Although Canada has lots of penny mining stocks, it also has plenty of large cap companies paying high dividends. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com which just updated a list of top yielding Canadian stocks, 15 yield more than 2.7%. Here are some examples:

Bank of Montreal (BMO) sports a healthy yield of 4.6%. This is Canada’s oldest bank, founded in 1817. The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 13 and a forward PE of 11. Earnings for the latest quarter were up over 20% on a 2.4% revenue increase.

Enbridge Inc. (ENB) is primarily an oil and gas pipeline company but it also is involved in green energy, owning four operating wind farms, investing in the 80 megawatt Sarnia Solar Project, and creating the first hybrid fuel cell power plant in the world. The stock provides a yield of 2.9% and trades at 19.5 times trailing and forward earnings. Adjusted net income was down for the latest quarter due to crude oil spills, however revenues were up 38%, and adjusted operating income was also up.

Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI), a Toronto based communications and media company, yields 3.5%. The stock trades at 15 times trailing earnings and 11 times forward earnings. Earnings were down over 23% for the latest quarter, primarily due to a large loss on repayment of long-term debt and higher sales expenses, but revenues were up 2.7%.

To see a list of over 15 high yield Canada stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, changed, updated, and added to, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

A reminder: Income on Canada stocks is subject to Canadian withholding tax.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Do you agree?

Looking at historical Bank of Canada (BoC) lending rates, I think he has a good message here…

Prior to the last financial crisis (in 2008), prime rates were close to 5%. Going back further, rates were over 5%. While I don’t think we’re (ever?) going to see 21% rates again (like my parents experienced after they bought a new home in 1981-1982, ouch folks), I think Canadians should start preparing themselves for “normal” borrowing terms.

As Carrick’s article references, beyond birthdays, anniversaries and parties, folks should circle July 20th and then Sept. 8th, Oct. 19 and Dec. 7th on their calendars if rates don’t change next month. These should be dates, if you have lots of money borrowed, you might want to know what BoC decides on.

What are we doing, to ensure, when rates do go up we won’t be greatly impacted?

1. Continue to pay-off credit card debt each month (always pay down high-interest debt first).
2. Continue to make lump-sum mortgage payments.
3. Continue to grow our emergency fund.

I’m sure the chatter and debates will continue; will rates rise, won’t rates rise, by how much, for how long, but that won’t change any part of our financial plan.

How about you? Are you worried about debt or rising interest rates?
If so, how are you overcoming this?

On Monday, May 31, Statistics Canada reported our economy grew in the first quarter by a rate that would reach 6.1% if extrapolated over the entire year. 6.1!!?? This number comes on the heels of a 4.9% lift from Q4, 2009. I dont know about you, but that type of inflation is not sustainable. My salary isnt rising by 4.9, let alone 6.1% this year or even over the next two years.

The Bank of Canada has few tools at its disposal to control inflation. Since interest rates are one of them, good on them to finally use it. Like most chief economists, this DIY investor couldnt agree more with Carneys decision. The need for almost zero interest rates has passed. Our economy has rallied, encouraging household borrowing and spending to troubling new highs in the process. Government stimulus packages and consumer incentives (like the home renovation tax credit last year) are being pulled back and rightly so. While Europes sovereign debt remains a concern, I dont believe the continent as a whole is going bankrupt (except BP). Fiscal responsibility is becoming the new norm.

This financial crisis is over until the next one starts. Good on you Mark Carney.

Do you agree with me? Will the rate hike “put us back in the hole”?
When’s the next rate hike, or will there be one?

One article was positive, about Sun Lifes initiative to establish a stand-alone mutual fund company with a new series of funds designed to expand its wealth management services. The second, a more negative article, was about Sun Lifes go forward ability to maintain its dividend, provided its operating revenues in 2008 and 2009 ($1.3 B) did not exceed its dividend payout to investors ($1.7 B) over the same time period.

Which one to believe? Is Sun Life getting better or getting worse? Are Sun Lifes dividend investors (like me) in jeopardy?

Well, both articles are factual so I believe them both but regarding the latter question, Im not worried. Sun Life is Canadas third-largest life co and by expanding their business (to be largely run by its Boston-based subsidiary, MFS Investment Management; using expertise from Bombay-based Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co. and Toronto-based institutional manager McLean Budden), I think SLF is uniquely positioned to provide both risk and wealth management solutions unlike any other Canadian company. By continuing to provide more of the same, Sun Life would not be taking any changes to grow its business and might suffer more in the long run. By creating a new mutual fund unit, Sun Life is seeking to capitalize on an aging population who needs both wealth and insurance protection. In short, Sun Life is trying to create one stop shopping to address client needs and I think thats a good move on their part.

Personally, while Im not a huge fan of mutual funds (I prefer ETFs), I am a fan of dividend paying stocks and Sun Life itself so I’m optimistic SLF can provide a suite of wealth and insurance products for its clients. To date, management at Sun Life have not hinted one word about any dividend cut, and this no surprise to me because SLF overall, remains well capitalized. They survived the credit crisis two years ago (more so than Manulife) and 2010 Q1 results topped expectations thanks to market gains and favourable interest rates. While credit hits in 2009 wiped out almost $2.00 per share from Sun Lifes earnings, the majority of Sun Lifes investments are now parked in cash and fixed-income securities. Their cash on hand continues to grow, now over $10 billion. In Q1 this year, Sun Life had a net income of about $409 million, compared to a $213 million loss in the same period last year. Assets under management (commonly called AUM) also grew this year by 16% over a year ago. Sun Life hasnt missed a dividend payment in over 10 years and has increased its dividend three-fold over that time (from $0.12 to $0.36). Additionally, almost 54% of its shares are held by institutions (read in: company pension plans), thats almost seven times as much as Great-West Life Company (GWO), Canadas second largest insurance company and almost the same as Manulife, Canadas largest insurance company.

What is my data suggesting? While Sun Life might receive some negative press now and again about its ability to pay dividends, Im holding this investment (and getting paid because of it) until its formally proven otherwise. Keep the articles coming Globe and Mail, good or bad

Qatar oil minister Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah emerged as an unofficial spokesman for the oil cartel over the weekend in a series of news agency reports from the Gulf that signaled the groups concern.

On Monday, as oil futures briefly dipped below $70 a barrel after settling Friday at $71.71, Al Attiyah told reporters that a price below $70 a barrel was too low for companies to maintain investment and expand capacity. Such investment is crucial to avoid a supply shortage in the future, Al Attiyah said.

He reiterated that following the lead of Saudi King Abdullahs pronouncement about a fair oil price in December, OPEC officials want to see a price between $70 and $80 a barrel.

At another industry event on Saturday, Al Attiyah told news agencies that the drop in oil prices was psychological and not based on fundamentals. He said the crisis concerning Greece and the euro was causing the drop and speculation about contagion would continue to depress oil prices.

The whole world then started to ask the question about if it will move to other countries, the Qatar minister said, according to agency reports. We’re watching, with nervousness.

Qatar , one of the worlds leading producers of natural gas, is a relatively small oil producer, but is closely allied with the main Gulf producers Saudi Arabia , Kuwait and United Arab Emirates .

Concern about the future of the joint European currency continued to batter financial and commodity markets on Monday, as prices fell and the euro declined further against the dollar and other currencies.

At a meeting of the Arab OPEC members earlier this month, Kuwaiti oil minister Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah said a price below $65 a barrel would ring a bell for the oil cartel and could prompt them to hold an emergency meeting ahead of the next scheduled meeting Oct. 14.

OPEC could react to a low price by cutting production, as it did in 2008 when the financial crisis lowered demand and sent oil prices plunging.

Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Psychological-Plunge-in-Oil-Prices-Makes-OPEC-Nervous-Official-Says.html

By. Darrell Delamaide for Oilprice.com who offer detailed analysis on Crude oil, Natural Gas, Geopolitics, Gold and most other Commodities. They also provide free political and economic intelligence to help investors gain a greater understanding of world events and the impact they have on certain regions and sectors. Visit: http://www.oilprice.com

The Greek crisis, exacerbated by a still-unexplained glitch in U.S. stock trading on Thursday that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunge 9% in a matter of minutes before recovering, sent financial speculators scrambling for the sidelines, liquidating their long positions.

The benchmark West Texas Intermediate contract settled at $75.11 a barrel on Friday, its lowest point since February, compared to $86.15 a week earlier a decline of nearly 13%.

Fridays announcement of an unexpected increase in the unemployment rate to 9.9% in April from 9.7% in March cut short any hope of a rebound following the 3.6% drop in oil prices on Thursday amid the gyrations in the stock market.

U.S. government data on Wednesday showing that crude oil inventories had increased by 2.8 million barrels almost double expectations lent momentum to the price decline that began on Tuesday as unrest in Greece and uncertainty about its bailout raised fears of the crisis spreading to other Eurozone countries.

The European crisis not only threatened to stifle economic recovery, but also pushed the euro down below $1.30, further depressing the dollar-denominated oil price.

Fears grew in the market that even at $140 billion, the bailout package for Greece would not be sufficient to resolve the countrys fiscal crisis, especially as strikes and riots that have claimed three lives continued to roil the nations capital.

The knock-on effects of a credit crisis at other highly indebted euro zone countries, such as Spain and Portugal , and the threat to European banks that hold a lot of European sovereign debt also spooked equity, bond and commodities markets.

The German parliament on Friday approved the Greek bailout, but Chancellor Angela Merkel faces a tough political test in a regional election on Sunday in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany s most populous state. German backing is seen as crucial to any effort to keep the crisis from spreading and to keep the euro intact.

Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Crude-Oil-Plunges-as-Turbulence-Rocks-Financial-Markets.html

By. Darrell Delamaide for Oilprice.com who offer detailed analysis on Crude oil, Geopolitics, Gold and most other Commodities. They also provide free political and economic intelligence to help investors gain a greater understanding of world events and the impact they have on certain regions and sectors. Visit: http://www.oilprice.com

On another more somber note, we recently gave a healthly contribution to aid in the Haiti earthquake disaster. This event has been devastating and unfortunately, this catastrophe may get worse before it gets better. My fiancee and I count ourselves lucky to live and work where we do, and because of this, feel there is a responsibility to provide financial aid to the organizations on the ground in Haiti, doing so much for people who have so little.

I encourage every Canadian to make whatever financial contribution they feel comfortable with to help those fighting the crisis in Haiti. Contribute now.

Aside from the aforementioned question, knowing that we are facing economic financial crisis, we have the following questions: What is recession? What happens during a recession? What are the causes of economic recession? What is inflation? How to survive the great depression? All these and more are what we ask to ourselves and to others.

Wikipedia.org reveals that the economic financial crisis of 2007-2009 has been the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression. There are many identified causes and effects. Are we facing a bleak future? Thomas Sowell stated “The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.” People these days are more concerned in making a living than living life or enjoying the bounties of life. The bottom line is our endless wants and desires.

Since we are faced with economic financial crisis, this is the ripe time to go back to the basics. First let us differentiate wants and needs. Second, let us learn the virtue of simplicity. Finally, let us learn how to save. These three words are like clanging cymbals to our ears yet we have never inculcated them in our hearts and minds. Let us examine what we will get if we apply the three principles as part of a crisis management plan.

These three principles of a crisis management plan if applied will lead us to expect a brighter tomorrow while facing the economic financial crisis today.