Keystone XL is rapidly devolving into a rallying cry for those whose brand of activism would keep US unemployment near double digits and North America forever dependent on hostile regions for energy. Keystone XL is also a key project for TransCanada Corp (TSX: TRP, NYSE: TRP), a stock with solid prospects whether it gets built or not.
It’s a matter of simple mathematics: North America can’t afford to abandon development of the Canadian oil sands.
Economic data continue to be inconsistent, markets continue to be volatile, and politicians continue to confuse short-, medium- and long-term priorities. The Great White North is a refuge from all that.
Much is made these days of the position of the US relative to China and how the latter will soon become the biggest economy on the planet. Whatever the nature of this global race, or whether there is a race at all, Canada and Australia–and investors who own the high-dividend-paying companies that call those countries home–are poised to prosper.
Almost 20 years ago S&P cut Canada from AAA to AA+. Ottawa responded by balancing its budget within three years.
Nobody knows what financial markets will look like Aug. 3 if the US government fails to reach agreement on a federal debt ceiling increase. It’s the uncertainty that will paralyze the economy.
The debt ceiling debate is getting serious. What happens if there’s no agreement?
Yellow Media Inc (TSX: YLO, OTC: YLWPF) continues to report decent numbers when analysts want spectacular proof of its transition from print to the Internet.
Royal Bank of Canada’s departure from the American Southeast retail banking market isn’t a resounding vote of confidence in the US economy. But it has more to do with the bank’s strategy than with macroeconomics.
As income investors focused on long-term wealth building, we’re more concerned about operating results than macro conditions. It’s necessary to understand the big picture. But the first order of business for income investors is to understand the businesses we own.
