Dave Paterson’s Top Funds Report is published on a monthly basis and highlights the best funds that were reviewed in the past month. This is an invaluable tool that provides you with indepth, expert analysis on a wide range of mutual funds and ETFs.
You can browse through our previous editions below. You can also view our recent Mutual Fund Reviews here.
If there is a fund that you would like to see reviewed in a future edition, please send your request to feedback@paterson-associates.ca.
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 moreTop Funds Report – October 2014
Download the PDF Version of this report The Beginning of the End? Volatility returns with a vengeance leaving many asking if this is a repeat of 2008 Historically, September and October have been the cruelest months for investors, and this year is no exception. Between September 1 and October 15, the S&P/TSX Composite dropped by 12%, the MSCI EAFE plunged by nearly 15%, and the S&P 500 was off 7%. Some are expecting this selloff to continue as we head towards the end of the year. Valuations, even after the selloff remain...
read moreTop Funds Report – September 2014
Download the PDF Version of this report Markets Higher in August Except for Japan and Asia, all equity markets higher. Bonds rally on accommodative central banks and geopolitical uncertainty August was another strong month for investors, as most markets ended in positive territory. The exception was the MSCI EAFE Index, which was lower by 0.4% in Canadian dollar terms as Asian Pacific markets, specifically Japan were lower. Bonds were higher as the combination of accommodative central banks and increasing geopolitical uncertainty...
read moreTop Funds Report – December 2012
PDF Version of this Issue Special Offer & Monthly Commentary Since taking over the Mutual Fund and ETFs Database a little more than a year ago, I have talked to a number of members like you, and one theme that was repeated quite often was that they wanted more current and timely information. We listened. In response, we have completely overhauled the database and I believe it is now the best of its kind anywhere. I invite you to check it out for yourself. When you do, you will see that this new super database now includes detailed...
read moreTop Funds Report – September 2012
Those who adhered to the old adage of selling in May and going away for the summer may have been sorry that they did. Global equity markets were again higher in August, their third month in a row of gains. This time around, it was Canadian equities leading the way higher, as our three main sectors, financials, energy, and materials, all enjoyed decent gains. The S&P/TSX Composite rose more than 2.4% in the month. The energy and financial sectors matched the gains of the broader index.
read moreTop Funds Report – June 2012
Whoever said that April was the cruelest month likely didn’t have any money invested in the global equity markets in May. Markets were hit particularly hard, with the MSCI EAFE Index dropping by more than 7% during the month. The S&P 500 lost 6% in U.S. dollar terms, while closer to home, the S&P/TSX Composite Index dropped by 6.1%.
read moreTop Funds Report – March 2012
Fixed income investments have long been known for their safe haven appeal. In periods of uncertainty, investors flock into government bonds, knowing that they are protected. That trend has held true inCanada. Market volatility has been on the upswing since July. Not surprisingly, from August 2011 until January 2012, bond funds received $9.3 billion in new money. During the same time frame, equity funds lost $9 billion in assets.
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