Most actively traded companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday:

Toronto Stock Exchange (20,633.27, down 128.76 points.)

Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX:SU). Energy. Down 64 cents, or 2.07 percent, to $30.29 on 24.2 million shares.

Harte Gold Corp. (TSX:HRT). materials. Half a cent, or 25 percent, fell to 1.5 cents on 13.8 million shares.

Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ). Energy. Up 18 cents, or 0.35 percent, to $51.90 on 12.7 million shares.

Baytex Energy Corp. (TSX:BTE). Energy. Up six cents, or 1.71 percent, to $3.56 on 10.7 million shares.

Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Industrial. Four cents, or 2.38 percent, fell to $1.64 on 8.6 million shares.

Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX:CVE). Energy. Down 27 cents, or 1.74 percent, to $15.22 on 7.7 million shares.

Companies in the news:

Canadian National Railway Co. (TSX:CNR). Down 87 cents to $164.34. Canadian National Railway Co. says it plans to reopen its network in southern British Columbia this weekend after another rainstorm and wind caused a second shutdown. CN said Friday that engineers and construction crews are continuing to work on the Vancouver-Kamloops corridor, which was first severed by landslides and washes amid torrential downpours in mid-November. The country’s largest railway company restored limited service along the vital supply link last week before choosing to “proactively close” the line again on Monday as more rain sparked further mudslides, flooding and debris. The Montreal-based rail line has also been able to divert some traffic to Prince Rupert Port, which remains fully operational and unaffected by inclement weather. Meanwhile, Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. that service is underway in the region, including to the Port of Vancouver. CP cars loaded with prairie grain and fuel entered Vancouver for the first time in days last week after the rail corridor sustained heavy damage at some 30 locations between Vancouver and Kamloops, BC. busiest corridor where they share rail infrastructure to maximize capacity.

BMO Financial Group. (TSX:BMO). Up $3.17 or 2.4 percent to $137.98. BMO Financial Group closed the week of the Big Six’s financial results by announcing the largest dividend increase and share buyback plan of any bank as it reported gains boosted in part by efficiency gains. The bank said Friday it had increased its quarterly dividend by 25 percent to $1.33 per share and said it would repurchase up to 22.5 million shares, representing 3.5 percent of shares outstanding. The payout commitment came as the bank reported profits of nearly $2.2 billion in the fourth quarter, up from nearly $1.6 billion in the year-ago quarter, and said it had made efficiencies that would also add up. should lead to spending largely unchanged next year, despite inflationary pressures. Chief executive Darryl White said the bank has been cutting costs for years, which has helped improve its efficiency ratio, a key measure of how well banks are turning assets into profit, rising 540 basis points since 2018 to 56.5 percent. The bank has also kept costs stable for the past two years, excluding higher performance-related fees this year, as it has scaled back in some areas of the business. Going forward, White said there are plans to use real estate more efficiently and improve back office functions.

AltaGas Ltd. (TSX:ALA). 13 cents up to $24.50. AltaGas Ltd. says it will increase its dividend by six percent for next year and move to a quarterly payment schedule of monthly payments to shareholders. The company says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 26.5 cents per share, starting with a payment in March. AltaGas pays a monthly dividend of 8.33 cents per share. It says the monthly payments will continue through the end of this year. AltaGas is an energy infrastructure company with operations in Canada and the United States. The company is expected to hold an investor day on December 15 where it will discuss its priorities and growth plans.

CWB Financial Group. (TSX:CWB). Down $1.65 or 4.4 percent to $35.75. CWB Financial Group increased its dividend as it reported fourth-quarter earnings had increased compared to a year ago to exceed expectations. The Edmonton-based bank now says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share, compared to 29 cents. The higher payment to shareholders came when CWB said it earned earnings attributable to common shareholders of $90 million or $1.01 per diluted share for the quarter ended Oct. 31, up from a profit of $63. .4 million or 73 cents a year earlier. Revenue was $260.6 million, up from $236.6 million in the prior year quarter. CWB recorded a $10.2 million reversal of its loan loss provisions, compared to a charge of $19.6 million in the prior year quarter. On an adjusted basis, CWB says it earned $1.03 per share, compared to adjusted earnings of 75 cents per share in the fourth quarter last year. Analysts had expected an average adjusted earnings of 86 cents per share, financial markets data company Refinitiv reported. For the full year, CWB says it plans to profit attributable to common shareholders of $327.5 million or $3.73 per diluted share on $1 billion in revenue. The result compared with earnings of $249 million or $2.86 per diluted share from $897.4 million a year earlier.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on December 3, 2021.

The Canadian Press