“Shop as if you were buying a car”
“I don’t know about you,” said Tom, our most seasoned investor, “but when I was ready to start buying stocks, I really   Read More

These days you hear a lot about “enhancing shareholder value”. That is, managements of many firms want their shares to perform well. Management, of course, has a fair bit of   Read More

Floating-rate preferred shares have advantages and disadvantages. You earn higher dividend income, along with the potential for capital gains, when interest rates rise. But the opposite can occur when rates   Read More

It’s a common question at tax-filing time: What employment expenses are tax-deductible by a salaried employee? Peter Still, a Markham, Ont.-based Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Certified General Accountant (CGA)   Read More

A great deal has been said over the years regarding investment management fees and mutual funds. Much of it revolves around how fund managers motivate and reward sales efforts. Until   Read More

There appears to be lots of cheer as the markets keep rising. But the 200-day moving average suggests this is a bear . . . in bull’s clothing. Understanding institutional   Read More

Investors should diversify across many ‘asset classes’. One of these asset classes, of course, is fixed-income investments, like bonds. The trouble is, with interest rates so low (even on long-term   Read More

In mid-2015 Baxter will split into two companies. One will focus on medical products for healthcare solutions; the other on developing and marketing biopharmaceuticals.
On March 9, there was an anniversary   Read More

Every month Money Reporter subscribers know where they can get the best GIC, RRSP, Term Deposit and Money Market interest rates in Canada.
GIC rates continued to fall following the Bank   Read More

Many mutual-fund management companies offer services that can help investors organize their affairs. Some of these services may be of great assistance to the investor, while others tend to benefit the fund company more.   Read More

Although cheap gas is great for motorists, it could wreak havoc with Canada’s energy sector, as well as the market for junk bonds.
Central banks throughout the West last year found   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

Is your self confidence waning? Do you feel you may be better off putting your money in a mutual fund and leaving stock selection to the fund’s professional managers? You   Read More

Investing for current income requires an entirely different way of thinking than does investing for growth. But mutual funds that offer current income as their main purpose still report their   Read More

With the recent plunge in petroleum prices, PFB Corp. (TSX─PFB) is likely laughing all the way to the bank. That, at least, is what Don Walker might tell you.

Mr. Walker   Read More

Canadian Oil Sands Limited (TSX─COS) has reduced its quarterly dividend to $0.05 a share for the first quarter of 2015. The company had previously indicated its intention to reduce its   Read More

Mention Tahoe and you might think of the lake — specifically, the resort on the California-Nevada border that’s popular with skiers.

And although Michael Curran, Toronto-based managing director and research analyst   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

Investment Analyst Murray Leith likes the way the new executive team at Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX─MFC) has turned things around. For starters, he says, they’ve used hedging to take a   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

Putting money into your Registered Retirement Savings Plan, or RRSP, is a great way to start planning for your retirement. And there’s no better time to start thinking about your   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

New Look Eyewear Inc. (TSX─BCI) brought in results for the third quarter of fiscal ’14 that were mainly in line with Toronto-based analyst Doug Cooper’s own forecast. Mr. Cooper is   Read More

Super Bowl XLIX will be played this Sunday. And for many inveterate sports fans, this is the pièce de résistance of the TV sports year. Yes siree. Endless hours of   Read More

Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. (TSX─WB) showed some pretty impressive slope side action during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 according to Sheila Broughton, managing director and head of research at   Read More

Writing in The TaxLetter, Mark Halpern, a Certified Financial Planner and Trust and Estate Practitioner with Markham, Ontario-based illnessPROTECTION.com outlined several easy ways to help you and your family find   Read More

Bonds account for much of Canadians’ investments. And bond funds make up a large part of Canada’s mutual fund business. But investing in bond funds can deny you the very   Read More

Sometimes when the outlook for growth at a company stalls, it can present an opportunity to scoop up valuable shares at bargain prices. On the other hand, it may be   Read More

Montreal-based Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX—GIL; NYSE—GIL) earned more in the year to October 5. It expects to earn more in the year ahead. This supplier of branded basic family apparel   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

Puts and calls may seem a little bit exotic at first, but their potential to earn you some handsome extra income may well be worth it.

At the Money Reporter, we   Read More

Dividend Re-Investment Plans, or “DRIPs,” can assist you in building your wealth. You can instruct companies with DRIPs to reinvest your dividends into new shares. You can build your wealth   Read More

Over the past few decades, Steven Hudson started two businesses: Newcourt Capital and, later on, a hair club for men and women.  So, now that he’s started a third business,   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

Alimentation Couche-Tard is earning record profits again. We expect the company to earn record profits this year and next. It remains a buy for further long-term gains and small but   Read More

For Odlum Brown analyst Steven Zicherman, Constellation Software Inc. (CSU–TSX) is definitely a star. Based in Toronto, Constellation Software buys, runs and grows business software. It boasts more than 30,000   Read More

Although many investors buy the units of real estate investment trusts, or REITS, and other high dividend-paying stocks for their attractive income — and maybe also for capital appreciation —   Read More

Recently, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (or “OPEC”) decided against cutting its production. This sent the price of oil down further.

OPEC could have cut back its production to raise   Read More

We’ve always held a high opinion of dollar-cost averaging. That’s because we’ve often seen this investment strategy richly reward those who follow it.

To dollar-cost average, of course, you invest equal   Read More

In every issue of the Money Reporter we provide you with a table of various interest rates. Along with this, we often provide a description of how these rates have   Read More

Equity analyst Dan Hincks of Vancouver-based investment firm Odlum Brown sees significant upside in the shares of Visa Inc. (V—NYSE). He reiterates his “buy” recommendation and 12-month target price of   Read More

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are looking pretty good in current markets. After lagging the S&P/TSX Composite Index for much of 2014, the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index held up well   Read More

Corus Entertainment (TSX—CJR.B) earned more in fiscal 2014. But since it earned less than expected and lowered its expectations for 2015, its share price fell.

Corus is expected to earn more   Read More

As we begin to approach the end of the calendar year, a common tax tip is to think about “tax-loss selling”. This refers to the strategy of triggering losses before   Read More

For Toronto-based analysts Doug Cooper and Margaux Berry of Beacon Securities, Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (RVV–TSX/VEN) needs no resuscitation. Not only are they keeping it pegged at “buy,” but they’re sticking   Read More

Ethiopia might be the last place an outfit like Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B–TSX) would look for business.

After all, its stock in trade — zippy business jets and high-speed rail passenger cars   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

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

What impresses Barry Schwartz about Gerald Soloway, CEO of Home Capital Group Inc. (HCG–TSX) is his commitment — and, obviously his love of what he does.

After all, Mr. Soloway may   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

Some investors want their money used in ways they consider socially responsible. The criteria for that may change from individual to individual, but here’s a fund that tries to address   Read More

 “Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” wrote William Shakespeare. In the investment arena, well-known investors such as Sir John Templeton have echoed the same sentiment over the years. But   Read More