You may find margin useful when you want a short-term bridging loan. Other than that, however, we advise against using margin—especially given the market’s volatility.
Stock prices rose after the US   Read More

Bond funds seem like the answer to a number of investor needs. They provide income, apparent safety in your portfolio and even speculation on interest rates. But they fail to   Read More

Investor’s Digest of Canada columnist Mark Halpern, CEO of WEALTHinsurance.com®, answers the seven most-frequently asked questions about retirement problems. He offers cost-efficient and tax-efficient solutions that will safeguard your finances   Read More

‘Buy high, sell low, repeat until broke’ is an emotional investment strategy best left to lemmings. The MoneyLetter’s behavioural finance columnist Ken Norquay says feeling emotions is okay: reacting to   Read More

Interest rates are climbing in 2018. Higher rates have hurt the prices of high-yield stocks. They often raise their dividends, however, while bonds never pay more. And dividends are taxed   Read More

Here’s our most recent advice on allocating your assets for the markets we expect to transpire over the next several quarters. Some investors maintain a normal asset allocation during all   Read More

On a recent site visit to Ecuador, PI Financial analysts Chris Thompson and Gary Sidhu saw the importance of being a first mover in an emerging district ripe for discovery.   Read More

Accountant Mark Goodfield, aka The Blunt Bean Counter, warned The TaxLetter readers in April about new reporting rules regarding the sale of a principal residence. Simply put, if you sold   Read More

The big five banks reported their results for the second quarter of fiscal 2018. They remain buys for further long-term share price gains as well as attractive and growing dividends.   Read More

If gold reaches more than US$1,377.50 per ounce, seasonal analyst Don Vialoux says: “Every analyst on the street is going to be yelling: ‘We’re finally reaching the next secular cycle   Read More

Now that you actually can have breakfast at Tiffany, and that you’ll soon be able to walk into a store and buy marijuana, you might ask yourself what surprises the   Read More

Though balanced funds are extremely popular with Canadian investors, we see little appeal in these investment products. It’s better to create your own balanced fund by selecting stock funds and   Read More

Retirees are often advised to avoid risk by buying government bonds and holding them to maturity. But this exposes retirees to the risk of losing purchasing power due to inflation.   Read More

A global oil and gas stock that yields about six per cent and a financial services stock yielding about 10 per cent are Toronto-based portfolio manager Michael Sprung’s two favourite   Read More

Portfolio manager John Stephenson has concerns that peaking earnings, economic growth, rising inflation, a flattening yield curve, and a maturing business cycle are weighing on stocks. Despite investor angst, fundamentals   Read More

The Canadian stock market has trailed other markets and is down so far in 2018. Growing company profits have done little to revive stock prices. We’re not comfortable sounding like   Read More

Most fund-industry observers like to comment on the management style of various funds. And some believe stock markets go through cycles of rewarding different styles, such as growth or value   Read More

A junior marijuana start-up has just closed a deal to buy an enormous former food plant facility in Cobourg, Ontario, that spans 27 acres and once manufactured cereals, dog food,   Read More

Political and regulatory problems can create buying opportunities for the patient investor. Vancouver-based HollisWealth® portfolio manager Elvis Picardo calls on his experience in international capital markets to identify two stocks   Read More

Having come off a bad year for box office receipts, consumer stock Cineplex is determined to diversify its revenue streams so it’s not dependent on the fortunes of the latest   Read More

TD Entertainment and Communications Fund is a buy for above-average appreciation potential if you’re willing to accept a higher level of risk to achieve that goal.
We’ve added TD Entertainment   Read More

“Every dog has it’s day dog, when the big dog throws him a bone / One moment in the sunshine when your ducks lined up in a row / Lucky   Read More

RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, PPPs, critical illness insurance, long-term care insurance, high-limit disability insurance, life insurance, joint-and-last-to-die insurance, charitable donations at death—no wonder we get so tired as we get older!   Read More

We expect interest rates to keep climbing in 2018. Higher rates have hurt the prices of high-yield stocks. They often raise their dividends, however, while bonds never pay more. And   Read More

‘Where there’s smoke, there’s . . . opportunity’ concludes The MoneyLetter after surveying a number of security analysts’ reports on medical cannabis producers in Canada. Companies already established in the   Read More

Investor’s Digest of Canada columnist Mark Halpern, CEO of WEALTHinsurance.com®, answers the seven most-frequently asked questions about retirement problems. He offers cost-efficient and tax-efficient solutions that will safeguard your finances   Read More

Many investors recognize the likelihood that developing countries will grow at a faster rate than will developed countries over coming years. That’s simply because they’re so under-developed now. But some   Read More

Consumer retail stock Loblaw Companies is expected to earn more this year and next. That’s partly thanks to buying back its shares. The company is investing in electronic commerce. It   Read More

Noting that the price of gold to silver sits at a ten-year high of about 80-to-one, PI Financial’s precious metals and mining analyst Chris Thompson picks three established mining stocks   Read More

‘Buy high, sell low, repeat until broke’ is an emotional investment strategy best left to lemmings. The MoneyLetter’s behavioural finance columnist Ken Norquay says feeling emotions is okay: reacting to   Read More

Consumer retail stock Canadian Tire is earning more as its same-store sales rise and its gross profit margin expands. Its planned acquisition of Helly Hansen knocked down its shares. The   Read More

The US Federal Reserve continues to tighten its monetary policy which causes bond yields to move higher. You should maintain a short duration for your bond holdings by transitioning into   Read More

A global oil and gas stock that yields about six per cent and a financial services stock yielding about 10 per cent are Toronto-based portfolio manager Michael Sprung’s two favourite   Read More

The MoneyLetter recently surveyed analysts’ reports on Canadian consumer retail stocks and was intrigued by the juxtaposition of two that it found—a centuries old icon focused on high-end fashion apparel   Read More

Cardinal Health’s problems with Cordis, plus the negative impact of generic drug pricing on company profits, has given us pause on this healthcare stock. We recommend that purchases be deferred   Read More

Though balanced funds are extremely popular with Canadian investors, we see little appeal in these investment products. It’s better to create your own balanced fund by selecting stock funds and   Read More

New Jersey Mining has generated sustainable mining operations in Idaho while achieving discovery success as an emerging producer in a difficult market. Investor’s Digest of Canada columnist Mike Kachanovsky.
While   Read More

Accountant Mark Goodfield, aka The Blunt Bean Counter, warned The TaxLetter readers in April about new reporting rules regarding the sale of a principal residence. Simply put, if you sold   Read More

The Canadian stock market has trailed other markets and is down so far in 2018. Growing company profits have done little to revive stock prices. We’re not comfortable sounding like   Read More

Portfolio manager John Stephenson has concerns that peaking earnings, economic growth, rising inflation, a flattening yield curve, and a maturing business cycle are weighing on stocks. Despite investor angst, fundamentals   Read More

Algonquin Power’s increased ownership of of Atlantica Yield is part of its strategy to enter global clean energy and water infrastructure markets. Algonquin is a buy for growth and income.
Algonquin   Read More

As we celebrate Queen Victoria’s 199th birthday this week-end with fireworks, two-fours (Victoria herself preferred Vin Mariani), a public holiday (the only place other than parts of Scotland to do   Read More

“If we had a rating above ‘top pick’ we would be applying it to STEP.” Clearly CIBC Capital Markets is enthused about a recent acquisition by STEP Energy Services. The   Read More

In February, pipeline stock Enbridge Inc. became the poster company for what can happen when a stable, solid, dividend-producing blue chip stock takes a walk on the wild side, at   Read More

Retirees are often advised to avoid risk by buying government bonds and holding them to maturity. But this exposes retirees to the risk of losing purchasing power due to inflation.   Read More

When stocks are bullish and most equity funds are rising, making money seems the only factor to consider. But markets aren’t always like that. And you still need to invest   Read More

Every month Investor’s Digest of Canada surveys security analysts for their buy, sell, hold recommendations on more than 1,000 Canadian companies. Most recently, Canadian Natural Resources topped the list with   Read More

The US dollar (USD) rises when stocks fall more often than not. If you believe, as The MoneyLetter columnist Keith Richards does, that there is reason for a substantial market   Read More

Every month the Money Reporter, the newsletter for investors whose interest is more interest,  publishes its list of recommended bonds and preferred shares.
What to do about bonds now
After spiking a   Read More

The strength of The Investment Reporter stock selection system lies in not attempting the near-impossible task of outsmarting all other investors consistently (which is what you have to do if   Read More

Investor’s Digest of Canada columnist Mike Kachanovsky has uncovered a micro-cap stock that harbours the desire to become the dominant platform serving the Russian e-commerce and social media market. He   Read More

Accountant Mark Goodfield (aka The Blunt Bean Counter) recently warned subscribers to The TaxLetter of some costly common investment mistakes and how to avoid them.
The duplication of investments is one   Read More