Canadian Income Trusts and New-Issue Risk

Article Excerpt

Is it a good time to bargain hunt for Canadian income trusts? According to one school of thought, Ottawa’s planned 2011 removal of income trusts’ tax advantages has unduly rattled investors and spurred unwarranted selling. That’s the kind of assumption that makes sense, but it’s unlikely to make you any money. Tax-law changes are a drawback for some investors in Canadian income trusts. But the key problem with income trusts is their general lack of investment quality. The 1990s drop in interest rates spurred investors to look beyond bonds for income. Many settled on Canadian income trusts, and demand for these investments exploded. New trust issues were quickly issued to fill this demand. However, new issues mainly come to market when it’s a good time for an organization, or its insiders, to sell. This isn’t often a good time for outsiders to buy. Even at the best of times, new issues tend to offer poor investment quality and above-average risk. During a..