WilliamMLeighty634 blog

Investing in exchange-trade funds (ETFs) offers numerous advantages for Canadian investors. ETFs are so beneficial that whether you’re a new investor making your first stock purchase, or a veteran investor with years of experience, you can utilize the benefits of ETFs all the same. But with so many Canadian ETFs to choose from, you want to make sure the ones you buy are the best of the best. The best use of an ETF is to gain instant exposure to a specific sector or a type of stock while also getting adequate diversification to reduce single stock risk. So often, the best ETFs to buy will be similar to the top Canadian stocks to buy at the time. That means if you’re an investor looking to shore up your portfolio and add defence in this market, those are the ETFs to consider. On the other hand, if you’re an investor looking to buy stocks that are out of favour, where you can get an attractive discount, there are other ETFs to consider. So with that in mind, here are three of th...

Vermilion Energy (TSX:VET)(NYSE:VET) is an international gas- and oil-producing organization that engages in full-cycle production and exploration programs. These programs focus on optimizing, acquiring, developing, and exploring producing properties in Australia, North America, and Europe.  The sale and production of natural gas and petroleum account for most of this company’s revenues. In every market, Vermilion depends on a range of techniques for drilling and well completion to keep its production at impressive levels. Right now, there appears to be one more reason to grab this energy play. First dividend payment in almost two years A few days back, Calgary-based gas and oil producer Vermilion Energy declared that its board of directors approved a $0.06 per share quarterly dividend. This dividend will be paid on Apr. 18 to shareholders of record on Mar. 31. Notably, this dividend payment will be the company’s first in approximately two years. Following the pandemic and ...

The S&P/TSX Composite Index is trading 3.4% higher despite the volatile global equity markets. Higher commodity prices have driven the index higher. However, inflation, which is at a 30-year high, and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and the subsequent sanctions, are a cause of concern. In an interview with CNBC, Carl Icahn, a famed activist investor, stated, “I think there very well could be a recession or even worse.” He is worried about surging inflation and expects the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war to add more uncertainty. So, given the uncertain outlook, investors could balance their portfolios by adding more defensive stocks. Meanwhile, here are my three top picks. Fortis Fortis (TSX:FTS)(NYSE:FTS), with its 10 utility operations, serves 3.4 million customers meeting their electric and natural gas needs. Given its low-risk and regulated business, the company delivers stable financials irrespective of the state of the economy. Supported by these stable earnings, the c...

The ultimate passive-income strategy is to buy and hold great dividend-paying stocks and then do nothing. By “do nothing,” I mean buy and hold these top stocks for years and years. You may not know it, but some of the greatest retail investors have been plumbers, bookkeepers, and grandmothers. They buy stocks in good-quality businesses that they like and understand. As they have cash, they accumulate more shares and then just never sell. This strategy has worked for many retail investors One of the best stories of this strategy is of Grace Groner. She was a secretary at Abbott Pharmaceuticals (now Abbott Laboratories). She bought three shares in the company and then held them and reinvested the dividends for the next 75 years. After she passed away, she had accumulated nearly 100,000 shares, which were worth more than $7.5 million at the time. Sometimes, a passive-income strategy needs to be just as simple as that. Buy shares in great businesses, re-invest the dividends (if y...

Mid-cap companies have their market capitalization falling between $2 and $10 billion. These companies offer higher growth potential than large-cap stocks, though are less risker than small-cap stocks. So, investors can enjoy the best of the two worlds. So, if you are looking at investing in mid-cap stocks, my four top picks are here. goeasy Over the last 20 years, goeasy (TSX:GSY) has delivered a solid performance, with its revenue and adjusted EPS growing at a CAGR of 12.4% and 24.9%, respectively. Despite the strong growth, the company has acquired just 1% of the sub-prime lending market. So, it has substantial scope for expansion. Given the highly fragmented sub-prime market, goeasy is well equipped to increase its market share. It is expanding its product range, venturing into newer markets, increasing its penetration, and adding new business verticals to drive growth. The demand for the company’s services is rising amid economic expansion. The sub-prime lender has raised ...

The spot price of Bitcoin was trading just above US$61,000 at the time of this writing. The world’s top digital currency has retreated from its all-time high of US$66,000 that it reached earlier this month. Today, I want to discuss whether investors should look to buy into the quick dip that it has suffered. Is this a temporary setback, or has Bitcoin’s momentum already dried up? Why Bitcoin gained momentum this month Last week, I’d looked at what was behind Bitcoin’s recent surge. The launch of the very first United States futures Bitcoin-linked exchange-traded fund (ETF) attracted major investor interest in October. ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF does not invest directly in the top crypto. It has also suffered from a loss of momentum since its opening last week. This ETF has attracted some skepticism due to its relatively high annual expense ratio of 0.95%. That rate is high in comparison to other ETFs and mutual funds. Investors on the hunt for exposure to Bitcoin and crypto...

Gold is well known to be one of the best assets to buy if you want to protect your capital. The precious metal is referred to as a safe-haven asset. So often, in times of war, as we are seeing now, the demand for gold bullion as well as top Canadian gold stocks increases considerably as investors look to protect their cash. In recent years many thought that Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) might replace gold. And while gold was always looked at as a hedge against inflation, in the same way that Bitcoin has been looked at, the cryptocurrency doesn’t perform as well as gold during risk-off environments. The strong performance in the price of gold recently has made a noticeable point in proving that Bitcoin hasn’t replaced gold and that the precious metal still offers value as a safe-haven asset. So if you’re looking to protect your capital, here are two top Canadian gold stocks to buy if uncertainty continues to increase. One of the top low-cost gold stocks to buy now Whenever you buy a ...