Mackenzie Ivy Canadian Fund
When long-time manager Jerry Javasky stepped down in 2009, the reins of the fund were handed over to Paul Musson. When Mr. Javasky ran the fund, its stellar capital protection was legendary. Unfortunately, it was also known for its lackluster performance in up markets. Today, with Mr. Musson running the show, the emphasis on downside protection remains firmly in focus, but now it does a much...
Read MoreTrimark Income Growth Fund
The last time I reviewed this fund was April 2013, shortly after Clayton Zacharias had taken over the management of the equity portion of the fund. At the time I said I was “…cautiously optimistic that with Mr. Zacharias managing the equity portion that we will see a sustained improvement in overall returns.” Turns out I was right. Performance has definitely improved, with the fund boasting an...
Read MoreCI Signature Corporate Bond Fund
Given the somewhat unique mandate of this fund, it’s a tough one to classify. It invests in a diversified portfolio of bonds, right across the credit spectrum, ranging from AAA rated government bonds to high yield. The investment process is a blend of top down macro analysis, which helps the team set the mix of investment grade and high yield, and fundamentally driven, bottom up credit analysis...
Read MoreDesjardins Chorus II Portfolios
Recently, a reader asked for more information on the Desjardins Chorus II Portfolios. The Chorus II portfolios are a series of dynamically managed portfolios that invest in mutual funds offered by Desjardins Investments. There are six portfolios available, ranging from Conservative to Maximum Growth, and everything in between. For the Conservative Portfolio, the target fixed income weight is...
Read MoreWestwood Emerging Markets Fund
The emerging markets space has been a tough slog for many of late, and this fund is no exception. For the year ending March 31, it was down 12%, lagging both the index and much of its competition. It has been managed by a team headed up by Patricia Perez-Coutts since August 2012. You may recall Ms. Perez-Coutts had tremendous success previously at AGF. Unfortunately, a repeat of this success has...
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