ABC Fundamental Value Fund
This fund has a great long-term record but right now it is going through a rough patch, losing 16.6% in the six months to Nov. 30/07. We’ve seen this before and we expect the fund to recover but investors may wish to wait on the sidelines for the time being. Manager Irwin Michael has a history of outperforming in weak markets: this value fund scored gains for investors in every calendar year of the 2000-2002 bear market and subsequently posted double-digit advances in every year up to 2007.
Read MoreABC American Value Fund
After honing his value investing technique in the Canadian markets, manager Irwin Michael, the driving force behind the ABC Funds, decided to take his act across the border in 1996 by launching this fund, the third in his stable. As with his other funds, stocks are selected based on exceptional value, using a well-developed set of screening techniques.
Read MoreAGF China Focus Class
China funds have been on fire recently, with big gains across the board. This one posted an advance of 78.8% in the year to Aug. 31/07 and it wasn’t even the best of its type! The three-year results show an average annual compound rate of return of 32.5%. The rising tide lifted all boats! However, a China fund can be extremely volatile and this one is no exception. So if you’re going to invest here, make sure you understand the risk and don’t put it into an RRSP.
Read MoreABC Fully Managed Fund
This fund has struggled recently and as a result its returns over all times frames have slipped. However, some caution is warrented when comparing results. It the recent shake-up of fund categories, this one was reclassified as a Canadian Focused Small/Mid-Cap Equity fund. However, it is actually a balanced fund, which at the moment is weighted towards stocks. When you compare the returns of this fund to the averages of the Canadian Equity Balanced category, where we think it more properly belongs, the returns for five years and more look much better by comparison.
Read MoreAGF Global Real Estate Equity
Manager Steve Way’s primary focus here is country. He looks first for nations where the real estate market prospects are good and then uses a blend of value and growth to select individual stocks. Europe was his favourite stomping ground in the first half of 2007, with 42.6% of the portfolio invested in that continent. By contrast, North America, which dominated the portfolio a few years ago, had a weighting of only 23.1% as of June 30/07.
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