Former US President Jimmy Carter Dies Aged 100A look at holiday shopping trends as Black Friday approachesBankFinancial stock hits 52-week high at $13 amid robust growth
Investing in the stock market requires a thorough understanding of each company’s financial health, performance history, and future prospects. But where do you start? Today, we’re looking at the best of the best with an in-depth look at five prominent TSX stocks that are currently strong buys. 1. Shopify ( ), headquartered in Ottawa, has solidified its position as a leading e-commerce platform. Enabling businesses worldwide to establish and manage online stores. In the third quarter of 2024, Shopify stock reported a 26% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching $2.16 billion, surpassing analysts’ expectations. This growth is attributed to the TSX stock’s innovative tools, including the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assistant Sidekick, which assists merchants with sales reports and customer data analysis. Shopify’s strategic focus on attracting larger enterprises aims to secure more stable revenue streams and long-term growth. With the continuous rise of e-commerce and Shopify’s commitment to technological advancement, the TSX stock is well-positioned for sustained expansion. 2. Royal Bank of Canada As Canada’s largest , ( ) has demonstrated resilience and adaptability. In the fourth quarter of 2024, RBC reported a 17.7% increase in adjusted net income, totalling $4.44 billion. Driven by the acquisition of HSBC’s Canadian operations and strong performance in its wealth management division. The $10 billion acquisition added approximately 780,000 clients, enhancing RBC’s retail and commercial business. The wealth management division saw a significant rise in net income, reaching $969 million, aided by higher fees and recovery from previous impaired losses. RBC’s strong capital position, with a common equity tier-one (CET1) ratio of 14.9%, and a history of consistent dividend payments make it an attractive option, especially for investors seeking both growth and income. 3. Enbridge ( ) is a leading energy TSX stock in North America, operating an extensive network of pipelines and renewable energy projects. In the third quarter of 2024, Enbridge’s profit more than doubled from the previous year, reaching $1.29 billion, driven by contributions from U.S. gas acquisitions and improved organic growth opportunities. The TSX stock has forecasted higher core profits for 2025, anticipating adjusted core earnings between $19.4 billion and $20 billion, up from 2024. Enbridge’s commitment to transitioning towards greener energy solutions is evident in its investments in renewable energy assets. With a strong dividend yield and a strategic focus on energy, Enbridge offers investors a blend of income and long-term growth potential. 4. TD stock ( ) is one of Canada’s major financial institutions, offering a wide range of banking services. However, in the fourth quarter of 2024, TD reported a decline in profit. Primarily due to challenges in its U.S. operations linked to anti-money-laundering issues, resulting in a $3 billion penalty and an asset cap imposed by U.S. regulators. Despite these setbacks, TD’s diversified business model, encompassing retail banking, wealth management, and wholesale banking, provides a solid foundation. The TSX stock’s strategic expansion into the U.S. market has enhanced its growth prospects. And its commitment to digital innovation positions it well for future opportunities. 5. Bank of Nova Scotia Commonly known as Scotiabank, ( ) has a significant international presence, particularly in Latin America. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Scotiabank reported higher profits, attributed to lower provisions for potential loan losses and higher interest income. The TSX stock’s international operations offer unique growth opportunities, and its focus on digital transformation aims to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. With a solid dividend history, Scotiabank provides a balanced mix of growth and income for investors. Bottom line Shopify, Royal Bank of Canada, Enbridge, Toronto-Dominion Bank, and Bank of Nova Scotia each present compelling investment opportunities based on their recent performance, strategic initiatives, and financial health. As always, it’s essential to conduct thorough research and consider your investment objectives before making any decisions.
It’s as good a time as any to take a broader look at the Philadelphia Flyers , who hit the 20-game mark (10 at home, 10 on the road) with a somewhat disappointing 8-10-2 record and in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, which has already seemed to separate itself into four teams that can contend for a Stanley Cup, and four that are either rebuilding or have real issues. Advertisement Let’s get right to it. The two longtime pals have simply been the Flyers’ two best players this season. Travis Sanheim has anchored the defense group, which has endured a number of early-season injuries, while Travis Konecny has been the most consistent and dangerous forward. Sanheim is probably the Flyers’ MVP at the quarter point, contributing at both ends of the ice and playing the best hockey of his career. He’s a plus-2 on a team that’s been outscored by 17 at five-on-five. He’s third in the league in ice time with 25:33 per game, despite getting hardly any power-play time. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Sanheim eclipsed 30 minutes in three of the Flyers’ previous five games as the team continues to wait for others to get back into the lineup. All 12 of Sanheim’s points have come at even strength, putting him just one behind league co-leaders Alex Pietrangelo, Cale Makar and Owen Power. It was notable that when Rod Brind’Amour was asked before Wednesday’s game what the Flyers were doing differently from the last time they faced the Hurricanes just two weeks ago, he told reporters: “Sanheim is in the rush every play, like an old Bobby Orr back there from back in the day, which is fun to watch. ... So, we’ve got to be aware of that guy.” Konecny remains the heartbeat of the team and is on a path toward his best season yet. He’s averaging more than a point per game (23 in 20 games), is on pace for 45 goals (11 so far), and is the Flyers’ team leader with five power-play goals. We’ll see how his eight-year contract that kicks in next season ages over time, but Konecny sure isn’t slowing down. Just the opposite. While Konecny is pulling his weight, and Matvei Michkov is still producing through some inevitable rookie growing pains, every one of the other scoring forwards has been disappointing so far. Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink, four young wingers with upside that the organization was hoping would take another step, have just 14 goals in a combined 76 games. Advertisement There have been some signs that they’re all working their way out of early season slumps: Three of Tippett’s four goals have come this month and he’s had the puck on his stick more often, Farabee has had a number of scoring chances lately and has been on the receiving end of some compliments from John Tortorella, and Foerster is starting to get back to playing hard along the wall and winning his battles, which he wasn’t doing much of earlier (a demotion to the fourth line seems to have gotten his attention). But the overall consistency from this group hasn’t been there. Yes, the power play has hit a bit of a snag lately, going just 2-for-20 in the last seven games. But losing both quarterbacks in Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae has predictably thrown it off course, while other players have been shuffled in and out of the two units lately, too. The Flyers sit 20th in the NHL in power-play percentage (16.9 percent), which is still more than three percentage points higher than they averaged from 2021-22 through last season. Once they get all their pieces back, and assuming Michkov becomes a more dangerous threat offensively as the season moves along, they could very well end up in the top half of the league. The penalty kill has simply picked up where it left off last season, sitting in fourth place in the league at 86.6 percent. The Flyers have just one short-handed goal, but are still getting chances the other way: According to Natural Stat Trick, they are generating 9.69 scoring chances per 60 minutes on the penalty kill, third in the league. The good news on Wednesday is that Ryan Poehling’s shot from distance beat Pyotr Kochetkov in the second period, tying the game at 1-1. It was Poehling’s first goal of the season, and just the second from a Flyers center since Oct. 26 (Morgan Frost had the other on Nov. 5). Advertisement The bad news is that Poehling’s turnover later in the game helped to generate what turned out to be the game-winning goal, while Scott Laughton’s misplay early in the first period that Carolina also capitalized on earned the alternate captain some lengthy time on the bench. The Flyers just don’t have a high-end, play-driving center on the roster, while the guy that has the best chance to develop into one, Frost, has been a healthy scratch for four of the last five games. Is it time yet for general manager Daniel Briere to get a little aggressive to try and find one? Is it worth circling back to the Ducks to gauge interest in and maybe even take a chance on Trevor Zegras, perhaps? Zegras is only signed through next season, so even if the Flyers acquired him they wouldn’t be committed to him long term. It just feels like it’s time for Briere to try something different here. It was unfortunate timing for Andrae when he got hurt late in last Saturday’s win over the Sabres , as he was earning big minutes and showing that he might be ready to stick around the NHL full-time. Fortunately for him and the team, Andrae was on the ice on Wednesday, suggesting he could be back soon. He’s second on the Flyers in expected-goals share (55.6 percent), but just watching him (and speaking with him) it was becoming evident that he has a growing confidence with and without the puck. Frankly, Andrae is turning into the player that the Flyers were hoping Drysdale (1 goal, 2 assists in 15 games) would become. It’s much, much too early to write off Drysdale, who it seems was rushed into the NHL by the Ducks which may have stunted his development. But he’s going to be under the microscope when he returns from his upper-body injury, because the Flyers may not want to dress all of Andrae, York and Drysdale in the same games for fear of being too small on their back end (for his part, Tortorella said he’s not afraid of doing this, when asked a week ago. We’ll see.) Don’t blame Ersson for the Flyers being fourth from the bottom of the league in goals-against average (3.50) through Wednesday’s games. The Flyers’ No. 1 goalie has been generally solid all season, with a 2.70 GAA and .902 save percentage in 11 games. He just seemed to be hitting his stride, too, before coming out of the lineup with what’s believed to be a groin injury : in his last five appearances, Ersson stopped 109 of 116 shots for a .940 save percentage in 257 minutes, with a 3-0-1 mark. Both Ersson and Tortorella mentioned early in the season when the goalie’s stat line wasn’t so hot that they believed he was playing better than the numbers suggested. That proved to be the case, because when the Flyers finally got some structure back in their game, Ersson was outstanding. Advertisement The 25-year-old still has an outside chance to make Team Sweden for the upcoming 4 Nations tournament, although Minnesota ’s Filip Gustavsson is probably the odds-on favorite to be the No. 3 there behind Jacob Markstrom and Linus Ullmark. But, considering his injury has occurred twice in a short period of time, he may be better off sitting it out anyway. The Flyers need him healthy if they’re going to have any chance at hanging around the playoff race due to their mishandling of the backup goalie position (see below). Yes, they’ve been a bit better lately, but there’s still a tremendous amount of uncertainty with both Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov. It’s not a stretch to suggest that neither of them would be on any other NHL team’s roster at the moment. Their combined numbers are awful: 3-8-0, with an .874 save percentage and 3.70 goals-against average. Their numbers are nearly identical (Fedotov’s .875 save percentage is slightly better than Kolosov’s .872, while his GAA of 3.69 is also just a tad better than Kolosov’s 3.71). Cal Petersen seems to be an afterthought in the organization at the moment, but he would have done better than that. If there’s reason for hope it probably lies more with Fedotov, who won three straight starts and looked to be settling in before he allowed a backbreaking soft third-period goal on Wednesday in the Flyers’ 4-1 loss to Carolina. He made some decent saves before that — his stop on Jack Roslovic in the first period on a two-on-none break seemed to give the Flyers energy at the time — but his overall body of work this season has still been subpar. Kolosov should return to the AHL when Ersson recovers. It’s not fair to Fedotov to have to share the net with him, and it’s not a good message to other players currently on the Phantoms who are working hard to make the leap, either. If he doesn’t want to play in Lehigh Valley, the Flyers should simply cut ties with him. (Top photo of Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)These Are My Top 5 TSX Stocks to Buy Right Now
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Older siblings everywhere could appreciate John Harbaugh’s refusal to concede an inch against his younger brother Jim. Even when his Baltimore Ravens faced fourth down in the second quarter, John wasn’t giving up the ball without a fight. The Ravens converted that fourth down and two others on their way to over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, giving their coach a third victory in three matchups against his brother. It was the first time they’d faced off since Baltimore beat San Francisco — then coached by Jim Harbaugh — in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2012 season. “We grew up in the same room and have always lived our life side by side, but that’s not what the game is about,” John Harbaugh said. “The game really is about the players, and the players are always going to win the game or lose the game or whatever.” On this night, it was Baltimore’s players who shined. Specifically Derrick Henry, who rushed for 140 yards. Lamar Jackson threw a couple of touchdown passes, and the defense was solid, allowing touchdowns on the first and last Los Angeles drives but not much in between. “I’m proud of our guys,” John Harbaugh said. “I’m proud of the way they came out and responded after the first 10 points — we were down 10-0, and our guys stepped up.” After converting fourth-and-1 at their 16 late in the second quarter, the Ravens scored on a 40-yard pass from Jackson to Rashod Bateman, taking the lead for good at 14-10. Baltimore’s other two fourth-and-1 conversions came on a 14-play touchdown drive that spanned the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. “We’re just confident that we’ll end up converting on those fourth downs, and we did a great job blocking,” said Henry, who converted the last two of the fourth downs. “All we had to do was make a play, and we did.” What’s working The Ravens got back to their identity a bit, rushing for 212 yards. And it wasn’t just Henry and Jackson contributing. Justice Hill broke free for a 51-yard touchdown that made it 30-16 in the fourth. “Nobody wants to stand in front of (Derrick Henry) every single play, every single run,” Hill said. “You can do it one time, two times, three times, but when you have to do it 20 to 25 times, it starts to wear down. I’m glad we stuck with the run game this game, and it played out for us.” What needs help There were still too many penalties, with the Ravens flagged nine times for 102 yards. Baltimore played a pretty clean game until the fourth quarter, so several of those flags came after the Ravens had the game reasonably under control, but this is still an area of concern. Stock up With star linebacker Roquan Smith out because of a hamstring injury, Malik Harrison led the Ravens with a dozen tackles. “It’s a lot of people that doubted me coming into this game, so I’m happy I was able to ball out and show them that I can be in this league, and I can play at a high level,” Harrison said. Stock down There was a time when Isaiah Likely seemed as if he might be supplanting Mark Andrews as Baltimore’s top tight end threat, but Likely went without a catch Monday. He did, however, recover the onside kick that effectively ended the game. Injuries Although Smith was out, DT Travis Jones (ankle) and C Tyler Linderbaum (back) were able to start. Key number Jackson has now thrown 22 touchdown passes with no interceptions on Monday nights, with a passer rating of 124.3. Next steps The Ravens have one more game before their open date, and it’s a showdown this weekend against a Philadelphia team that has won seven in a row. Saquon Barkley (1,392) of the Eagles and Henry (1,325) have both surpassed 1,300 yards rushing already. Nobody else in the NFL has more than 1,000. ___ AP NFL:Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has died at 100
( MENAFN - IANS) Chandigarh, Dec 30 (IANS) Farmers have announced a 'Punjab Bandh' on Monday leading to the expected closure of all shops across the state and disruptions in road and rail services. However, emergency services will continue to operate. There will also be no supply of milk, fruits, and vegetables until the protest ends on Monday evening as several trade organisations lent their support to the bandh. "Farmer union leaders will enforce a chakka jam on roads and rail lines from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. government and private institutions are requested to stay closed. Only emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, marriage vehicles, or anyone in a dire emergency, will be allowed to pass," reports quoted a senior farm leader as saying. The decision to give a call for a 'Punjab bandh' was taken last week by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). Sarwan Singh Pandher -- who happens to be the coordinator of both forums -- said traders, transporters, employees unions, toll plaza workers, labour, ex-servicemen, Sarpanches and teachers' unions, social and other bodies, and some other sections have lent their support to the bandh. Farmers under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. With Jagjit Singh Dallewal's indefinite hunger strike entering its 34th day on Sunday, farmer leaders at Khanauri said they have been following the Gandhian way to continue their protest and it is up to the government to decide whether it wants to use force to evict their senior leader. He further said the farmers wanted to make it clear that whatever situation arises the responsibility will lie with the Centre and the constitutional bodies. Rail movement and road traffic will remain closed on Monday. In support of the farmers' Bandh call, bus services in Punjab will remain suspended on Monday. While the PRTC bus services will be shut for four hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the private bus operators have announced their full support, thus declaring the suspension of services across the state from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. Besides a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands. This bandh, the farmer leader said, will force the Centre to accept the demands of farmers. He slammed the Union government for failing to accept the demands of farmers. Farmers under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after security forces stopped their march to Delhi. A "jatha" (group) of 101 farmers made three attempts to enter Delhi on foot on December 6, December 8, and again on December 14. Security personnel in Haryana prevented them from proceeding. There will be a complete bandh on December 30, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said. However, emergency services will remain operational. Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the call for a 'Punjab bandh' on December 30 is getting good support from various sections. The decision to give a call for a 'Punjab bandh' was taken last week by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. To ensure the success of the bandh, SKM (Non-political) and KMM convened a meeting of transporters, employees, traders and others at the Khanauri protest site last Thursday. MENAFN29122024000231011071ID1109040128 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.