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The hottest ETFs on the Toronto exchange
swon@globeandmail.comWHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?Leaders among Canadian-listed equity exchange-traded funds (ETFS) this year.Global stock markets have staged a sharp comeback after last year's market collapse, and ETFs are one way to play the rebound. ETFs are similar to mutual funds but trade like stocks. There are brokerage fees to pay when buying ETFs, but they can be low when dealing with a discount broker.
A less-is-more investing strategy
FUNDS REPORTERWhen Andrew Parkinson is ferreting out stocks for a mutual fund, the magic number is 20.''What's the benefit of holding a stock that is less than 1 per cent of a portfolio?'' asks the manager at Van Arbor Asset Management Ltd. ''If it doubles, it really doesn't do much for the portfolio.''
Rally in financials helps funds outperform
swon@globeandmail.comWHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?The best-performing Canadian dividend and income funds this year.It's interesting to see how these investments are faring, given that dividend-paying stocks took the spotlight after Manulife Financial Corp. this week slashed its quarterly payout to 13 cents from 26 cents. The move was intended to boost capital levels above the regulatory minimum, and conserve cash for acquisition opportunities, the insurer said.
Battered, but bouncing back
Stock funds were clobbered last year amid a global credit crisis and ensuing economic downturn. But some equity funds have rebounded nicely and beat their benchmark indexes for the first six months of this year. We talked to managers of five comeback funds to find out how they did it, and their outlook for the markets.
Flight Oil is now boarding
Riding oil prices higher requires some smart shopping for the right vehicle.Let's test drive three choices for the investor who wants decent power, but also a degree of comfort and convenience. On the sensible side, we have energy-focused mutual funds. For those who like a touch more horsepower, we have oil stocks and exchange-traded funds that track changes in oil prices, or indexes of energy stocks.
Equity funds rebound in roller-coaster ride
swon@globeandmail.comWHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?North American equity funds rising above the crowd in this year's wild markets.Their managers have flexibility to move between the Canadian and U.S. markets to find the best opportunities, and invest up to 10 per cent of the fund outside North America.
'Opportunistic' fund rockets to huge gain
FUNDS REPORTER Unlike most peers in the mutual fund world, Steve Martin has been able to defy gravity in the market collapse.The 28-year-old manager runs Creststreet Alternative Energy Fund - the top mutual fund performer last year with a 142-per-cent gain. Over the year ended Feb. 28, it is up 94 per cent.
CI Harbour fund manager's recent buying spree
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?The top holdings of stock mutual funds that took the big prize in their asset class at last month's annual Canadian Investment Awards.This week, we start with CI Harbour Fund run by CI Financial Corp.'s Gerry Coleman. In addition to taking the top award in the Canadian equity group, he was also named Morningstar's fund manager of the year.
High-climbing funds can fall hard
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?The big losers among mutual funds in the recent Canadian stock market meltdown.A sharp retreat in commodity stocks sent the SandP/TSX composite index tumbling 12 per cent by this past Tuesday from its record high of 15,073 points on June 18.
Do-it-yourself ETF may not be worth your time
Is the war against money management fees going too far? Investors - the more enlightened ones anyway - have battled high fees for years, forcing the industry to parry with low-cost index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds as well.
