Below are a few of our recent fund updates. Log in or subscribe to see all of them.
Dynamic Advantage Bond Fund
Managed by the team of Michael McHugh and Dominic Bellissimo, we believe this fund is well positioned for the current interest rate environment. First, it is heavily weighted to corporate bonds, with some exposure to high yield. This will increase the yield generated by the portfolio, allowing for higher returns in a flat rate environment and better downside protection when rates move higher. Second, approximately 10% of the fund is in investment grade foreign bonds, which will lower the sensitivity to Canadian interest rates. Third, the manager is actively working to control duration by using a number of strategies including selling long bonds, selling bond futures short and the use of floating rate notes.
read moreSentry Growth & Income Fund
I don’t know that it would have been possible to find a more inopportune time to launch a fund than the August 2008 start of this dividend focused offering. Those who had the stomach to stick around have been rewarded with stellar risk adjusted returns with an annualized return of 12.2% for the three years ending May 31. This outpaced the S&P/TSX Composite Index by more than 800 basis points per year. Even more impressive, the level of volatility has been well below both the category average and the broader market.
read moreTempleton International Stock Fund
Investing in companies located outside of North America, the Templeton International Stock Fund relies very heavily on the 26 member Templeton global equity team. Using a disciplined, bottom up value driven approach, they look for companies that have strong fundamentals, yet are trading below their true value.
read moreFidelity True North Fund
Fund Company Fidelity Investments Canada Fund Type Canadian Equity Rating C Style Growth at a Reasonable Price Risk Level Medium Load Status Optional RRSP/RRIF Suitability Good TFSA Suitability Good Manager Maxime Lemieux since November 2009 MER 2.28% Code FID 225 – Front End Units FID 525 – DSC Units Minimum Investment $500 Analysis: Using a “growth at a reasonable price” approach, manager Max Lemieux is not afraid to make “big sector bets” when he believes that the opportunities for outsized returns exist. When he...
read moreTrimark U.S. Small Companies Class
The team of Rob Mikalachki and Virginia Au manage the fund based on the basic Trimark philosophy of “business people buying businesses”. The process used is very much a value focused, bottom up approach where the managers are looking for high quality, well managed stocks that are largely ignored by the rest of the investment world. They look for good management teams that are typically the number one or number two ranked companies in their industry.
read moreExcel China Fund
This fund looks to capitalize on that impressive growth story by investing in companies that are located in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It is managed by Barings International Investment Limited, which was one of the first companies to invest in Chinese equities. Today, they are one of the largest teams investing in China and Hong Kong equities.
read moreDynamic Strategic Gold Class
To say that gold has been under a bit of pressure lately might be a bit of an understatement, down nearly 35% from its recent high. Still, there are those who believe that it may be a great buying opportunity, while others believe it has further to fall.
read moreChou RRSP
Fund Company Chou Associates Management Inc. Fund Type Canadian Focused Small / Mid Cap Equity Rating B Style Value Risk Level High Load Status Front End RRSP/RRIF Suitability Good TFSA Suitability Good Manager Francis Chou since October 1986 MER 1.87% Code CHO 102 – Front End Units Minimum Investment $5,000 Analysis: Portfolio manager Francis Chou follows a well articulated, value focused approach in the management of this Canadian small cap fund. He looks for profitable, well managed companies that have strong balance sheets and strong cash...
read moreRenaissance Global Markets Fund
Despite dramatically underperforming the MSCI World Index in 2012, this go anywhere global equity fund can be a great core holding for most investors. Much of the underperformance can be traced to the fund’s underweight exposure in banks, technology, telecom and healthcare. It was these sectors that led the way higher in 2012 and so far in 2013. Still, David Winters believes that the best long term opportunities are outside of these sectors.
read moreMackenzie Canadian Large Cap Dividend Fund
In order to be considered for inclusion in this fund, a stock must have a dividend yield of at least 1%, and a market capitalization of at least $1 billion. They also must have a strong management team, be financially sound with a history of solid earnings growth. The result is a fairly diversified portfolio that holds anywhere from 45 to 65 names. Currently it is holding 60, with the top ten representing 42%.
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