Investments

Decorative pattern

Real returns

(May 2006) Traditional asset allocation typically divides a client’s portfolio between stocks, bonds and cash, with some fine-tuning around allocations of global versus Canadian, small cap versus large cap, and growth versus value stocks. Most advisors design their recommended portfolios around this approach for both funds and securities. What we tend to overlook is the […]

By John Nicola |May 5, 2006

8 min read

Decorative pattern

Legal structure vital in real estate investing

Similar to a true gold bug's aversion to mining stocks and preference for physical bullion, institutional real estate investors know that REITs are far too closely correlated to the equity markets on which they are listed. For these managers, nothing beats the real thing: a portfolio of physical real estate holdings.

By Steven Lamb |April 27, 2006

5 min read

Decorative pattern

Real estate smoothes portfolio volatility

With the real estate market booming across the country, it may be hard to ignore the capital appreciation aspect of real estate investments. But for many institutional portfolio managers, real estate is a core holding rooted firmly in the fixed income side of the asset mix. Sure, housing prices seem sky high, but residential property […]

By Steven Lamb |April 21, 2006

5 min read

Decorative pattern

Market Insights

Income fix

(April 2006) To help clients generate sufficient retirement income, advisors must outline strategies that will take advantage of the good times but will also assuage clients by withstanding volatility in the equities markets. Many Canadians will need to use all or most of their investment assets to maintain their current lifestyles throughout the retirement years, […]

By Clay Gillespie |April 13, 2006

6 min read

Decorative pattern

Market Insights

Sub-advisors facing increased competition

(April 2006) The drive toward lower MERs and overall costs may be benefiting investors, but it has ravaged the third party sub-advisory industry, according to the latest research from Investor Economics. Between December 2001 and December 2005, the number of fund companies using sub-advisors dropped 34%, from 94 to 62. The number of long-term funds […]

By Steven Lamb |March 31, 2006

3 min read

Decorative pattern

Norshield Saga: An in-depth look

(April 2006) Largely based in the Quebec market, the story of Norshield Asset Management may not have attracted the same national media attention as Portus, but the story is just as compelling: a labyrinth of inter-related companies, a regulatory crackdown and investor funds vanishing into thin air. Investigative journalist Scot Blythe has been digging into […]

By Staff |March 31, 2006

1 min read

Decorative pattern

Market Insights

Institutional investors prefer financials

(March 2006) Retail investors seeking insight on ‘where to invest next’ often look to the institutional side, reasoning that the largest money managers can afford superior research. While the energy sector may have been the obvious story in the recent past, institutional pooled equity funds continued to favour financial services stocks in the fourth quarter […]

By Steven Lamb |March 15, 2006

3 min read

Decorative pattern

Alt Assets: Name raiders

(March 2006) You use domain names every time you visit a website or google a term to find more information. But do you know what gives value to a name? Do you know how to assess that value? What you don’t know actually spells opportunity. Just as in financial markets, there are primary and secondary […]

By Pierre Saint-Laurent |March 10, 2006

4 min read

Decorative pattern

Market Insights

Foreign equity funds set to rebound?

(March 2006) After several years of poor performance — both in terms of sales and investment returns — foreign mutual funds appear to be levelling off, as total assets under management stabilize, according to research from Investor Economics. “Though currently out of favour, we believe this theme will reassert itself,” reads the latest issue of […]

By Steven Lamb |March 10, 2006

3 min read

Decorative pattern

Perfect storm for U.S. mortgage-backed investors

(March 2006) Investors seeking yield were well compensated when interest rates fell; they received capital gains that in many instances gave them better returns than equities. In a rising rate environment, however, income investors find it more difficult to make an adequate return. Not only do rising rates usually result in lower bond valuations, but […]

By Michael Barrett |March 1, 2006

7 min read

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