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.
Top Funds Report – June 2015
. Download a PDF copy of this report – Investment Markets Mixed in May Canadian equities under pressure from weaker commodities May was a mixed month in the equity markets, with U.S. equities rising, while Canadian, European and Asian markets finished lower in U.S. dollar terms. However, with the Canadian dollar continuing its slide against the greenback, investors in unhedged investments saw modest gains in Canadian dollar terms. In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite Index lost 1.2%. Energy was a drag, as oil names were under pressure...
read moreTop Funds Report – May 2015
Download a PDF Copy of this Report Investment Markets Mixed in May With bounce in energy and improving economy, Canadian yields moved higher. April was a mixed month, with Canadian bonds lower, and equities generally higher. The bond market faced pressure as yields moved higher on two factors. The first being the expectation that the U.S. Federal Reserve may begin to raise rates soon. The other reason for a move higher in rates was the bounce in energy and the realization that the Bank of Canada is not likely to move rates lower...
read moreTop Funds Report – April 2015
Download a PDF Copy of this report Oil Hits Canadian Economy GDP growth turns negative in January. Believed to be a precursor to dismal Q1 numbers. With oil continuing to struggle, the impact is starting to be felt across the entire Canadian economy. Earlier this month, Statistics Canada reported that GDP shrank by 0.1% in January, a stunning reversal of December’s impressive 0.3% rise. If there is a bright spot in all of this, it is that it could have been worse. Many economists had been predicting a drop in GDP of 0.2%....
read moreTop Funds Report – March 2015
Download a PDF Version of this Report Markets Cheer ECB QE Plan Commitment to buy $68 billion a month spurs global equity gains After a mixed January, February saw markets bounce back nicely, led higher by Europe. The MSCI Europe Index gained 6.3% as investors eagerly awaited the start of the European Central Bank’s latest quantitative easing program. Starting March 9, the ECB will purchase $68 billion of debt securities each month. The hope is that by injecting such a massive amount of money into the economy, the...
read moreTop Funds Report – February 2015
Download a PDF Version of this report Bank of Canada Shocks Markets Surprise 25 basis point cut surprises everyone. More cuts expected Last month, Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz shocked everyone by cutting its key overnight lending rate by 25 basis points. In a statement, Mr. Poloz cited the potential economic damage caused by falling oil prices as the main reason for the cut. Most of the expected damage will come in the form of lower oil revenues, and increased unemployment as many oil companies move in to stop the...
read moreTop Funds Report – January 2015
Download a PDF version of this report Market Volatility Spooks Investors Many looking for best way to preserve capital while still earn modest returns Recently, I was having a conversation with an advisor friend, and the topic of the current market environment came up. He, like many investors and advisors is very focused on generating modest returns, in a very risk managed fashion. His goal is to minimize risk and maximize gains. That is a very difficult task these days. This is as challenging an environment as I have seen in my 20...
read moreNew 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 – December 2014
Download the PDF Version of this report Energy sinks Canadian equities Volatility returns with a vengeance, as oil price plummet sinks equities, boosts bonds. The past few months have certainly helped make 2014 a very interesting year. We saw the markets hit fresh highs amid some of the lowest volatility in recent memory, only to see it return with a vengeance. Equity markets, particularly the S&P/TSX Composite sold off heavily, losing more than 12% since September 1. In Canada, most of the volatility can be attributed to two things. The...
read moreTop Funds Report – November 2014
– Download the PDF Version of this report Markets Bumpy Ride Continues in October Despite volatility sanity returns in second half of the month. In September, the long awaited market correction began, continuing well into the first half of October. 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%. Fortunately, as October unfolded, cooler heads prevailed. Many global equity markets starting the process of digging out of the hole caused by the...
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...
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