TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange:
Toronto Stock Exchange (17,177.37, down 385.37 points.)
Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX:MFC). Financials. Down 44 cents, or 1.84 per cent, to $23.46 on 14.2 million shares.
Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Industrials. Down one cent, or 0.83 per cent, to $1.20 on 12.1 million shares.
Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB). Energy. Down $1.18, or 2.18 per cent, to $53.04 on 9.5 million shares.
Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX). Materials. Down $1.05, or 3.58 per cent, to $28.25 on 7.9 million shares.
Kinross Gold Corp. (TSX:K). Materials. Down 29 cents, or 3.68 per cent, to $7.60 on 7.2 million shares.
Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX:CVE). Energy, Down 33 cents, or 2.92 per cent, to $10.97 on 6.25 million shares.
Companies in the news:
Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX:TECK.B). Down 32 cents or 2.3 per cent to $13.74. The perception that Canada is a more difficult place to build major energy projects is accurate, according to U.S. analysts, although opposition to such projects is growing in both countries. Speaking in the wake of a decision by Teck Resources Ltd. to cancel its $20.6-billion Frontier oilsands mine, they say geography is part of the problem as pipeline projects in Canada tend to cross more borders and Indigenous territories than typical projects in the United States. Adequate pipeline access from the Alberta oilsands to export markets was one of the issues Teck said it must solve in order to proceed to construction of the mine.
Aimia Inc. (TSX:AIM). Up 10 cents or 3.1 per cent to $3.34. Aimia Inc. continued to rely on investments in a pair of foreign loyalty programs to keep earnings in the black last quarter as it came off a tumultuous year of shareholder dissidence and litigation. The loyalty rewards company, which sold Aeroplan to Air Canada early last year, saw operating expenses far outpace revenue despite shedding overhead costs. However, the Montreal-based firm eked out a net profit of $4.9 million in the quarter ended Dec. 31, a notable improvement on its $126.2-million loss a year earlier.
George Weston Ltd. (TSX:WN). Down $1.84 or 1.7 per cent to $107.62. George Weston Ltd. reported its fourth-quarter profit rose compared with a year earlier, boosted in part by an improvement in its underlying business, increased ownership in Loblaw and a full year of direct ownership in Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. The retail, bakery and real estate business says its net earnings available to common shareholders totalled $433 million or $2.81 per diluted share, up from $271 million or $1.86 per diluted share in the last three months of 2018. Sales totalled $12.1 billion, up from $11.7 billion in the same quarter a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, George Weston say sit earned $1.69 per diluted share in the quarter, up from $1.59 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Bank of Nova Scotia. (TSX:BNS). Down 67 cents to $72.48. Bank of Nova Scotia is optimistic its international ventures are headed for success after a recent overhaul saw it slash and simplify its overseas operations. The Toronto-based bank has spent recent months working to reduce its investment in TMB Bank Public Co. Limited in Thailand and selling its operations in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and El Salvador. Scotiabank topped expectations as it reported a first-quarter profit of nearly $2.33 billion, up from nearly $2.25 billion in the same period a year earlier. It's revenue grew to total $8.14 billion in the quarter from $7.60 billion a year ago.
BMO Financial Group (TSX:BMO). Down $2.22 or 2.2 per cent to $97.25. BMO Financial Group beat expectations and reported a first-quarter profit of $1.59 billion as the bank worked to expand its footprint south of the border. The Toronto-based bank said its profit for the quarter ended Jan. 31 was up from $1.51 billion in the same period a year. The results came as the bank has focused on digital innovation by launching BMO Insights, which uses artificial intelligence to help customers manage their day-to-day finances and cash flow. It's also prioritized expanding its brick-and-mortar presence in the U.S. BMO recently opened new private wealth offices in both Dallas and Atlanta and announced the opening of its first commercial banking office in Los Angeles in the quarter.
Thomson Reuters Inc. (TSX:TRI). Up 60 cents to $107.20. Thomson Reuters says Steve Hasker has been appointed as the company's next president and chief executive. He will replace Jim Smith, who will become chairman of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The company also announced that Mike Eastwood, senior vice-president and head of corporate finance, will succeed Stephane Bello as chief financial officer. Bello will become vice-chairman of Thomson Reuters with responsibility for overseeing its investment in Refinitiv, which is expected to be sold to London Stock Exchange Group in the second half of the year. The changes in the executive suite which are effective March 15 came as Thomson Reuters reported its latest results and raised its quarterly dividend to 38 cents compared with its earlier rate of 36 cents.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2020.
The Canadian Press
