PowerShares 1–5 Year Laddered Corporate Bond
Fund Company Invesco Canada Ltd. Fund Type Cdn Short Term Fixed Income Rating C Style Rules Based Risk Level Low Load Status Front End RRSP/RRIF Suitability Excellent Manager PowerShares Management Team MER 0.99% Fund Code AIM 53203 – Front End Units Minimum Investment $2,000 Analysis: In a recent speech, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz highlighted that the Canadian economy is once again...
Read MoreChou Associates Fund
Managed by veteran Francis Chou, this concentrated portfolio holds just 17 stocks, and nearly 30% in cash. The high cash weight is the byproduct of Mr. Chou’s disciplined, deep value approach. Philosophically, he would rather hold cash than pay what he believes to be too much for a stock. The portfolio looks much different than its index, with a very cyclical bent to it. Approximately a third is...
Read MoreSteadyhand Income Fund
Managed by Connor, Clark & Lunn, this is the closest thing Steadyhand has to a bond fund. It has a target asset mix of 75% fixed income and 25% high yielding equities, which makes it a good bond fund substitute for those with a risk tolerance that is average or higher. Within the fixed income portion, it is heavily tilted towards corporate bonds, which make up about half the fund. The...
Read MoreBMO Asian Growth & Income Fund
The outlook for Asia remains very challenging – with the backdrop of slowing economic growth across the region, combined with a rising U.S. dollar. Recently, many governments, from India to China have taken steps to spur growth, and speed up market reforms. Still, it will be a challenging place to invest in the near term. In my view, this fund remains the best way to play the region. By...
Read MoreTrimark U.S. Small Companies Class
Not surprisingly, the fund lagged both the benchmark and its peer group in the first quarter of the year. This was because of the drag caused by the nearly 30% currently in cash. This high cash balance is the byproduct of the managers’ struggle to find opportunities that are trading at valuations they believe make them strong investment candidates. In a recent commentary, they expressed...
Read MoreFidelity Small Cap America Fund
Manager Steve MacMillan has done a stellar job with this small cap offering since taking it over in 2011. In the past three years, it has gained more than 33%, outpacing both the index and peer group by a wide margin. This outperformance continued in the first quarter, gaining an impressive 18.9%, thanks to a strong showing from its consumer and technology names, combined with a falling Canadian...
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