Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
As a follow up to my article on paying off my mortgage, I promised to post which stocks I sold, when I sold them, and what the price was if readers showed any interest in that information.
I received a few e-mails requesting those details so, as promised, here is the data:
February 29, 2012 Sales:
TransCanada Pipeline – $43.02
Sun Life Financial – $$21.70
Proctor and Gamble (USD) – $67.70
March 1, 2012 Sales:
Crescent Point Energy – $46.98
Fortis – $32.70
Davis and Henderson – $17.63
Power Corp. – $25.50
ScotiaBank – $55.59
Bonterra Energy – $55.59
March 2, 2012 Sale:
Annaly Capital (USD) - $16.50
All securities traded in Canadian Dollars on the Toronto Stock Exchange unless otherwise noted.
I am currently in the process of building the portfolio back up and am sitting in mostly cash at the moment – which is fortunate for me as the market has backed off some from when I liquidated this account in early March.
Posted in Making Money | 2 Comments »
Monday, October 10th, 2011
If you’re still standing on the sidelines in cash at the moment, here are three good reasons that you should be invested in stocks right now.
- An investor’s choice of asset allocation is the single largest factor that will influence the probability of long-term success. Historical evidence suggests that cash investments return the least amount over the long run.
- There is significant upside potential in equities for long-term investors right now. Stock valuations are well below their highs and have a long way to go to be back in line with what we consider to be fair value.
- Sustained low interest rates and dramatic increases in money supply combined with increased deficits have many fearful of the inflationary impact once a true economic recovery takes hold.
Money market investments, non-market linked CD’s and high interest savings accounts offer little protection against the wealth eroding effect of inflation.
That is not to say that there is no downside. In fact, there is an inherent risk when investing in equities and there may, in fact, be another leg down.
However, I believe the risk vs. reward payoff favors the astute dividend growth stock investor at this time.
Posted in Investment News | 8 Comments »
Friday, May 7th, 2010
It has been said that Shakespeare drew his inspiration for many plays from classic Greek dramas. If he were alive today, I don’t think there would be any shortage of inspiration for new projects!
Of course, the situation in Greece has been front page news this week and it has created some choppy waters for investors (it was another volatile day on the markets yesterday – but that was apparently caused by a trading error). Amid the headlines, and the increased market volatility, we thought it might be helpful to take a look at how the sovereign debt situation has evolved and why it is causing so much noise (and by extension, investor anxiety).
Each day, there seems to be a new take on the story and many of the headlines have been conflicting. For example, consider the following:
- Two EU Ministers: No Bailout for Greece – Wall Street Journal (Jan 18)
- Merkel Says Greece Doesn’t Need Financial Support – Dow Jones (Mar 22)
- Fears rise that Greece is days from defaulting – Associated Press (Apr 12)
- Greece begins talks on details of IMF aid deal – Reuters (Apr 22)
- EU: Greece loan package coming soon but worries persist – Globe (Apr 30)
- Greece swallows tough medicine in bailout – Globe (May 3)
- Analysts like Greek bank despite nation’s woes – Bloomberg (May 4)
However, as is often the case when it comes to complex issues, there’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. The situation in Europe is complicated and very volatile and many investment management teams are monitoring new developments closely.
Also, amid the noise, it should be noted that there have been other developments that, while not front page news, are noteworthy nonetheless from an investment standpoint.
For example, the U.S. dollar has strengthened which has benefited U.S. dollar denominated investments, and global bond spreads have widened, creating potential investment opportunities.
Another important note is that many of our favorite dividend growth stocks have returned to profitability. Regardless of the happenings in the world economy, when our dividend growth stocks are making money, we will be rewarded accordingly… But, it will take faith in our philosophy and time for the markets to catch up to us 
.
Posted in Investment News | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
The importance of global diversification is often discussed as important as an investor in today’s global economy, and with the MSCI World Index and EAFE (Europe, Australasia and Far East) Index both up about 27% in U.S. dollar terms in 2009, that message remains important. However, over the past few years, we’ve been reminded of the great investment opportunities in Canada.
More Than Just Resources
Canada has not gone unnoticed by investors abroad. A report last week indicated that Canada has benefited from record net inflows of foreign investment in Canadian securities.
By extension, demand for the loonie has also increased, and this is one of the reasons why the Canadian dollar currently sits near parity with its U.S. counterpart.
Foreign investors purchased $109 billion worth of Canadian securities in 2009, and another $11.8 billion in the first month of 2010. They were particularly keen on Canadian corporate bonds in 2009, purchasing nearly 80% of net new corporate issues. Meanwhile, Canadian investors were noticeably more conservative – nearly all bonds issued or backed by the Government of Canada stayed in Canada.
Why Canada?
There are good reasons for this renewed interest in Canadian investments. Canada has a highly educated workforce, a rock-solid financial system, and one of the strongest economies in the developed world. What’s more, the Canadian stock market has delivered some of the best returns in the world over the past 10 years. (Could this be a warning sign though?)
All of these points underscore the importance of having Canadian exposure as a core holding in a well diversified portfolio.
Posted in Investor Education | 1 Comment »
