CU
We advise against a so-called “sector rotation” approach to investing; this is when you try to hop from sector to sector. We also advise against practicing a top-down sector rotation style; underweighting or overweighting sectors of the stock market depending on a forecast of the stage of the economic cycle, or other factors.
Few sector rotation strategies succeed over long periods, …read more »
Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs, don’t load you up with heavy management fees, nor do they tie you down with heavy redemption charges if you decide to get out before six years have passed. Instead, they give you a lower-cost and more flexible and convenient alternative to mutual funds.
The problem is that ETFs are just as helpful for facilitating smart …read more »
Aggressive investing is an investing strategy that can yield high returns – but also entails taking on a lot of risk. An investment strategy that involves aggressive investing is only suitable for investors who can accept substantial risk, and the chance of losses.
The most common form of aggressive investing is to put a large part of your portfolio in …read more »
PENGROWTH ENERGY TRUST $8.64 (Toronto symbol PGF.UN) reported that its cash flow for the first quarter of 2009 fell 57.5%, to $0.37 a unit from $0.87 a year earlier. Higher interest expenses, performance bonuses and royalties were the main reasons for the drop. Still, its $1.20 distribution rate seems secure, and yields 13.9%. Buy.
IMPERIAL OIL LTD. $41 (Toronto symbol IMO) …read more »
We still think high-quality mutual funds with a long-term focus will beat stock-market indexes over time. If funds invest as we advise — sticking with well-established companies and spreading their assets across the five main economic sectors — they will likely lose a lot less than the indexes during a significant market downturn.
That’s because big market slides are particularly hard …read more »
With the unpredictability of the stock market and mutual funds’ performance, it’s getting harder to make the right investment choices. However, as with stock trading, mutual fund investing should be done with the long term in mind. You need to find a solid fund and stick with it.
There are, of course, thousands of choices available at any time. Most funds …read more »
Penny stocks tend to be more speculative, and are engaged in such things as finding mineral deposits that can be mined at a profit, commercializing an unproven technology or launching new software applications.
Because success in these endeavours is so rare, it’s all the more important to look for investment quality in your penny stocks.
It’s hard for any new company to …read more »
We think investors will profit most — and with the least risk — by buying shares of well-established, dividend-paying companies with strong business prospects. These are companies that have strong positions in a healthy industry. They also have strong management that will make the right moves to remain competitive in a changing marketplace.
A company with a long-term record of paying …read more »
Should you stick with your current stock broker or switch to a discounter? To answer that question, you need to consider your own experience and abilities, and those of your stock broker.
Brokers, good and bad
A good stock broker (one who is experienced, knowledgeable, and oriented toward the long term) is worth the top commissions you are likely to pay. For …read more »
Asset allocation funds are mutual funds that distribute their assets in accordance with all investors’ goals (consistent returns, diversified investments, etc.). Unlike balanced funds, they can shift their portfolio allocations between stocks, bonds and cash in order to capitalize on perceived investment opportunities in any one of those classes.
If a fund’s name includes the term “asset allocation,” it means …read more »
