Mutual Fund News
Twelve funds to ponder for your RRSP and TFSA
rcarrick@globeandmail.com It's RRSP season, and that means the annual mutual fund treasure hunt is under way for investors.There are roughly 11,300 total funds and fund variations to sift through this year, so you'd better get busy. Or, get yourself some help.
January's winners and losers
swon@globeandmail.comWHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?Leaders and laggards among Canadian stock funds during the January market correction.The SandP/TSX composite index shed 5.5 per cent last month after rebounding sharply from the March lows. The energy and materials sectors dragged the index into the red.
Market eyes retail inflows
dparkinson@globeandmail.com ***With 11 months of stock-market rebound already behind us, the inevitable question is being asked: Where will we find the money to sustain the rally?Scotia Capital believes it could come from the pockets of the Canadian retail investor.
These fund managers bought, prospered
The sun is finally shining on value investors who braved the great market meltdown of '08. When the world hit the ''sell'' button on just about everything, they bought the lost and unloved victims at bargain-basement prices.
RRSP season boosts long-term fund sales
INVESTMENT FUNDS REPORTERCanadians stashed about $560-million into mutual funds in January as the registered retirement savings plan season kicked in high gear.While the net sales were sharply lower than $1.2-billion a year ago, the trend was upbeat for the Canadian industry because it was all in higher-margin, long-term funds, according to preliminary figures released yesterday by the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC).
New players heating up the oil sands
awillis@globeandmail.comIt's time to update your oil sands vocabulary.As deal-making heats up in the Alberta hinterland, analysts are starting to pay attention to a whole new crop of energy companies.
ETFs play follow-the-leader to mutual funds
rcarrick@globeandmail.comETFs are the investment choice for the independent non-conformist, so why are they playing follow the leader with mutual funds?Offering a huge, even excessive, variety of choices helped the mutual fund industry grow big and strong. With 15 new products issued last week, the exchange-traded fund business seems to be trying for the same outcome.
Fixed income funds gain, but China loses
INVESTMENT FUNDS REPORTERPrecious metals and greater China equity funds got spanked in January, while fixed-income and Japanese equity funds made money.Funds in the precious metals equity category, which gained an average of 72 per cent in 2009, shed an average of nearly 7 per cent last month, according to preliminary figures released by Globe Investor.
Stars and dogs of 2008 trade places
swon@globeandmail.comWHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?How the 2008 hedge fund stars and dogs fared last year.Arguably, most funds should have done well given the strong market recovery.
The view from the top
I like to hold 20 companies in the fund at least, and 25 at most. Last year and 2000 showed that you need to stay on top of where companies actually sell products and make profits. We can do that by having a focused portfolio and low turnover of new investment ideas.
