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 within the financial sector, Manulife Financial, Great-West Lifeco and Sun Life Financial highlight the defensive appeal of Canada's life insurance sector. All three companies offer dividend yields above 3 per cent with conservative debt profiles, and each stock trades within 3 per cent of its 52-week high, a sign of resilience relative to the broader market.