The market is recovering, yet there are many that remain on edge. And honestly, I’m one of them. For all the growth I want out of my investments, I’ve been burned before — a lot.
This is why I’m looking at companies that are a deal but will very, very likely recover — ones that I can feel confident in buying because they’ve been around for decades, 100 years, even 200 years.
Those, my friends, are bank stocks.
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Aren’t bank stocks bad?
Bank stocks in Canada are very different from banks in other countries, especially in the United States. Here, we enjoy an oligopoly of banking institutions. The Big Six banks control 90% of the market. While this might not be great when it comes to finding a great price on loans for consumers, it turns out it’s pretty great for investors.
That’s because these banks are far safer to invest in. Each has been around for decades, and in the case of one bank stock, it’s been around over 200 years! Plus, Canadian banks haven’t gone through a banking crisis since 1837. Yes, that is not a typo. Canadian banks made it through the Great Depression, Great Recession, and more and are still around.
This means you can invest in banking stocks and be fairly darn confident that they’ll perform well. What’s more, you can be sure that they’ll recover and climb past 52-week highs. Why? Because they’ve done it decade after decade.
Think long term
The key here isn’t that you’re looking at bank stocks as a short-term investment. These are not growth stocks. Instead, you want to consider holding them for a decade or more, using the dividend income provided to help fund future investments as well. Do this, and you can guarantee incredible growth in the decades to come.
What you want to look for among these Big Six banks are stocks that are going to do well in that time. Try to find some diversification within these banks that will help fuel your portfolio rather than seeing stocks overlap in investment strategy.
That’s why I would consider investing in Royal Bank of Canada (TSX: RY), Bank of Montreal (TSX: BMO), and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSX: CM).
Triple threat
Each of these investments provides Canadians with a solid strategy of growth, expansion, and diversification in and outside of Canada. RBC stock, for one, has seen a lot of growth as Canada’s largest bank in terms of market capitalization. It continues to see growth from wealth and commercial management, allowing it to then take on investments in other countries for more advanced growth.
BMO stock is another great option as it just managed to invest in Bank of the West. I say “just managed” because, after that, the U.S. declared no more large foreign investments. So, now, Canadians can look forward to immense growth in the U.S. — something other banks cannot claim.
As for CIBC stock, it’s the poorest performing of the bank stocks. Yet this is because of a major investment into Canada and the housing market. The Canadian housing market will eventually improve, allowing for incredible long-term gains. You’ll just have to be patient in this case, and a massive 6.58% dividend yield will certainly help.
Bottom line
These bank stocks are the first I would consider for long-term growth, even with just $400. Each of them provide a deal, with shares trading down by double digits in the last year. You can therefore grab higher-than-usual dividend yields. For RBC stock, that’s at 4.57%. CIBC stock’s dividend is at 6.58%. BMO stock’s dividend is at 5.36%! Each is higher than the five-year average. So, consider these bank stocks if you’re looking for a big boost in a bull market and incredibly high dividends while you wait.
