investment

“Alternative investments” is the collective name for a diverse group of assets that do not fall into one of the traditional asset classes of stocks or bonds. Alternative assets can include real estate, private equity investments, commodities, infrastructure, hedge funds, collectibles, and even art and wine.


One of the main selling points alternative investment providers use is their belief they provide valuable diversification and at the same time offer the potential for increased returns.


Alternative assets have a low correlation with the traditional asset classes....

Several factors contributed to Brazil’s 2015-2016 recession, one of its worst: political turmoil, corruption at one of the country’s major corporations, volatile commodity prices, and high inflation. However, starting in 2017, the country has slowly emerged from that crisis....

Hedge funds often act as activist investors, and some have successfully pushed companies to make moves that increase shareholder returns. For example, Elliott Management, led by Paul Singer, is now one of the world’s largest activist funds with $35 billion in assets under management.


Elliott, and other activist investors, typically buy shares in a company and then work with management and other shareholders to improve the firm’s performance....

Direct investment in private equity, hedge funds and so on was once just for institutional and high-net-worth individuals. However, alternative assets are now also available through a limited number of ETFs. While they focus on high-risk investments, many aim to use strategies to cut some of that risk.


Here are three ETFs that provide access to alternative investments....

Here’s our three-part formula for how to invest in the stock market for above-average gains—and a bonus tip on how not to invest in the market

Many investors interested in new technologies wonder how to invest in artificial intelligence. Here’s how AI works—and how to profit from it.

I’ve touched on the subject of conflicts of interest many times over the years. These conflicts are often minor, but we see them as adding up to an investor’s greatest single risk, because they are so plentiful.

Many readers assume these conflicts are all about money, and that they come out of greed and dishonesty....

If you want to hold speculative investments, think carefully. Speculative stocks may offer significant returns to investors—but they will also carry considerable risk.

The best new stocks to buy will avoid these risky strategies and instead offer investors sound fundamental value

ISHARES CDN REIT INDEX FUND $17.70 (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) holds all 15 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX REIT Index.


The fund has an MER of 0.61%, and it currently yields a high 4.7%.


The ETF’s top ten holdings are RioCan REIT (16.7% of holdings), Canadian Apartment Prop....