The Globe and Mail attempts to identify Canadian-listed stocks that offer defensive characteristics amid growing uncertainty in the broader market in its Friday, April 24, edition. The Globe's guest columnist Gary Christie writes in the Number Cruncher column that Endeavour Mining is one of the world's leading gold producers. Endeavour Mining was the strongest performer among the stocks Mr. Christie has covered over the past year, with a gain of 125.7 per cent. The company offers a dividend yield of 2.34 per cent backed by robust coverage of 230.26 per cent and a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, making it a compelling combination of income and balance sheet strength in a sector that has benefited from elevated gold prices. The Globe reported on Feb. 5 and April 17 that National Bank analysts continued to rate Endeavour Mining "outperform." The shares could then be had for $78.81 and $91.13.