WilliamMLeighty634 blog

Due to the increase in online sales following the pandemic, Shopify (TSX:SHOP) stock soared to highs many didn’t expect to see. However, as the economy has reopened, Shopify stock is one that’s been beaten down as hard as many in the tech sector of late. Can this pandemic darling return to its former growth glory? Let’s dive into this key question for long-term growth investors right now. Experts predict Shopify to make a comeback in Q4 2022  According to a number of recent expert reports, there’s consensus building that Shopify could be on the brink of another resurgence in growth. Given the relatively high bar set by the pandemic environment, Shopify’s revenue growth has slowed of late. However, should the e-commerce market globally continue to grow as expected, market experts predict Shopify’s sales could increase at a clip of more than 20% to end this year. That would equate to roughly US$9.25 billion — a rather significant sum from which the company can grow off of. ...

Market corrections can be a blessing and a curse for TSX stock investors. On one hand, many stocks you own have likely lost paper value. As long as you don’t sell, you won’t have a permanent loss. However, even paper losses and seeing red on your investment balance can be unnerving. This is the curse of market corrections. The blessing is that many high-quality stocks pull back in price and value. Market corrections can be amazing opportunities to buy great businesses at rare, low valuations. These types of stocks are generally quick to rebound when the market recovers, so adding on the dip can be very profitable. Below are two high-quality TSX stocks that are dirt cheap and look like great buying opportunities. Also, here’s one TSX stock that I would avoid buying, even though it may appear “cheaper” today. top TSX stock for any portfolio Brookfield Asset Management (TSX:BAM.A) stock has fallen over 28% in 2022. Today, it trades for 11.5 times forward earnings and 13...

The market correction is giving investors a chance to buy top TSX stocks at undervalued prices for a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) or Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) focused on dividends and total returns. Fortis Fortis (TSX:FTS) trades near $53 per share at the time of writing compared to $65 in May. The pullback appears overdone, and investors can now get a solid 4.25% dividend yield from one off Canada’s top dividend-growth stocks. Fortis generated positive third-quarter (Q3) 2022 earnings that show the reliability of the revenue stream from its $64 billion of mostly regulated utility assets. Adjusted net earnings came in at $0.71 per share compared to $0.64 in the same period last year. The board just declared a dividend increase of about 6%. This is the 49th consecutive annual hike to the distribution. Fortis announced a new five-year capital program worth $22.3 billion. The resulting increase in revenue and cash flow is expected to support annual dividend ...

In the first 10 months of 2022, several dividend-paying TSX stocks across sectors have underperformed the broader markets. Macroeconomic conditions remain uncertain due to rising interest rates, red-hot inflation, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions, all of which have contributed to the selloff. But as stock prices and forward yields are inversely related, you can now buy quality stocks trading at cheap valuations that also pay tasty dividend yields. One such dividend stock on the TSX is the Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS). While banking stocks are cyclical, Canadian banks are much more conservative than their counterparts south of the border. So, while growth rates for BNS and its peers are consistent rather than stellar, their risk-averse approach allows them to benefit from a healthy balance sheet. During the financial crisis of 2008-09, several U.S. banks suspended dividend payments, as they were on the cusp of filing for bankruptcy. But Canadian banks maintai...

goeasy (TSX:GSY) is a rare kind of stock on the TSX for avid investors. It has paid decent dividend income while providing exceptional growth. In the last 10 years, goeasy stock’s total return has been on par with that of Constellation Software, one of the best-performing stocks on the TSX. This also makes goeasy stock one of the best to own. Here’s how an initial $10,000 investment has grown in the growth stocks in the last 10 years. Dividend income of about $30,000 was a part of goeasy stock’s returns in this period! CSU and GSY Total Return Level data by YCharts Moreover, goeasy has beaten Constellation Software’s returns in the last three- and five-year periods. The former stock comes with higher volatility. History indicates that it could be the perfect time to add shares after goeasy stock has substantially corrected. Feel free to choose different periods in the chart below to get a sense of goeasy stock’s volatility. goeasy stock could help make you a millionaire: Here...

For investors who have sweated to attain their first $100,000 in portfolio value, congrats! You are well on the way to a dream retirement. The next goal is the $1 million retirement portfolio. It represents financial independence and a lifetime of successful investment strategies. At this stage, the power of compounding returns will aid you greatly. Keeping holdings diversified and low cost is more important than chasing growth at all costs. In addition, good behaviours, like not panic selling or timing the market, become all the more critical. With a $100,000 portfolio, staying diversified is key. Although picking individual stocks can be a good strategy, the bulk of this portfolio is best served by low-cost exchange-trade funds, or ETFs. Today, I’ll be covering four ETFs that historically would have turned $100,000 into $1 million over 28 years. The S&P 500 index The S&P 500 is the most recognizable stock market index in the world. It’s used as a barometre for U.S. ...

2022 has witnessed a major bear market in stocks worldwide. The S&P 500 has fallen 20% for the year, the tech-heavy NASDAQ has dropped about 30%, and the TSX Composite Index is down about 10%. In this market, more stocks are declining than are rising. Nevertheless, one sector stands out as having beaten the averages this year: energy. Energy stocks have done very well this year. The TSX Energy sub-index (that is, the index of energy stocks on the Toronto stock exchange) is up 40% for the year, and some individual energy stocks are up more than that. Because it has so many energy stocks, the TSX has outperformed the NYSE this year. Even when you adjust for currencies, Canadian stocks come out a little ahead of their U.S. peers for the year. In this article, I will explore three energy stocks that are beating the market in 2022: two Canadian and one American. Cenovus Energy Cenovus Energy (TSX:CVE) is a Canadian oil stock that’s up an astounding 64% this year. In the same p...

Some stocks offer stable dividends, while some offer capital gains. Very few names provide both. Here are three such TSX stocks that offer handsome total-return prospects. Suncor Energy Energy stocks have been on fire since the pandemic. They have generously rewarded shareholders with both dividends and stock appreciation. Canadian oil sands giant Suncor Energy (TSX:SU) is one such name that has returned a decent 65% since last year. Though Suncor Energy’s total returns fall short of some Canadian energy giants, it looks well placed to up its dividend game now. One major reason behind this is it is expected to allocate a higher portion of its free cash flows to shareholder dividends in the second half of 2022. In the last few quarters, Suncor Energy paid off its debt with excess cash. Now that the debt has been reduced significantly, shareholders could see higher dividends. As the debt has declined, Suncor Energy’s balance sheet has notably strengthened, making its divide...

Retirees or near retirees should have saved a nice nest egg. You can make your nest egg last longer by making careful retirement planning. For example, here are three perfect stocks that could potentially turn $300,000 into $1 million by 2030. It boils down to aiming to get compound interest or compound returns of 16.24% over eight years. This percentage actually provides a small buffer, because the time through the end of this year is not included in the calculation. Most retirees’ active income shrinks. In fact, it shrinks to zero if they decide not to work at all. This is why the stocks chosen are all dividend stocks that pay decent dividend yields. Because we aim to grow $300,000 to $1 million or higher, they must also be growth oriented. Past returns may be indicative of future returns. Here are three TSX stocks that have prospects of delivering returns of beyond 16.24% over the next eight years. For reference, in the last 10 years, they averaged total returns of 22.77% (ass...

The S&P/TSX Composite Index has suffered a series of sharp losses since August. There were signs of a bounce back in the first trading days of October, but that momentum has seemingly petered out. The TSX Index plunged 366 points on Tuesday, October 11. Today, I want to discuss why I’m looking to target defensive stocks in this choppy market. Let’s dive in. Here’s why I’m targeting defensive stocks today Investors have been forced to navigate an increasingly turbulent market since the spring of 2022. The Bank of Canada (BoC) elected to pursue an aggressive interest rate-tightening path earlier this year in order to combat soaring inflation rates. Oil and gas prices have softened in recent months. However, food prices have continued to fuel inflation. Beyond market volatility, there are growing risks to the Canadian and global economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently stated that a third of the global economy will contract either in 2022 or 2023. That h...

Cameco (TSX:CCO) has been a volatile stock over the past few years. And I’m certainly not saying that’s suddenly changed overnight. However, with current market volatility taken into consideration, here’s why I’m more excited than ever about Cameco stock. The meme stock craze is passed While it may come back in the future, as of writing, the meme stock phase for Cameco stock is currently passed. We don’t have to worry at present about investors feeding the stock only to sell it. If that happens again one day, then sure, sell at enormous highs! But for now, this has reduced volatility to normal levels. And don’t get me wrong; those levels are still high. Cameco stock is currently up about 11% year to date. However, it’s by far lower than where it was during the meme stock phase. In fact, it’s far lower than it was just a month ago. Shares of Cameco stock are now down by 22% in the last month alone. Their loss is your gain Shares of Cameco stock mainly fell over the last week...

Buying high-quality dividend growth stocks and building a passive income stream is one of the best ways to put your money to work. It can be especially powerful to buy and hold dividend growth stocks when you use a registered account like the TFSA and reinvest the cash that’s consistently being returned to you. Another reason high-quality dividend growth stocks are such an excellent investment is that they’re often less volatile than the market and can therefore help to stabilize your portfolio. In addition, the dividend payments you receive help to offset any capital losses you may incur when markets are selling off, as they have been this year. And the capital you receive in environments like the one we’re in today is especially valuable since many top stocks are trading at appealing discounts. That’s just one of the reasons I’ve been buying and adding to my Brookfield InfrastructurePartners (TSX:BIP.UN)(NYSE:BIP) position throughout the year. In addition to the fact that i...

This month has been challenging, even for experienced investors, as equity markets are on a roller-coaster ride. The rising interest rates and high inflation have raised fears of recession, thus making investors nervous. Despite the volatile environment, here are three top TSX stocks that investors can buy right now to earn superior returns. Waste Connections Waste Connections (TSX:WCN) is a waste management company delivering positive total shareholder returns for the previous 18 years. Even in this volatile environment, the company trades 3.3% higher for this year, outperforming the broader equity markets. Supported by its solid underlying business and strategic acquisitions, Waste Connections has posted a solid performance in the first two quarters of this year. Its top line and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) have increased by 18.2% and 16.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, I expect the uptrend to continue. After completing acquisit...

When investors hear the word recession, it can cause a lot of fear and concern. However, even with a slowdown in economic growth expected over the next year, there are still plenty of reliable Canadian stocks that you can buy and have confidence in holding through a recession. Furthermore, not all recessions are equal. A few quarters of flat or slightly negative growth is much different than a significant slowdown of growth. Often, a mild recession can actually be helpful to the economy, helping it to reset and get it back on the right track to continue growing in a healthy way. Although a recession is certainly likely, here are three reliable Canadian stocks that you can own through a recession that will also return attractive passive income. top consumer staple stock Consumer staples are companies that sell goods that are staples, such as food and essential household goods. These are some of the most reliable businesses you can own and are often only minimally impacted b...

The S&P/TSX Composite Index has recently declined, approaching its 52-week low again. The Canadian benchmark index is down by 16.34% from its 52-week high. Stocks across the board are underperforming on the TSX. Value-seeking investors are busy scooping up shares of discounted, high-quality stock for bargains. The tech sector has fallen out of favour with stock market investors due to the high levels of risk involved. The biggest names in the Canadian tech industry trade for steep discounts right now and continue to decline. However, there might be better opportunities for you to consider if you want to invest in companies that have yet to capitalize on their growth potential. Today, I will discuss two up-and-coming tech stocks you can consider adding to your portfolio. The companies have high growth potential due to strong tailwinds for their businesses. If you are willing to assume the risk of investing in tech stocks and have some cash set aside, these two might be worth a...

2022 brought misfortune to equity investors. Most retail investors are probably staring at losses, given the massive selloff in top TSX stocks. Looking ahead, the uncertain economic environment and fear of recession could keep the stock market volatile in the coming quarters. However, you shouldn’t worry much if you are an income investor, as several Canadian corporations could continue to pay and increase their dividends, even amid challenging times like these.  Take the case of Enbridge (TSX:ENB) stock. An investment of $30K in it at the current yield of 6.8% would help you earn a passive income of $170/month. Further, Enbridge is known for increasing its dividend payments with each passing year, implying one can start a growing passive-income stream with this stock, regardless of the volatility in the market. But before you take an investment call, let’s examine the facts that support my bull case for Enbridge stock. Resilient payouts Enbridge is among the top dividend-pay...

Semiconductor stocks are down big this year. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), the standard bearer for the industry, is down 65%, and all of the other U.S. and global semiconductor stocks are down as well. In an environment like this one, it’s tough to know what to do. On the one hand, declining stock prices suggest cheaper valuations. On the other hand, declining earnings suggest that maybe the lower stock prices are deserved. One thing is certain… Earnings in the semiconductor industry are trending lower. NVIDIA’s earnings declined in its most recent quarter. Its sales barely grew on a year-over-year basis and actually declined compared to the prior quarter. Micron (NASDAQ:MU), for its part, forecast that it would earn near $0 in the next quarter. In fact, it forecast a range of possibilities, the lower end of which consists of losses. It’s a tough time for the semiconductor space. In this article, I’ll explain what I’d do right now as a semiconductor investor — including one move I ac...

Forty-nine consecutive years of dividend increases is an incredible feat for a dividend-paying company. Fortis (TSX:FTS) achieved the milestone late last month following a 6% increase in its quarterly dividend payable on December 1, 2022. The Dividend Aristocrat will become the TSX’s second Dividend King after Canadian Utilities if it announces another increase in 2023. Despite the market slump of late, the $24 billion diversified regulated electric and gas utility company has rewarded investors with a dividend hike. If you invest today, the share price is $50.27, while the dividend yield is an attractive 4.44%. Moreover, the payout should be rock solid, even if the market downtrend continues in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022. Totally defensive holding Fortis is the go-to stock of risk-averse investors when the stock market is tumbling. The share price of this premium utility company in North America isn’t immune from market headwinds, although the spike and dip won’t be as wi...