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RBC Global Corporate Bond
With an emphasis on corporate bonds from around the globe, the managers use an active approach to managing both interest rate risk and credit exposure. They have done a great job in preserving investor capital. Looking at its performance in periods where the bond market in general is falling, it has managed to post positive returns. A drawback is it is likely to underperform in a sharp market rally. But if you’re comfortable with the underperformance in exchange for a stronger downside protection, this is a fund worthy of...
read morePH&N Total Return Bond
The fixed income team at PH&N is arguably one of the best on the street and this fund gives them a bit more flexibility than the highly regarded PH&N Bond. Basically, this fund is approximately 70% of the bond fund, with 30% invested in more non-traditional investments like mortgages, high yield and derivatives. In a rising rate environment, I expect this to outpace their traditional bond offering, but expect it to be hit harder than the Dynamic fund discussed earlier. Those looking for more balance between upside and downside will...
read moreDynamic Advantage Bond
For those looking to play defense in the bond markets, there really isn’t a better choice than this fund. The management teams number one objective is to preserve invested capital. To do this, they actively manage the duration exposure and credit profile. To date, the results have been impressive, only experiencing a fraction of the downside movements of the Canadian bond market. One very big warning is that you are likely to be left behind in any bond rally because of the defensive positioning. But if you’re only looking to preserve your...
read moreMawer U.S. Equity Fund
Fund Company Mawer Investment Management Ltd. Fund Type U.S. Equity Rating C Style Blend Risk Level Medium Load Status No Load RRSP/RRIF Suitability Good TFSA Suitability Good Manager Grayson Witcher since May 2009 MER 1.19% Code MAW 108 – No Load Units Minimum Investment $5,000 Analysis: Mawer is one of those companies that seems to do most things right. They offer a decent family of funds run by quality managers, following a disciplined repeatable process, all at a reasonable cost. Each of their funds is managed using a research driven,...
read moreFidelity Global Disciplined Equity
Fund Company Fidelity Investments Canada Fund Type Global Equity Rating F Style Blend Risk Level Medium Load Status Optional RRSP/RRIF Suitability Poor TFSA Suitability Poor Manager Chandler Willett since October 2013 MER 2.43% Code FID 200 – Front End Units FID 500 – DSC Units Minimum Investment $500 Analysis: The most interesting aspect of this fund is that it is managed using a sector neutral approach. Basically, the portfolio’s sector allocation must match that of the benchmark. It is like a hybrid between indexing and active management,...
read moreSteadyhand Equity Fund
Despite dropping nearly 2.5% in September, and another 5% in the first half of October, the Steadyhand Equity Fund is still up 6.7% on a year to date basis (as at October 15). This is well ahead of the pack. There are a number of reasons it has been able to hold up better than many of its peers. The first is the managers, CGOV, focus only on high quality companies that have sustainable business models, a growing and sustainable dividend yield, and excellent management teams with a history of generating strong levels of free cash flow. While...
read moreTD Health Sciences
Fund Company TD Asset Management Inc. Fund Type Healthcare Equity Rating A Style Growth Risk Level Medium High Load Status No Load / Optional RRSP/RRIF Suitability Fair TFSA Suitability Fair Manager Kris Jenner since January 2000 MER 2.83% Code TDB 976 – No Load Units TDB 320 – Front End Units TDB 350 – DSC Units Minimum Investment $500 Analysis: Since mid 2010 healthcare stocks have been on a tear, with the S&P Global 1200 Health Care Index gaining nearly 26% a year for the past three years. This even includes the pause that healthcare...
read moreBissett Microcap Fund
Fund Company Franklin Templeton Investments Fund Type Canadian Small / Mid Cap Equity Rating A Style Small Cap Value Risk Level High Load Status Optional RRSP/RRIF Suitability Fair TFSA Suitability Fair Manager Ralph Lindenblatt since September 2010 Richard Fortin since September 2010 MER 3.78% Code TML 207 – Front End Units TML 306 – DSC Units Minimum Investment $500 Analysis: This has been one of the best performing small cap funds available in Canada since 2009, gaining an annualized 22.5% for the past five years. As impressive...
read moreNorrep Short Term Income Fund
Fund Company Norrep Funds Fund Type Miscellaneous – Income & Real Property Rating A Style High Yield Risk Level Low to Medium Load Status Optional RRSP/RRIF Suitability Fair TFSA Suitability Fair Manager Bill Holy since September 2011 MER 1.71% Code NRP 1101 Minimum Investment $5,000 Analysis: This is not your father’s short term income fund. While a more traditional short term bond fund invests mainly in high quality, investment grade short term bonds issued by governments and corporations, this fund invests mainly in short term high...
read moreDynamic Dividend Advantage Fund
Looking at the underlying holdings of the dividend fund reinforces what a unique offering it is. Unlike most traditional dividend funds that are heavily weighted towards banks and energy, this Cecilia Mo managed fund has only 12% invested in financials, 5% in REITs, and 18% in energy. These are well below not only the benchmark, but the category average. While Ms. Mo has managed this fund since late 2011, its mandate is very similar to the Fidelity Dividend Plus Fund, which she ran with great success from 2005 until 2011. Her research driven,...
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