Net Asset Value

CANADIAN GENERAL INVESTMENT TRUST $12.25 (Toronto symbol: CGI) mainly invests in shares of Canadian companies. Its discount to its net asset value now stands at 22%. The trust now holds a high 16.3% of its assets in cash, up from just 0.5% a year ago.

THIRD CANADIAN GENERAL INVESTMENT TRUST $22 (Toronto symbol: THD) holds 68% of its assets in units …read more »

Given their attractiveness, it’s a wonder why brokers so rarely recommend closed end mutual funds. However, there’s a simple reason for this: while closed ends benefit individual investors, brokers benefit more by putting their clients in conventional, open-ended funds.

Closed end funds are a lot like conventional, open-ended funds. They hold a diversified portfolio of stocks, chosen by a fund manager …read more »

We’ve long advised that investing outside of Canada and the United States can expose you to increased volatility and risk. The sharp downturn in many foreign markets during the current global slowdown proves this. But there are still regions or countries that offer lots of growth potential.

We still think that for most investors, the best way to invest in these …read more »

ECONOMIC INVESTMENT TRUST $50 (Toronto symbol: EVT) holds a well-diversified portfolio of high-quality Canadian, U.S. and foreign stocks.

The $510.3-million fund’s largest holdings include E-L Financial, Algoma Central Railway, Chevron, Nissan Motor, Royal Dutch Shell, Altria Group, Pfizer, ConocoPhillips, Allianz SE, BASF SE, ING Group and Vodafone Group plc.

The fund breaks down geographically as follows: Canada, 55%; U.S., 14.2%, Europe, 19.6%, …read more »

CANADIAN GENERAL INVESTMENT TRUST $10.01 (Toronto symbol: CGI) mainly invests in shares of Canadian companies. Its discount to its net asset value now stands at 28%. The trust now holds a high 19.6% of its assets in cash, up from just 1.4% a year earlier.

THIRD CANADIAN GENERAL INVESTMENT TRUST $20.86 (Toronto symbol: THD) holds 68% of its assets in units …read more »

If you want to invest in index funds, we think you should stick with exchange-traded funds (ETFs) like those we recommend as buys.

ETFs are like open-ended index funds in that they trade at net asset value. But ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks.

You’ll have to pay brokerage commissions to buy ETFs. But you’ll make that back quickly with …read more »

ABERDEEN ASIA-PACIFIC INCOME $4.39 (Toronto symbol FAP; Shares outstanding: 52.1 million; Market cap: $228.6 million; CWA Rating: Income) is a closed-end fund that invests mainly in Australian debt instruments. It also invests in U.S.-dollar-denominated Asian and Latin American bonds, and in bonds denominated in currencies from those countries. Right now it has 30.8% of its assets in Asian and Latin …read more »

UNITED CORPORATIONS $47 (Toronto symbol: UNC) (165 University Ave., 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5H 3B8. 416-947-2583. Buy or sell through a broker) invests in a wide variety of average-quality to above-average quality Canadian and foreign stocks.

At last report, 35.3% of the fund’s $1.0 billion portfolio was invested in Canadian equities, 23.7% in the U.S., 20.2% in Europe, 6.3% in the …read more »

Turmoil in financial markets and slowing economies have hurt stock markets worldwide. But when government measures to counter the credit crisis begin to take effect, and when economic growth resumes, top-quality foreign stocks should rebound.

Here are four closed-end funds trading on the New York Exchange at discounts to their net asset value. Three are buys, and one is a hold.

SWISS …read more »

ECONOMIC INVESTMENT TRUST $75.50 (Toronto symbol: EVT) holds a well-diversified portfolio of high-quality Canadian, U.S. and foreign stocks.

The $589.8 million fund’s largest holdings include E-L Financial, Algoma Central Railway, Chevron, Nissan Motor, Royal Dutch Shell, Altria Group, Dow Chemical, ConocoPhillips, Allianz SE, Arcelor Mittal, ING Groep, Vodafone Group plc, Renault, Xstrata plc and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial.

The fund breaks down geographically …read more »