Mutual Fund News
A mutual fund taking ETFs to the masses
rcarrick@globeandmail.com There's a radical new development in one of the great corporate competitions of our time.Mac v. PC has nothing on mutual funds v. exchange-traded funds, better known as ETFs. Just to set the stage, mutual funds have vastly more market share, while the ETF business is growing faster.
Cautious investors flock to balanced, bond funds
FUNDS REPORTERCanadian investors flocked to balanced and bond funds in October as rallying North American stocks markets lost steam, and fell into the red.Balanced funds attracted nearly $1.6-billion in net sales last month, while bond funds brought in $1.1-billion, according to figures released yesterday by the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC).
Don't shy away from funds in your online account
With the freedom of an online brokerage account comes the responsibility of choosing smart investments.Mutual funds, anyone? Many online investors consider themselves too savvy to buy funds, which they see as over-priced for what they deliver. But funds can work well in an online brokerage account, if you choose shrewdly.
Ontario deals blow to fund industry
The Ontario government has refused to exempt mutual funds from its new harmonized sales tax, but the industry is now jockeying for other measures to try to shelter investors from paying an extra levy on retirement savings.
For greater diversification, look beyond Canada
INVESTMENT REPORTERCanada is a wonderful place to be a dividend investor - if you don't mind owning a lot of banks, pipelines and resource producers.But if you crave exposure to other sectors such as health care, consumer products and technology, it pays to look beyond Canada's borders.
As recessionary darkness passes, dividends rise and shine
Hear that? That's the sound of no major dividend cuts this earnings season.It's a welcome relief from past quarters when dividend stalwarts such as General Electric announced earnings were too weak to pass along the normal payout to shareholders.
Investors shift away from money market
FUNDS REPORTERCanadian investors pulled over $500-million out of mutual funds in October, but all of the cash flowed from money market investments yielding minuscule returns.The outflows are off sharply from a year ago when investors went on a huge selling binge, yanking a record $8-billion out of funds amid a global credit crisis that sent stock markets plunging.
Be wary of candy-coated mutual funds
Tom Bradley is president of Steadyhand Investment Funds.tbradley@steadyhand.comWhen you're trick or treating, keep an eye out for mutual funds dressed up as closed-end funds.
Size does matter
rcarrick@globeandmail.comBig funds, big results.In the investing world, there's a never-ending argument over whether mutual funds charge too much in fees and whether index-tracking exchange-traded funds are a smarter choice. But in the past three years, the biggest funds in Canada have delivered good returns on the whole.
Eclectic equity mix taps shifting global economy
swon@globeandmail.com WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?This is the final look this week at the top securities in mutual funds.Every quarter, we check out the major holdings of several investments to find out what the pros are buying. For investors, it's a good way to gain more insight into a fund, or get stock tips to begin further research. Today, we examine Brickburn Small Cap Fund at www.brickburn.com.
