earnings growth that many had through September and October appears to be rearing its ugly head. The main question is whether the disappointment will be transitory in nature as a result of global supply chain shortage and other COVID disruptions, or if they’re a preview of a drastic slowdown that could drag financial markets into correction territory. Now, a correction is only healthy. Companies can’t keep beating and raising. Many market newcomers have gotten so used to the classic “beat and raise” such that anything short of an outstanding blowout surprise was met with a muted or negative reaction in a stock. As markets look to go back on the retreat after an outstanding bounce off its mini-correction, investors may wish to give many of Canada’s most intriguing growth stocks a second look, especially if they end up shedding more v...

Building a portfolio for the first time can be very exciting. There are so many stocks to research and discover. There’s no doubt that an investor’s first experience in the stock market can be a positive experience. However, because there are so many stocks to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow your focus on a small subset of companies. In this article, I discuss how new investors can choose stocks when building a portfolio. Start with a growth stock in an important industry There’s no denying that growth stocks can be more exciting than more conservative picks. Therefore, investors should look for growth stocks that have the ability to lead an important and emerging industry. Think of companies like Amazon in the early 2000s, or Apple and Netflix in the 2010s. These companies all showed great potential to emerge into massive companies. Today, one company that seems to shine as bright in its own industry is Shopify (TSX:SHOP)(NYSE:SHOP). Shopify provides merchants of al...

Some business parks have immense green spaces. Others have luxurious views of mountains and manmade lakes. But by the end of the 2020s one business park could top them all: Blue Origin’s business park in space. Yes, the Jeff Bezos-owned company could be the first to build a commercial station that orbits the earth. It may sound like sci-fi fantasy. But Blue Orbit claims the mixed-use business park, named Orbital Reef, could be operational as soon as the second half of this decade. Blue Origin, which has tossed icons from Jeff Bezos to William Shatner into orbit, is hardly the first company to release plans for interstellar commercialism. Virgin Galactic wants to send paying customers into space. SpaceX (Elon Musk’s company) wants to send them to the moon. And Orion Span wants to build the first ever space hotel. For those of us who grew up with Star Wars and Star Trek, the development of space tourism is exciting. But it might be a little too exciting. Our dreams of seeing eart...

Retirees who receive Old Age Security (OAS) need to keep an eye on their income each year to avoid getting hit with the OAS pension recovery tax, also referred to as the OAS clawback. OAS pension recovery tax overview The CRA implements a 15% OAS clawback on every dollar of net world income earned above a minimum threshold. In the 2021 income year that number is $79,845 for every person who receives the OAS pension. Now, you might think that $80,000 per year is good money in retirement. That’s certainly the case, but it doesn’t take long to hit that number if a person receives a decent company pension, CPP, and OAS pensions, along with RRIF payments, and any other taxable income that might come from investments in taxable accounts, rental properties, or a hobby job. Once you pay federal and provincial income taxes on $80,000 in income, the amount left over might actually leave a person on a tight budget at the end of each month. Retirees increasingly have mortgages to pay, and ...

If you like dividends, energy stocks are great plays to consider. The vast majority of them pay dividends, and the payouts have the potential to rise. Currently, we’re in a very bullish period for oil and gas prices. The world is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and oil prices are soaring. That means there is serious potential for dividend increases from the world’s biggest energy companies. In this article, I will explore three top energy stocks that pay mad dividends and also hold the potential for dividend growth. Pembina Pipeline Pembina Pipeline (TSX:PPL)(PBA) is a Canadian pipeline company that yields a whopping 6%. If you invest $100,000 in this stock you get $6,000 per year back in dividends–assuming no cuts or hikes. That’s not to say there won’t be any cuts or hikes, however. Because the truth is, hikes are looking likely. After years in the doldrums, the tar sands are back to pumping out record profits. PPL, as a pipeline company, helps these companies transport...

In retirement, it is crucial to balance a stable stream of passive income and downside risk protection. You want to own stock investments with have strong balance sheets, good management, inflation-hedged growth, and well-covered dividends. A portfolio with diverse exposure to a variety of sectors and stocks is ideal. Here are three TSX stocks that deliver great passive income streams, a low-risk profile, and are ideal for a long-term buy-and-hold strategy. solid portfolio anchor Canadian banks are well-capitalized and highly regulated, so they have been a reliable investment over the years. One bank that looks well-positioned is Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD)(NYSE:TD). It is one of Canada’s largest retail banks, but it also has a strong presence in the United States. Coming out of the pandemic, TD has a very strong balance sheet and lots of excess capital. Once regulators allow, it should be able to raise its dividend significantly. Similarly, excess capital could be deployed...

Air Canada (TSX:AC) stock made the headlines every day during the pandemic when it was burning millions of dollars daily. Surprisingly, the stock surged while its losses widened as investors flocked in their money, betting on the recovery after the vaccine announcement. The stock surged more than 90% between November 2020 and March 2021. But now, when the recovery has actually begun, the stock has been hovering in the $23-$25 range, testing investors’ patience.  Are you an investor who bought Air Canada stock for $25-$26? Seeing your stock portfolio in 10-13% red is making you anxious over the long-awaited recovery. Are you doubting your investment in airlines and thinking of booking a loss? Wait till you read this. What’s behind Air Canada’s flat growth   In 2020, Air Canada’s stock fell 18% between June and October. This year again, it dipped 19% between June and October 2021. The cause of this decline is business uncertainty. Predicting and adjusting to the pandemic waves ha...

The TSX is host to many excellent growth stocks. However, choosing which ones to add to your portfolio can still be a difficult task. Choosing the right stocks will not only help you realize gains in the future but remain confident during times of market uncertainty. In this article, I’ll discuss three top TSX stocks to hold over the next decade. The e-commerce industry is only going to keep growing By the header, you may have already guessed that the first TSX stock worth holding over the next decade is Shopify (TSX:SHOP)(NYSE:SHOP). This is a very popular stock — not just among growth investors but Canadians. It’s often suggested that our “home bias” may be a reason for Shopify being so widely held by Canadians. However, there’s no denying that it’s one of the most interesting companies to hold right now. Shopify is a leader within the rapidly growing e-commerce industry. The company provides businesses with a platform and all the tools necessary to operate online stores. Sho...

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies across sectors, with most of these changes being long-lasting. This transition has increased the demand for the products and solutions provided by technology companies, thus boosting their financials and stock price. Amid the favourable environment, here are four top Canadian tech stocks that you can buy and hold for the next five years. Well Health My first pick would be WELL Health Technologies (TSX:WELL), which focuses on modernizing and improving healthcare facilities through digital technologies. Amid the pandemic, more people opted for virtual healthcare services, driving the demand for WELL Health’s services. Meanwhile, the demand for virtual services could also sustain even in the post-pandemic world, given its accessibility and convenience. WELL Health is focusing on advancing its digital assets to enhance patients’ experience. Its acquisition of CRH Medical and a majority stake in WISP has expanded its ...

Lightspeed Commerce (TSX:LSPD)(NYSE:LSPD) continued its roller-coaster ride for investors last week. And most are likely getting so nauseated that they want to get off the ride. Shares fell 5% last week, only to begin rebounding on Monday morning. So, what’s going on with Lightspeed stock? What happened? First, let’s look at the climb of Lightspeed stock last week. Shares of the company moved higher after management announced it would rollout “Lightspeed Restaurant” in North America. This comes after success in Europe during the summer. The hospitality and point-of-sale platform “brings together an innovative POS, contactless integrated payments, online ordering, advanced inventory, and analytics to create a powerful hospitality platform for running a smarter, more efficient restaurant.” As digital adoption became a means of survival during the pandemic, it seems Lightspeed stock piggy-backed on this method. But then, after reaching share prices not seen in weeks, there was a...

The Canadian market had recovered from the February and March 2020 market pullback this time last year. However, there was still considerable uncertainty in the face of rising cases and vaccines that were still in development. Fortunately, many investors were accepting of risk and have reaped the rewards of a red-hot market. Today, I want to look at how $2,000 invested in two top growth stocks has progressed over the course of a year. Let’s jump in. This relative newcomer to the TSX has rewarded its faithful over the past year Nuvei (TSX:NVEI) is a Montreal-based company that provides payment technology solutions to a global client base. At the end of 2020, I’d suggested that millennial investors should get in on this promising growth stock. Shares of Nuvei have climbed 120% in 2021 as of close on October 22. Last year, MarketsAndMarkets released a report on the global payment processing solutions market. It projected that the global payment processing solutions market would gr...

The broader markets are almost out of the seasonal period of weakness. What’s up ahead? A period of seasonal strength, with a potential Santa Claus rally that could be coming to town. While there’s no telling if 2021 will be a record year, despite the rolling corrections, investors would be wise to continue being buyers of incredibly undervalued Canadian stocks, many of which could have the most room to run in a year-end rally. Insist on value at this juncture Consider battered but strong firms with decent quarterly numbers that investors and analysts may have ignored over the past year. It’s these neglected names that may be in for an upside correction in addition to a greater participation in a broader market rally. Indeed, such undervalued companies are hard to come by, unless you’re willing to act as a true contrarian. In this piece, we’ll check out two beaten-down TSX stocks that may offer you a chance to pay three quarters to get a whole dollar, so to speak. Enter Restaur...

Earning dividends — or any passive income for that matter — is a great feeling. Most of us have worked for years to earn money. So it’s nice to turn the tables and have your money work for you. And while you could invest in any stock to see your money grow, Canadian dividend stocks are some of the best because the dividend income you receive, especially when buying high-quality companies, is almost essentially guaranteed. Of course, the longer the timeline, the less guaranteed this passive income becomes over the long run. However, the higher the company’s quality and the more importance it has to the economy, the lower the chance that something will ever happen to the stock or its dividend. So when you invest in dividend stocks, look for businesses that are not only attractive today but can also continue to pay you for the next 50 years. Often these stocks are some of the best companies you can own. They’ll have some of the lowest volatility during market pullbacks and are highl...

A lot of Canadians want to be Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSAs) millionaires. That’s the takeaway from a recent Financial Post article authored by financial adviser Michelle Nickel. In her article, Nickel argues that by contributing regularly and investing prudently, a Canadian could reach a $1.1 million TFSA by age 65. She supports her argument using a chart provided by the Royal Bank of Canada. The chart shows that a Canadian who maxes out their contributions every year starting at age 18 reaches a $1.16 million balance by their 65th birthday. Assuming, that is, that they get a 7% return. In the markets and in life, nothing is ever certain. Stocks typically rise about 10% a year–though lately it’s been more than that and sometimes it’s a lot less. But it is undeniably true that you can get to $1 million in your TFSA. In this article, I’ll go over the math that shows how it can happen. How long does it take to become a TFSA millionaire? With today’s $75,500 TFSA maximum you...

A lot of people are now concerned about the ESG and sustainability profile of the businesses they interact with. People believe in “voting with their wallets” and think if their money is going to businesses that care about and invest in the good of the environment and social practices, they are contributing to the good of the environment and society by extension. But even that’s not enough of a reason to encourage you to invest in green stocks; the pragmatic view of their potential future should encourage you to lean in their favour anyway. In the coming years, demand and focus will shift to green stocks (energy or other types of green stocks), which is likely to trigger a lot of investment activity. And if you have them in your portfolio before that, they might prove to be powerful assets. lithium company While the mining practices surrounding Lithium might be questionable, there is no doubt that Lithium is contributing to a green future (like Lithium-ion batteries used in EV...

Canadian investors have been searching like mad for growth stocks. The S&P/TSX Composite Index continues to rise, leaving little chance to find undervalued stocks. Yet some of the best Canadian stocks for long-term growth continue to be below fair value. Especially if you’re looking ahead decades. So today, let’s look at the best Canadian stocks I would buy right now if you’re looking for decades of incredible growth. n oversold stock One of the best Canadian stocks to buy right now is Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC), but that’s based pretty much entirely on legalization in the United States. The cannabis company continues to be the largest producer in the world, though it remains unprofitable. Even after a CEO shakeup, production cuts, and cuts to the company in general, the Canopy Growth stock is using its available funds for further acquisitions. While some analysts aren’t a fan of this, Canopy Growth stock has certainly slowed its expansion in the past few years. N...

No, it’s not just you. The number of scams, from text messages to cyberattacks, has gone up. According to data given to the Globe and Mail, the number of fraud cases increased from 2,263 cases in 2018 to 2,317 last year. An additional 54 cases may not seem like a lot, but more astonishing is the difference in business losses — from $17.5 million in 2018 to $27.6 million last year. What’s even more alarming: these number are likely far lower than the actual fraud happening, as only 5% of Canadian individuals and businesses report fraud cases. While it’s fairly simple to spot certain fraud cases over others (no, the CRA isn’t going to call you and ask for your credit card information), others can be a bit trickier. To help you protect your small business from fraud, here are five simple things you can start implementing today. 1. Offer training to employees Employees are often the bastion of your small business: if a fraudster steals their passwords, they can often weasel the...