The U.S. federal government has over $19 trillion in funded debt, at least $6 trillion in off-balance sheet obligations, and staggering unfunded liabilities for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc., which   Read More

The financial sector’s exposure to the energy sector is driving banking stocks down world-wide. John Stephenson is portfolio manager and President and CEO of Stephenson & Company Capital Management Inc.   Read More

The market outlook suggests that U.S. markets are about to test their 2015 summer lows. If they don’t bounce back, the next level of support seems to be around the   Read More

Gold as an alternative investment provides important portfolio diversification because its price is least tied to traditional financial assets. Nick Barisheff, president and CEO of Bullion Management Group Inc., a   Read More

A rational market strategy: Participate in uptrends, reduce exposure to downtrends. Right now, the signals are saying: ‘Sell’. They’re not as simple as ‘Buy Low; Sell High’, but they are   Read More

The Federal Reserve raised U.S. interest rates for the first time in more than 10 years. This should help stocks outperform bonds. Most forecasters expect the U.S. central bank to   Read More

For the markets, these are indeed turbulent times. But while there are sectors to avoid, others offer opportunity. So says John Stephenson, portfolio manager and president of Stephenson & Company   Read More

The Bank of Canada continues to hold its overnight interest rate steady. That came as no surprise when the bank released its policy statement on December 2, leaving the rate   Read More

Are you concerned about rising interest rates effect on stocks in the U.S.? Keith Richards, portfolio manager at Barrie, Ont.-based ValueTrend Wealth Management and a frequent contributor to The MoneyLetter,   Read More

Keith Richards, portfolio manager of Barrie, Ont.-based ValueTrend Wealth Management says his favorite market indicators are flashing ‘buy’ signals in five market sectors. He names his favorite stock picks in   Read More

In a tough market, there are good opportunities for top U.S. retail stocks . . . but only for those firms that are rewriting the rules. John Stephenson, an award-winning   Read More

Our job, as conservative investors, is twofold: (i) To safeguard our money; and (ii) To get a reasonable return commensurate with our risk tolerance. Ken Norquay, author of the behavioral   Read More

The stock market and commodities markets are searching for direction from forward looking indicators. John Stephenson, president and CEO of Stephenson & Company Capital Management Inc. in Toronto, and a   Read More

Keith Richards, portfolio manager at Barrie, Ont.-based Value Trend/Wealth Management has spotted a long legged doji, or rickshaw man, on his candlestick charts. This rickshaw man pattern indicates indecision and   Read More

With Chinese stocks sliding, the global market outlook is jittery. Our advice? As the 1939 British motivational poster advised prior to World War II:  “Keep calm and carry on.”
There are   Read More

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada! Celebrating with your extended family on all your favorite foodstuffs and libations? Conversation inevitably evolving from elucidating insights to more passionate opinions? Given that The Great White   Read More

Alternative investments such as gold and silver bullion are stuck in a bear market that is still intact. So says Toronto-based Brian Hoffman, CPA, CA, a member of the Canadian   Read More

Recent escalated market volatility was a signal to sell—now. In nautical terms, that spike in volatility was a ‘shot across the bow’. Ken Norquay, a regular contributor to The MoneyLetter   Read More

In a market with heightened volatility and increasing correlations, investors should be looking to the most defensive sectors. That’s the view of John Stephenson, president and CEO of Stephenson &   Read More

This choppy, sideways market is no place for a buy-and-hold investment strategy. The best approach is one of constant sector rotation. So says Keith Richards, a portfolio manager at Barrie,   Read More

Severe market corrections cause many investors to question their long term strategic investment plans. ‘Buy low; Sell high’ is a popular, but not very helpful, investment strategy. Better you should   Read More

Despite hand-wringing over America’s rising debt levels, U.S. markets continue to lead the world and the S&P 500 Composite Index has risen sharply over the past six years. Keith Richards,   Read More

Balanced investors should now hold about two per cent of their total investment portfolio in cash, which is up from the one per cent we previously advised you to hold.   Read More

Six years ago was the right time for aggressive investing. The time for extreme caution is coming soon. That’s the market outlook from Ken Norquay, CMT and author of the   Read More

Is now the time to sell your equities? Or is this really the question you should be asking yourself? No equity investment is immune when the stock market outlook suggests   Read More

With both stocks and commodities having traded in fairly confined ranges, the S&P 500 is now due for a healthy pullback. That’s the market outlook from Toronto-based Brian Hoffman, CPA,   Read More

Overall, the stock market outlook remains volatile, while the bond market outlook could be on the verge of a tantrum. Here’s where to find some comfort food for the soul—and   Read More

It’s difficult to see how a standoff between Greece and its creditors will be resolved. If Greece is forced out of the euro-zone, then the monetary block’s future is open   Read More

Conventional wisdom is, well, conventional—and often inappropriate. Sunil Vidyarthi, president of Oakville, Ont.-based Value Sciences Inc., says the wisdom of putting bonds in your RRSP is flawed. In fact stocks   Read More

You might say successful investing is easy. All you have to do is buy low and sell high. But how you do that is more of a problem. What’s more,   Read More

To ride out a correction, raise your cash limit. That’s the market outlook from Keith Richards, portfolio manager of Barrie, Ont.-based Value Trend/Wealth Management. With lots of change in your   Read More

John Stephenson, portfolio manager and president of Toronto-based Stephenson & Company Capital Management Inc., says the recent dramatic decline in the greenback is unlikely to be sustained for an extended   Read More

Former Investor’s Digest of Canada editor Carlyle Dunbar argues that deflation is on its way. But when? In the meantime large-cap healthcare and information technology stocks are now starring on   Read More

Financial markets always face risks. Low-risk investments such as government bonds pay so little that you lose money to inflation. So it’s important to invest in stocks despite the risks   Read More

Nature is springing back to life. But the markets are likely to correct significantly. Rebalance to emphasize cash and low-beta stocks. Keith Richards, portfolio manager at Barrie, Ont.-based ValueTrend suggests   Read More

The Money Reporter regularly publishes tables of recommended government bonds, corporate bonds and preferred shares suitable for income-oriented investors. The monthly Fact and Advice Sheet also gives guidance for current   Read More

While the United States is entering an extended period of monetary tightening, Europe is beginning its experiment of unbridled and unrestrained monetary stimulus. One thing that investors know from the   Read More

Look to iShares CDN S&P/TSX Capped Financials Index Fund for a signal that Canadian stocks are due for a correction. When trying to gauge market outlook, financial stocks are a   Read More

Limit the risk of your holdings. Adopt an investment strategy that will let you profit from—rather than be victimized by—bear market conditions.   Read More

The European Central Bank, or ECB, ushered in a new era by launching an aggressive bond-buying program in January. The euro zone is one of the global economy’s biggest trouble   Read More

 “As a technical analyst, I tend to avoid making longer-term predictions about markets, sectors or commodity prices. I find that forecasting market movements or events out beyond a few months   Read More

 What to do about bonds

Canadian bonds have produced strong total returns so far this year. The FTSE Universe Bond Index, which covers over 1,300 Canadian bonds, has returned 3.5 per   Read More

“The good times are over.” So says Bill Gross, a co-founder of the world’s largest bond company, Pacific Investment Management Co., which is better known by its diminutive, “PIMCO.” Mr.   Read More

Forecasting market performance is notoriously tricky. That would be true even if you were handed information about significant economic factors predestined to play out in the year ahead. Writing in   Read More

Emerging markets have taken it on the chin lately. But this doesn’t mean it’s time to jump ship. For value-oriented folks, these markets are still good places in which to   Read More

Where should you put new money now?

Continue to add to stock funds, emphasizing diversified, conservative offerings. Longer-term, risk-tolerant investors may want to be more aggressive with specialized funds.

We think the   Read More

We regularly point out that it pays to buy the big five Canadian banks. They remain buys for long-term price gains as well as high and rising dividends.

All five earned   Read More

Hamilton, Ont.-based Ken Norquay is a CMT (Chartered Market Technician) and the author of the behavioural finance book Beyond the Bull which discusses the impact of your personality on your   Read More

Today the world’s 2 billion+ Christians pause to celebrate the birth of a nice little Jewish boy who was born to a virgin mother who, together with her husband, had   Read More

Wall Street strategists have started to issue their 2015 forecasts. And if a report by Goldman Sachs is any indication of the forecasts to follow, you might want to forget   Read More

Gold may stay low. We still see more factors working against it than for it. Though you might hold a little gold for diversification purposes, remember its drawbacks.

In November, gold   Read More

Key market indicators are back in a ‘buy’ mode and it’s time to buy says Keith Richards, a portfolio manager at ValueTrend Wealth Management in Barrie, Ontario.

“It’s no secret that   Read More