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Saturday, November 7, 2009 03:03 AM

Shirley Won

What are we looking for?

Precious metals funds are shining the brightest this year.

Gold futures surged this week after India bought 200 tonnes of the metal from the International Monetary Fund. Gold for December delivery hit a record high of $1,100 (U.S.) an ounce yesterday, but closed at $1,095.70 in New York.

This week, DundeeWealth Inc. chairman Ned Goodman told a group of analysts that the reaction to a potential rising gold price since 1999 has gone through disbelief, acceptance and now optimism.

“The next stage will be euphoria, leading to the mother of all bubbles,” he predicted.

Precious Metal Funds as of Nov. 5, 2009
Fund name YTD
Nov. 5
% return
YTD
Oct. 30
% return
Sentry Select Mining Opportunity Cl 118.1% 101.0%
Sprott Gold and Precious Minerals 93.2% 79.6%
Sentry Select Precious Metals Grwth 72.6% 56.6%
*Since inception date. The inception date for Dynamic Strategic Gold Class was August, 2009. The inception date for Sprott Gold Bullion was March, 2009. Source: Globe Investor

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Thursday, November 5, 2009 06:29 PM

Allan Robinson

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The S&P 500 is up about 55 per cent from the March lows and the stock selection strategy employed by the team at O'Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC, which manages $5-billion (U.S.), is being tested under extreme circumstances.

Cornerstone growth - U.S.
Company name Ticker US$ Price
(Nov. 2)
52-wk
high $
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. DTG-N 18.36 27.40
OMNOVA Solutions Inc. OMN-N 6.41 8.08
Schweitzer-Mauduit Int'l Inc. SWM-N 50.95 59.40
Source: O'Shaughnessy Asset Management.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2009 06:43 PM

Allan Robinson

What we are looking for?

This week we have been running a series of screens to find undervalued stocks developed by best-selling author James O'Shaughnessy, a quantitative analyst.

Cornerstone growth - Canada
Company name Ticker Rank $ Price (Nov. 2)
Cott Corp. BCB-T 1 9.13
BlackWatch Energy Services Corp. BWT-T 2 1.20
SXC Health Solutions Corp. SXC-T 3 50.00
Source: O'Shaughnessy Asset Management.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009 07:41 PM

Allan Robinson

What are we looking for?

A vicious bear market transforms into a stunning bull market. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the emotional swings.

“Our philosophy is that the best investment strategies are devoid of emotional decision-making,” according to a report by money manager O'Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC.

This week we are running a series of screens developed by James O'Shaughnessy, best-selling author of What Works on Wall Street and manager of the RBC O'Shaughnessy family of mutual funds.

Price to Sales - U.S.
Company name Ticker Rank $ Price
Int'l Assets Holding Corp. IAAC-Q 1 19.31
US Airways Group Inc. LCC-N 2 3.13
Rite Aid Corp. RAD-N 3 1.37
Source: O'Shaughnessy Asset Management. Data converted into Canadian dollars as of Nov. 2.

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Monday, November 2, 2009 06:31 PM

Allan Robinson

What are we looking at?

Stick with a healthy level of stocks in an investment portfolio, says quantitative equity analyst James O'Shaughnessy, author of the bestseller investment guide, What Works on Wall Street .

“The flight from equities is pervasive – our salespeople are hearing time and again that financial advisers are decreasing their allocations to stocks – to as low as 5 per cent,” he said in a report to clients.

Price to Sales - Canada
Company name Ticker Rank $ Price
(Oct. 27)
Newmont Mining Corp. NMC-T 1 46.12
Avenir Diversified Incm Tr. AVF.UN-T 2 5.02
Onex Corp. OCX-T 3 25.5
Source: O'Shaughnessy Asset Management

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Friday, October 30, 2009 08:05 PM

Shirley Won

What are we looking for?

It's Halloween so let's see which funds are handing out the best technology treats. With signs of a global economic recovery, this cyclical sector should benefit from increased capital spending.

Science and Technology Funds as of Oct. 29, 2009
Fund name YTD
Oct. 29
% return
YTD
Sept. 30
% return
TD Science & Technology 41.9% 45.8%
CI Glb Science & Technology Corp Cl 41.4% 43.1%
iShares CDN Tech Sector Index 40.2% 41.0%
*Valued monthly; Source: Globe Investor

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Thursday, October 29, 2009 06:46 PM

Shirley Won

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 .

Top 10 holdings for Brickburn Small Cap Fund to Sept. 30, 2009
Company Ticker $ Price
(Oct. 28)
Aegean Marine Petroleum * ANW-N 23.08
Ag Growth International AFN-T 31.25
Aixtron * AIXG-Q 25.14
* Figures for Aegean Marine Petroleum and Aixtron in US$. Source: Globe Investor, companies

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Gold bars

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 07:11 PM

Shirley Won

What are we looking for?

Top stocks in mutual funds.

This is our third look this week at what the pros are buying. You can get stock tips or gain insight into a fund by checking out the top securities. They are available at the end of the quarter or month on the firm's website. Today, we examine AGF Precious Metals at agf.com .

Top holdings for AGF Precious Metals Fund to Sept. 30, 2009
Company Ticker $ Price
(Oct. 27)
Agnico-Eagle Mines AEM-T 69.05
Central Fund of Canada CEF.A-T 14.29
Eldorado Gold ELD-T 11.84
*Excludes Fresnillo PLC ranked No. 10 in September; Source: Globe Investor, companies

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009 07:26 PM

Shirley Won

What are we looking for?

Every quarter, we check out securities that fund managers have been buying.

You can find their top holdings on the investment firm's website after each quarter, or even after each month in some cases. It's a way to get tips for your research, or you might want to buy the fund. Today, we look at Sentry Select REIT Fund at www.sentryselect.com .

Top 10 equity holdings for Sentry Select REIT Fund to Sept. 30
Company Ticker $ Price
(Oct. 26)
Allied Properties REIT AP.UN-T 16.52
Artis REIT AX.UN-T 9.65
Boardwalk REIT BEI.UN-T 35.27
Source: Globe Investor, companies

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Monday, October 26, 2009 07:55 PM

Shirley Won

What are we looking for?

What the pros are buying.

It's worth checking out the top securities of funds to get ideas. You can find the list on a fund company's website after each quarter, or monthly in some cases.

It's a way to start your own research. Or, you might decide to invest in the fund itself. Today, we look at Redwood Diversified Equity.

Top 10 equity holdings for Redwood Diversified Equity Fund to Sept. 30, 2009.
Company Ticker $ Price
(Oct. 23)
Ag Growth International AFN-T 33.44
Agnico-Eagle Mines AEM-T 72.1
Alliance Grain Traders AGT-T 21.71
Source: Globe Investor, companies

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Number Cruncher Contributors

Scott Adams

Scott Adams is the investment editor for Report On Business and Globe Investor. He has been a business journalist for more than 10 years, worked as an associate analyst on Bay Street and has been The Globe and Mail Investment Editor since spring 2007.

 

Rob Carrick

Rob Carrick has been writing about personal finance, business and economics for close to 20 years. He joined The Globe and Mail in late 1996 as an investment reporter and has been personal finance columnist since November 1998.

 

John Heinzl

John Heinzl has been covering business and financial markets for the Globe and Mail since 1990.

 

Steve Ladurantaye

Steve Ladurantaye wrote about technology companies in Ottawa before reporting for the Peterborough Examiner and Kingston Whig-Standard, where he won a National Newspaper Award for explanatory journalism. After joining the Globe and Mail in 2007, his work has regularly appeared in Report On Business and Globe Investor Magazine.

 

David Parkinson

David Parkinson has been covering business and financial markets since 1990, and has been with The Globe and Mail since 2000. A Calgary native, he received a Southam Fellowship from the University of Toronto in 1999-2000, studying international political economics.

 

Shirley Won

Shirley Won covers the fund industry and investments. She joined the Globe and Mail in 1996, and has also worked at the Montreal Gazette and Canadian Press.

 

Gordon Edall

Gordon Edall is the deputy investment editor for Report On Business and Globe Investor. Prior to joining The Globe and Mail in fall 2006, he worked for BNN producing TV shows including Squeezeplay and Market Call.