June 2018 Portfolio Review
In this environment, the portfolios performed well, led by our equity focused Growth Portfolio which gained 1.96% on the month. This result outpaced its benchmark thanks to a strong showing from the quality focused Fidelity Small Cap America Fund and the defensively positioned Mackenzie Ivy Foreign Equity Fund. The defensively positioned Conservative Portfolio rose by 0.6% but trailed its index. The largest headwind was the Sentry Small Mid Cap Income Fund which trailed its benchmark, followed by the RBC Global Corporate Bond, which ended the month 0.3% lower in a very tough global credit environment. Our Balanced Portfolio earned 1.1%, which matched its benchmark.
Read MoreWRAP Funds Report – June 2018
Fund of Fund or WRAP funds have consistently led the mutual funds sales stats in the past few years. Investor and advisor interest in the products are at an all time high, given the unprecedented levels of market volatility and uncertainty that is prevalent in the markets today. To help you zero in on the best WRAP funds available, we have created our new Monthly WRAP Funds Report that will be...
Read MoreSocially Responsible Investing Report – June 2018
With environmental, sustainability, and governance factors becoming more important to people, interest in the Socially Responsible Investing segment has never been stronger. In an effort to help keep investors and advisors informed on the SRI funds available, we have created our monthly Socially Responsible Investing Fund Report, which will be published on a monthly basis. You can download the...
Read MoreInvestment Fund Ranking Report – June 2018
Each month, we analyze nearly 2500 mutual funds, pooled funds, and hedge funds putting them through our proprietary quantitative valuation model. We then prepare our Monthly Fund Ranking Report which rates and ranks each of the funds in our universe based on a number of key risk / reward metrics. You can download our June 2018 Investment Fund Ranking Report here.
Read MoreETF Focus List – June 2018
iShares S&P/TSX Small Cap Index ETF (TSX: XCS) – The iShares S&P/TSX Small Cap Index ETF provides exposure to a diversified portfolio of Canadian small cap stocks. It replicates a market cap weighted index that holds more than 200 individual positions, with the top ten making up under 15% of the portfolio. While it may be diversified on an individual security basis, it is more concentrated on a sector basis, with energy and materials representing more than half the ETF. Given the sector mix of the Canadian market, I don’t expect that this composition will change dramatically in the near term. The index and ETF are rebalanced quarterly.
Read MoreMay 2018 Portfolio Review
In this environment, the portfolios each finished higher. The Conservative Portfolio rose by 0.3%, the Balanced Portfolio gained 0.9%, and the all equity Growth Portfolio was higher by 1.5%. The portfolios again trailed their benchmarks, with the defensively positioned Fidelity Canadian Large Cap Fund and the Mackenzie Ivy Foreign Equity Fund weighing on relative performance. These funds continue to position for a more volatile market environment.
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