asset management

TD RESOURCE FUND $32.78 (CWA Rating: Aggressive) (TD Asset Management, P.O. Box 7500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario. M5W 1P9. 1-800-386-3757; Web ite:www.tdcanadatrust.ca. No load — deal directly with the bank) invests in companies with superior asset bases, proven management and the ability to internally finance growth. The $259.3 million TD Resource Fund’s top stock holdings are mostly of ‘Average’ quality or higher. The fund’s holdings include Suncor Energy, EnCana Corporation, Talisman Energy Inc., Timminco Ltd., Goldcorp, Yamana Gold Inc., Petro- Canada, Nexen, Alcoa, BHP Billiton, Husky Energy, Chevron Corporation, Marathon Oil Corporation, Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation and FNX Mining Company....

Shares of many resource stocks (with the exception of gold stocks) have dropped lately on fears of an economic slowdown in the U.S. However, the long-term outlook for U.S. growth is positive. And meanwhile, China’s economy will likely grow 11% in 2008, and India’s 10%. Both are big resource-consuming countries. Here are two Aggressive resource funds that expose investors to two different levels of risk, measured by the stocks they hold. Both have done very well for us over the last few years. We think they have further gains ahead....

TD CANADIAN SMALL-CAP EQUITY FUND $29.54 (CWA Rating: Aggressive) (TD Asset Management, P.O. Box 7500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario. M5W 1P9. 1-800-386-3757; Web site: www.tdcanadatrust.ca. No load — deal directly with the bank) invests in small to medium-sized companies located in Canada and other countries, that the managers feel offer either superior earnings growth or appear undervalued. It looks for sound companies that stand to benefit as the business and economic environment improves. TD Canadian Small-Cap Equity Fund’s top ten holdings are Industrial Alliance Insurance, 2.6%; Evertz Technologies, 2.6%; Corus Entertainment, 2.4%; Gildan Activewear, 2.4%; Great Canadian Gaming, 2.2%; Aecon Group, 1.9%; Niko Resources, 1.9%; Cogeco Cable, 1.9%; MMX Mineracao e Metalicos SA, 1.8%; and Montreal Exchange, 1.8%. The $432.3 million fund is broken down by economic sector as follows: 24.7% in Basic materials, 17.1% in Energy, 13.1% in Financials, 13.1% in Consumer discretionary, 12.5% in Technology, 12.1% in Industrials, 3.6% in Health care and 1.3% in Consumer staples....

AIC DIVERSIFIED CANADA FUND $44.27 (CWA Rating: Conservative) mainly holds shares of Canadian companies of average or above-average quality. It also holds stocks of some U.S. firms. The $1.4 billion fund’s 10 largest holdings are Power Financial, Canadian Oil Sands Trust, TD Bank, Shoppers Drug Mart, FedEx, Thomson Corporation, Brookfield Asset Management, Royal Bank of Canada, Manulife Financial and Royal Bank of Scotland. AIC Diversified Canada holds just 19 stocks. The fund holds 53.0% of its assets in Financial services stocks. The rest of the portfolio breaks down as follows: Consumer staples, 16.1%; Energy, 9.9%; Consumer discretionary, 7.4%; Health care, 7.0%; Industrials, 4.0%; and Conglomerates, 1.6%....

These two AIC funds hold much of their portfolios in financial services stocks. This sector has moved down lately, mostly on concerns over a general lack of liquidity for asset-backed securities. We prefer diversified funds. But if you must focus on something, then the finance sector still offers sound long-term prospects. If you do invest in these funds, be sure to adjust the rest of your portfolio so they won’t overly concentrate your stock and mutual fund holdings in the financial sector. AIC AMERICAN ADVANTAGE FUND $6.20 (CWA Rating: Aggressive) (AIC Group of Funds, 1375 Kerns Road, Burlington, Ont., L7R 4X8, 1-800-263-2144; Web site: www.aicfunds.com. Buy or sell through brokers) invests mostly in U.S. stocks, with over 99% of assets in the financial services area....

BELL ALIANT REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS INCOME FUND $28.75 (Toronto symbol BA.UN: SI Rating: Above average) is the main provider of telephone services in Atlantic Canada. It also serves rural parts of Ontario and Quebec. As part of the deal that created Bell Aliant, the fund transferred the bulk of its wireless business to BCE. Without these operations, the fund now aims to spur growth by expanding the availability and capacity of its high-speed Internet service. Just 20% of Bell Aliant’s customers use its high-speed Internet service, so there’s plenty of room to grow. In the three months ended September 30, 2007, Bell Aliant earned $0.48 a unit from continuing operations in its second quarter. The fund took its present form on July 7, 2006, so it did not report earnings for the year-earlier quarter. But revenue on a pro forma basis, which assumes Bell Aliant began operations at the start of 2006, grew 1.6%, to $837.9 million from $825.1 million....

TD CANADIAN EQUITY FUND $32.56 (CWA Rating: Conservative) (TD Asset Management, P.O. Box 7500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario. M5W 1P9. 1-800-386-3757; Web site: www.tdcanadatrust.ca. No load — deal directly with the bank) uses a “bottom-up” approach (using fundamentals such as earnings, cash flow and low debt) to identify undervalued companies with strong growth potential. TD Canadian Equity Fund’s 10 largest holdings are Royal Bank, Suncor Energy, TD Bank, Rogers Communications, Canadian Natural Resources, Canadian Oil Sands Trust, Research in Motion, Schlumberger, Manulife Financial and Freeport McMoran. The $3.2 billion fund currently holds about 51.7% of its portfolio in Resources shares. It also has a bias towards Financial services stocks, with 18.8% of its holdings in that sector....

Here are five large funds run by each of Canada’s big-five banks. Each holds the kind of conservative, well-balanced portfolios of high quality stocks we recommend. All five have a high weighting in Financial services and Energy stocks. However, they stick with high-quality issues with sound fundamentals, so these concentrations don’t add a lot of risk. Each has its quirks, but overall they are well positioned for low-risk returns. TD CANADIAN EQUITY FUND $32.56 (CWA Rating: Conservative) (TD Asset Management, P.O. Box 7500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario. M5W 1P9. 1-800-386-3757; Web site: www.tdcanadatrust.ca. No load — deal directly with the bank) uses a “bottom-up” approach (using fundamentals such as earnings, cash flow and low debt) to identify undervalued companies with strong growth potential. TD Canadian Equity Fund’s 10 largest holdings are Royal Bank, Suncor Energy, TD Bank, Rogers Communications, Canadian Natural Resources, Canadian Oil Sands Trust, Research in Motion, Schlumberger, Manulife Financial and Freeport McMoran....

TD HEALTH SCIENCES FUND $15.67 (CWA Rating: Speculative) (TD Asset Management, P.O. Box 7500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario. M5W 1P9. 1-800-463-3863; Web site: www.tdcanadatrust.ca. No load — deal directly with the bank) invests mostly in U.S. companies with a mixture of large-capitalization stocks and earlier-stage biotechnology shares. The managers believe all these firms will profit from an aging population stimulating higher spending on health care, drugs and research. The fund’s top holdings include WellPoint, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Elan Corp., CVS/Caremark, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Merck & Co., Aetna, Roche Holdings and Cephalon. Its MER is 2.70%. The $204.2 fund gained 4.3% over the last year. TD Health Sciences Fund is still a buy.

RENAISSANCE GLOBAL HEALTH CARE FUND $15.89 (CWA Rating: Speculative) (CIBC Asset Management, 1500 University Street, Suite 800, Montreal, PQ. H3A 3S6. 1-800-268-8258; Web site: www.talvest.com. Available from brokers) is the new name of the Talvest Global Health Care Fund. The fund invests in global companies in a variety of segments of the health-care industry. Top holdings include Schering-Plough Corp., McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health, Sanofi-Synthelbo, Takeda Chemical Industries, Eisai Co. Ltd., Forest Laboratories, Medtronic, Daiichi Sankyo and Eli Lilly. Talvest Global Health Care lost 3.5% over the last year. The $954.6 million fund’s MER is 3.16%. Renaissance Global Health Care Fund is still a buy.