Dividend growth is supposed to be the safe corner of the market — but what happens when geopolitics, inflation shocks, and an evolving AI trade collide all at once?

In this episode of In the Money with Amber Kanwar, Amber sits down with Amritha Kasturirangan, Co-Lead Portfolio Manager of the Franklin U.S. Rising Dividends Fund at Franklin Templeton, to break down how she’s navigating markets in a time of war. Running a $30 billion strategy built on dividend growth, she explains why she’s not chasing yield — but instead using consistent dividend growth as a signal of resilient, high-quality businesses that can hold up through uncertainty.

The conversation dives into how the market narrative has shifted from early-year optimism to geopolitical anxiety, and what that means for investors. Amritha walks through her framework for thinking about the Iran conflict, why she believes markets may be overpricing worst-case scenarios in private credit, and how the AI trade is evolving beyond mega-cap tech into real-world productivity gains. She highlights companies like Walmart (WMT) and Goldman Sachs (GS) as examples of how AI is moving beyond infrastructure into productivity — a shift she sees as both healthy and investable. She also explains why this environment is creating opportunities — not reasons to panic — for long-term investors focused on quality and durability.

In the Mailbag, Amritha breaks down Microsoft (MSFT) and why it remains a long-term winner despite the recent selloff, Nasdaq (NDAQ) and whether exchanges are truly at risk from AI disruption, Stryker (SYK) and why a recent cyberattack isn’t a reason to sell, D.R. Horton (DHI) and the long-term case for homebuilders despite rate pressure, and ExxonMobil (XOM) and how to think about energy stocks in the context of geopolitical shocks.

In Pro Picks, she starts with Parker-Hannifin (PH), a self-help industrial story being re-rated as a long-term compounder with exposure to aerospace and defense. Next is Analog Devices (ADI), an under-the-radar chipmaker benefiting from secular trends like automation, EVs, and the Internet of Things. And finally, Ross Stores (ROST), an off-price retailer with a powerful “treasure hunt” model, improving execution, and a new growth flywheel driven by marketing and a younger consumer — all while continuing to deliver strong dividend growth.

This is a playbook for investing when uncertainty is high: focus on resilience, stay disciplined, and use volatility to your advantage.

Timestamps
00:00 Trailer

02:20 Intro
04:00 Franklin Templeton’s dividend growth strategy

06:35 Dividend growth in a time of war

10:10 Private credit & software challenges
17:25 How big is the private credit/equity problem?

20:45 ETF Minute: Hamilton’s QMVP

22:15 ITM Mailbag: Microsoft stock (MSFT)

26:25 Walmart stock (WMT)
26:45 Nasdaq stock (NDAQ)

31:10 Stryker stock (SYK)

36:35 D.R. Horton stock (DHI)
39:25 Exxon Mobil stock (XOM)

42:05 Amritha’s Pro Picks (PH, ADI, ROST)

Sponsors
For over 25 years, Raymond James has been helping Canadians achieve their financial goals. Visit https://raymondjames.ca today to discover how you can live a life well planned.

Pro Picks is brought to you by ATB Financial. For more information on ATB Cormark Capital Markets visit https://ATB.com/inthemoney

ETF Minute is sponsored by Hamilton ETFs. To learn more about the HAMILTON CHAMPIONS™ U.S. Technology Index ETF, visit https://hamiltonetfs.com.

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DISCLAIMERS

The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice.The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any organization or company. The host and guests may maintain positions in any securities discussed on the podcast. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any investment decisions. In this episode we discuss Microsoft which is a stock Amber owns.

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Source: S&P Global, Solactive AG, Hamilton ETFs. Data from May 8, 2006 to February 27, 2026.

The graph illustrates the growth of an initial investment of $100,000 in the Solactive HAMILTON CHAMPIONS™ U.S. Technology Index (SHUSTCHT) vs. the Technology Select Sector Index ($CDN) with annual compounded total returns. The graph is for illustrative purposes only and intended to demonstrate the historical impact of the indexes compound growth rate. It is not a projection of future index performance, nor does it reflect potential returns on investments in the ETF. Investors cannot directly invest in the index. All performance data assumes reinvestment of distributions and excludes management fees, transaction costs, and other expenses which would have impacted an investor’s returns. SHUSTCHT data prior to December 3, 2025, is hypothetical back-tested data using actual historical market data. Actual performance may have been different had the index been live during that period.

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