As we continue to watch the banks here in The United States implode from the inside, I have been looking north for quite some time now to Canada for financial stocks that are actually worth owning. My favorite from the great white north is The Royal Bank Of Canada stock symbol ( RY ).
In my opinion this is one of the best, and safest picks out there in the financial sector right now. Not only is the Canadian dollar just killing the American dollar, but the subprime mess has hardly effected Canada, if anything it has actually help them. With the stronger dollar Canadian companies like The Royal Bank Of Canada can make acquisitions inside the United States and around the world for much, much cheaper than they could have years, or even months ago. Royal Bank Of Canada is taking advantage of this already by purchasing a Caribbean bank and Alabama National BanCorporation recently.
Not to mention, that juicy 3.65 dividend yield is payable in Canadian dollars so investors here in The States reap the benefits of a strong loony through the dividend payments! This is a company that consistently raises it's dividend and is all about creating shareholder wealth while growing the company core business at conservative pace.
As if that weren't enough reason to own ( RY ) they just announced that they will be buying back 1.6% or 20 millions shares of the company. This should provide a nice downside protection against any kind of negative price movement in the stock.
Royal Bank Of Canada is also one of the most respected corporations in Canada, and does a ton of work for it's communities and the environment , so you can even sleep well at night knowing you own this one... Overall, I would say this is one of the safest picks I have made so far and one of the best long term investments out there, but I would be slightly cautious going into their earnings report on 11-30-07. My suggestion would be to buy some here, and buy some after earnings this way you don't get burned if there is something in the quarter that investors don't like...
For more about Royal Bank Of Canada visit their website here or to learn more about why a good dividend like the one this company has is so important click here !
As I write this article Royal Bank Of Canada is trading at $57.77
$52.24 (11/18/07)
