Most actively traded companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday:

Toronto Stock Exchange (21,683.08, down 85.45 points.)

Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB). Energy. Down 11 cents, or 0.22 percent, to $50.59 on 30.8 million shares.

Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX:SU). Energy. Up 13 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $32.46 on 14.7 million shares.

Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX:CVE). Energy. Down 25 cents, or 1.57 percent, to $15.72 on 9.5 million shares.

Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Industrial. Two cents, or 1.04 percent, fell to $1.90 on 9.3 million shares.

Athabasca Oil Corp. (TSX:ATH). Energy. Seven cents, or 4.93 percent, fell to $1.35 on 7.9 million shares.

Hexo Corp. (TSX:HEXO). Healthcare. Down 14 cents, or 6.28 percent, to $2.09 on 7.6 million shares.

Companies in the news:

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (TSX:QSR). $1.34 or 1.9 percent up to $73.09. José Cil first tried Firehouse Subs while crossing Florida as a Walmart executive. Fast forward more than a decade to the late summer of 2021. Cil learned that the founders of Firehouse Subs — brothers and former firefighters Chris and Robin Sorensen — would consider selling if they found the right partner. Cil knew the sandwich chain would complement Restaurant Brands’ existing portfolio of Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeyes. Restaurant Brands announced plans to buy Firehouse Subs for $1 billion on Monday. The company said the US-based restaurant, which has hot specialties on its menu, is a strong and growing player in the fast-service restaurant industry. Firehouse Subs was founded in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida by the Sorensen brothers. The sandwich chain has tripled its restaurant footprint to about 1,200 locations since 2010. Over the same period, system-wide revenue has quadrupled to an estimated US$1.1 billion by 2021, according to Restaurant Brands. Still, while it looks set to expand, Firehouse Sub faces stiff competition from rivals such as Subway and Mr. Sub, owned by Montreal-based MTY Food Group Inc.

George Weston Ltd. (TSX:WN). $1.65 or 1.2 percent up to $140.77. George Weston Ltd. says it has signed a deal to sell its Weston Foods ambient bakery business for $370 million. Weston’s ambient business provides retail and food service customers in Canada and the US with cookies, crackers, cones and waffles. The Toronto-based company says it will sell the business to Illinois-based Hearthside Food Solutions, a contract manufacturer and producer of baked foods, snacks, nutritional bars and more. George Weston announced in March his intention to sell his bakery segment and focus on his retail and real estate businesses. In October, the company reached an agreement to sell its fresh and frozen bakery business to affiliated entities of FGF Brands Inc. for a total cash consideration of $1.2 billion. Together with the sale of the fresh and frozen businesses, the sale of the ambient business represents the sale of George Weston’s entire bakery business, for a total value of $1.57 billion. Ambient sales are expected to be completed before the end of the first quarter of 2022. The company says it expects to return the net proceeds of both transactions to shareholders through share buybacks over time.

Great West Lifeco Inc. (TSX:GWO). Eight cents up to $38.42. Great West Lifeco Inc. increases its quarterly dividend to shareholders by 12 percent. The insurance company says it has announced an additional dividend of 5.2 cents per share, payable Dec. 31 to shareholders who hit a record close of trading on Dec. 3. Combined with the dividend of 43.8 cents per share announced on Nov. 3, West will pay a total quarterly dividend of 49 cents per share. The Office of the Chief Inspector of Financial Institutions on Nov. 4 lifted COVID-19-related restrictions that had prevented federally regulated banks and insurers from raising dividends and buying back shares. Great-West says it has set a dividend payout ratio of 45 to 55 percent of its base earnings. Great-West CEO Paul Mahon says the new dividend payout range supports a balanced approach to dividend increases in line with expected earnings growth while maintaining financial strength.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on November 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press