Market Insights

Active managers continue to underperform Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Market Insights

Active managers continue to underperform

(September 2008) Thanks to quarter-to-quarter volatility, active managers, once again, failed to beat the benchmark in Q2. Standard & Poor’s Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) Funds Scorecard reports that just 31.2% of Canadian equity active fund managers outperformed the S&P/TSX Composite Index. While that might seem low, compared to long-term numbers, that result is actually pretty […]

By Bryan Borzykowski |September 3, 2008

2 min read

The right mix Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Market Insights

The right mix

Developing the right asset mix for your client can be tricky business. Advisors have to determine their clients’ risk tolerance, closely watch the markets, and there’s the not-so-small matter of making money. So what’s an advisor to do when clients’ portfolios are more volatile than an active volcano? Nothing. “I focus on the plans we […]

By Bryan Borzykowski |September 1, 2008

5 min read

Bank bear Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Market Insights

Bank bear

Caution is the watchword for veteran hedge-fund manager Veronika Hirsch. “Right now we are sitting at 35% cash,” says the manager of the $142-million BluMont Hirsch Performance. “And I think that tells you how cautious we are. I’m using it strategically, as opposed to not having any ideas today.” Hirsch is the chief investment officer […]

By Diana Cawfield |September 1, 2008

3 min read

Analyst’s report: Dynamic focus + small business Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Market Insights

Analyst’s report: Dynamic focus + small business

Veteran Oscar Belaiche and newly minted co-manager Jason Gibbs are looking pretty smart these days. While most Canadian small-cap funds sport losses in the double digits over the past year, management’s decision to keep cash on the sidelines has shielded the fund from steep losses. They have also done a fairly decent job ferreting out […]

By Jordan Benincasa |September 1, 2008

3 min read