Blogs
Featured:
Friday, November 20, 2009 04:37 PM
The hottest ETFs on the TSX
Shirley Won
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Leaders among Canadian-listed equity exchange-traded funds (ETFS) this year.
Global stock markets have staged a sharp comeback after last year's market collapse, and ETFs are one way to play the rebound. ETFs are similar to mutual funds but trade like stocks. There are brokerage fees to pay when buying ETFs, but they can be low when dealing with a discount broker.
Link to this postThursday, November 19, 2009 08:31 PM
These U.S. stocks are in the right cycle
John Heinzl
What are we looking for?
Yesterday we looked at Canadian stocks that scored highest on RBC Dominion Securities' quality rankings. These rankings are based on a broad range of measures in four categories: growth, value, earnings predictability and momentum.
Today we'll turn our attention to U.S. stocks.
| Russell 1000 Higher-quality U.S. stocks | |||
| Company | Ticker | Sector |
Decile rank in U.S. Universe - Overall |
| CYCLICALS | |||
| Sigma-Aldrich | SIAL-Q | Materials | 1 |
| * for next 12 months; Source: RBC Capital Markets Quantitative Research. As of October 31, 2009. | |||
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 06:50 PM
Cream of the crop: high stability, low volatility
John Heinzl
What are we looking for?
The market's impressive run since March has been led by lower-quality stocks – those that were driven into the ground during the financial crisis, but which have come roaring back as the economic doomsday scenario lifted.
But lately, investors have started rotating into higher-quality names, says Myles Zyblock, chief institutional strategist at RBC Dominion Securities. Today we'll look for Canadian companies deemed to be of the highest quality according to a three-stage screening process developed by RBC.
| High-quality Canadian stocks | |||
| Company | Ticker | Sector |
Decile rank in Cdn Universe - Overall |
| CYCLICALS | |||
| ShawCor Ltd. Cl A | SCL.A-T | Energy | 1 |
| * for next 12 months; Source: RBC | |||
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 07:12 PM
Wanted: Solid growth prospects, good yield
Scott Adams
What are we looking for?
Let's take another look at forecasting dividend growth stocks, but look at the best ones that are in the S&P 500 index.
Monday, November 16, 2009 08:14 PM
Gauging the potential of a dividend hike
Scott Adams
What are we looking for?
Growing dividends are an investor's best friend. Dividends can help you pay less in taxes and studies have shown that companies that regularly increase their dividends outperform the market.
Friday, November 13, 2009 07:51 PM
Hedge funds on top in five-year snapshot
Shirley Won
What are we looking for?
Leaders and laggards over the past five years.
Given that some managers may engage in a game of musical chairs between firms, five years is a decent period to look at long-term performance.
Keep in mind this is a snapshot in time, and includes what the industry describes as an “end-date bias.” Current numbers also reflect the sharp rebound in stock markets from the dismal March lows.
| Top and Bottom 15 Funds as of Oct. 31, 2009 | ||
| Fund name |
YTD % rtn Oct. 31 |
5-yr % rtn Oct. 31 |
| Top 15 | ||
| Salida Multi-Strategy Hedge | 142.30% | 27.60% |
| Dynamic Power Hedge Fund-F | 135.60% | 26.00% |
| * Salida will not release MER. **Dynamic Power Hedge includes performance fees. ***CI Global Opportunities closed to new investors. Source: Globe Investor, companies | ||
Thursday, November 12, 2009 06:55 PM
Companies that didn't quite meet expectations
Gordon Edall
What are we looking for?
Now that we are in the final few innings of earnings season, Number Cruncher is taking a look back at the quarter that was, and highlighting some of the outliers that stood out.
Yesterday we looked at the companies in the S&P/TSX composite index that managed to push past analyst estimates for profit this quarter.
Today, we're turning our eye to companies that haven't quite measured up to the expectations set by the Street.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 07:03 PM
Precision keeps its house in order
Gordon Edall
What are we looking for?
After turning our eye to the earnings picture for the S&P 500 this quarter, we're going to shift our focus to what's been happening on the S&P/TSX composite index.
Today, we're concentrating on companies that managed to top the best guesses on the Street with their earnings report. Tomorrow, we'll focus on companies that weren't quite able to hit the marks analysts had chalked up.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 07:01 PM
These firms disappointed on the downside
Gordon Edall
What are we looking for?
As earnings season tails off for this quarter, we're delving into the numbers to pull out some of the companies that came in ahead of expectations, as well as a few of the names that didn't fare quite so well.
Yesterday, we looked at the companies in the S&P 500 index that topped profit estimates this time around, and today we're turning our eye to companies that came up short of the profit bar the Street had set.
Monday, November 9, 2009 07:07 PM
Some S&P players left forecasts in the dust
Gordon Edall
What are we looking for?
Earnings season is beginning to wind down, and here at Number Cruncher we thought we'd take a look back at the quarter that was. We'll highlight some of the winners, and some of the laggards, as companies struggled to shake off the lingering effects of the recession.
More than 440 companies in the S&P 500 have tabled their results for this quarter and 18 more are on tap this week.
Today, we're concentrating on companies that topped the best guesses on the Street. Tomorrow, we'll focus on the companies that weren't quite able to hit the marks analysts had chalked up.
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.
