Investors know that one of the most important principles of sound investing is to stay on top of what’s happening in the world and to know how those events affect their finances. But conditions change quickly, and keeping up-to-date on developments and trends can be very time-consuming. With the Mutual Funds and ETF Update, investors will receive timely and important updates on mutual funds and ETFs. Published since 1994, this newsletter includes notices of fund ratings changes, reviews of top rated funds, portfolio advice, and recommended mutual fund investment strategies in light of current economic conditions. Each issue also contains reports on new developments in the mutual fund industry. In addition, bonus updates and articles will be posted online in an effort to keep you better informed so you can stay on top of your investment portfolio like never before.
New Fund Rating System Launched in 2015
When I first started providing a rating on mutual funds back in 2002, I developed a formula that considered a number of key performance and risk metrics. It looked at absolute return, relative return, volatility and relative volatility. It also took into account the length of track record of a fund when determining the rating for a fund. It seemed to work very well over the years, but its biggest drawback was that it was complicated to explain. Whenever an advisor or investor would ask about my rating system, I could never explain how I...
read moreMutual Funds/ETFs Update – October 2013
Volume 19, Number 10 October, 2013 Single Issue $15.00 PDF Version of this issue WHAT’S NEW Trouble in LSIF land – Last month, GrowthWorks Canadian Fund Ltd. announced it was filing for bankruptcy protection. The struggling labour sponsored investment fund (LSIF) claims it does not have enough cash on hand to satisfy its outstanding obligations. This is the latest in a long line of LSIF’s to run into trouble. The industry has been struggling since the Ontario government announced its plans to phase out the tax credits. In its recent budget,...
read moreMutual Funds/ETFs Update – September 2013
PDF Copy of this Edition What’s New Change in publication dates – Starting this month, we will be publishing the Mutual Funds / ETFs Update on the 10th of each month. This change will take the guesswork out of when you will be receiving our detailed and timely analysis of the Canadian mutual fund and ETF landscape. ETFs see outflows in August – Canada’s red hot ETF market took a breather in August as investors sold $318 million more ETFs than they bought, according to Pat Chiefalo, ETF Strategist at National Bank Financial. With yields...
read moreMutual Funds/ETFs Update – August 2013
PDF Copy of this Edition What’s New Vanguard surpasses $1 billion in Canada – In just over the year and a half since their arrival in Canada, Vanguard Investments surpassed the billion dollar mark in their family of 11 low cost ETFs. To celebrate, the firm filed a preliminary prospectus that includes seven new exchange traded funds. New offerings include the Vanguard FTSE Canadian All Cap Index ETF, Vanguard U.S. Dividend Appreciation Index ETF, and a couple of foreign bond offerings. CI’s Harbour Funds to remove currency hedge – In...
read moreMutual Funds/ETFs Update – July 2013
PDF Copy of this Edition What’s New Canadian ETF industry continues to grow – Investors continue to love their ETFs, as industry assets passed the $60 billion mark in May according to a report published by National Bank Financial. BlackRock’s iShares continues to be the dominant player in terms of assets, but it is BMO that is leading the charge in sales. The report estimates that BMO saw net inflows of over $1 billion in May, bringing their total AUM up to $12 billion. Despite the bump in yields, the report estimates that bond ETFs saw more...
read moreMutual Funds/ETFs Update – June 2013
PDF Copy of this Edition What’s New Many Investors sitting on big cash balances – According to a recent poll conducted on behalf of investment dealer Edward Jones, Canadian investors have 13% of their portfolios invested in GICs. Further, 25% of those surveyed said that they intend to buy GICs this year, further adding to their cash balances. GIC rates remain very low, with five-year GICs paying between 1.75% and 2.20% at the banks. Those willing to take on a bit more risk may want to consider one of the alternative providers. For example,...
read moreMutual Funds/ETFs Update – May 2013
PDF Copy of this Edition WHAT’S NEW Fund closures as a result of the Federal Budget – In reaction to the most recent Federal Budget which essentially eliminated the effectiveness of “character conversion transactions” that were used to convert interest income to capital gains, a number of mutual funds have been closed to new investments. A partial list can be found at: https://paterson-associates.com/2013/04/fund-closings-as-a-result-of-the-federal-budget. Recommended List Review – Great start to 2013 By Dave Paterson, CFA Only one...
read moreMutual Funds/ETFs Update – April 2013
Volume 19, Number 4 April, 2013 Single Issue $15.00 In this issue: What’s New 2013 Budget Impact Bank Funds Continue to gain in Popularity Understanding ETF Liquidity Protecting Against Rising Rates Sarbit Activist Opportunities Class Readers’ Questions PDF version of this issue What’s New ♦ Temporary change in Customer Service Hours – Please note that for the next few weeks, our Customer Service office will be closed on Tuesdays. However, you can leave a message on our toll-free line (1-888-287-8229) and it will...
read moreMutual Funds & ETFs Update – February 2013
PDF Version of this Issue WHAT’S NEW RRSP Contribution Deadline looms – For those looking to make a last minute contribution to their RRSP, there is still time to do so. The deadline for contributions that can be claimed for the 2012 tax year is March 1, 2013. The maximum you can contribute for 2012 is $22,970, plus any unused contribution room you may have. Record Year for Canadian ETFs – 2012 was a banner year for the Canadian ETF industry, which saw net inflows of $12.1 billion according to a report issued by National Bank...
read moreMutual Funds & ETFs Update – January 2013
Volume 19 Number 1 January 2013 Single Issue $15.00 PDF Version of this Issue WHAT’S NEW New Mutual Fund and ETF Database available – Our new comprehensive database, powered by Fundata Canada, allows investors to screen the entire universe of mutual funds and ETFs using a variety of criteria to drill down and find the funds that are right for them. Once they identify funds of interest, they can view detailed profiles for each fund that include the standard holdings and performance data. Additionally, each profile highlights a number of...
read more