National Business

CALGARY — Opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline's planned route have brought rail traffic to a standstill with blockades in support of five Wet'suwet'en hereditary clan chiefs in B.C. who say it cannot proceed without their consent.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Domino's Pizza said strong carryout sales helped it achieve better-than-expected results in the fourth quarter despite increasing competition from food delivery companies like DoorDash.

Gildan Activewear Inc. is boosting its quarterly dividend 15 per cent despite weaker net profits and revenues in the fourth quarter and 2019. The Montreal-based clothing maker is increasing its quarterly payout for an eighth consecutive year, to 15.

BRAMPTON, Ont. — Loblaw Companies Ltd. reported its fourth-quarter profit rose compared with a year earlier, but the parent company of Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart fell short of analysts' expectations.

TORONTO — The Ontario Securities Commission is proposing to restrict the use of deferred sales charges in the sale of mutual funds as every other jurisdiction across the country moves to ban them.

TORONTO — RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust says it is well-positioned to weather challenges in the retail landscape as it focuses on necessity-based retailers and major urban centres.

TORONTO — Canada may still be in the depths of winter, but for high school, college and university students across the country, now is the time to prepare for summer jobs and post-graduation employment.

OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says it has downgraded the vulnerability of several cities in the Prairies while Canada's housing market remains moderately vulnerable.

BOSTON — Did an artificial-intelligence system beat human doctors in warning the world of a severe coronavirus outbreak in China? In a narrow sense, yes. But what the humans lacked in sheer speed, they more than made up in finesse.

TOKYO — Two elderly passengers taken off the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess because they were infected with the new virus have died, Japan's Health Ministry said Thursday, becoming the first fatalities from the virus-stricken vessel.