Industry

Labour funds poised for comeback?

Labour-sponsored funds are certainly not the most attractive investments these days, with languishing returns and the removal of their preferential tax treatment in Ontario, but industry watchers say there are better days ahead for the asset class. At times in the past, labour funds were the rage among investors for their attractive tax benefits, designed […]

By Kate McCaffery |May 11, 2006

4 min read

NexGen aims to build a better mousetrap

A year after ‘retiring’ from Mackenzie Financial. Jim Hunter has returned to the industry. He’s not back for another kick at the same can; he’s back to reshape the ways funds are structured. But will anyone understand what he’s trying to do? Hunter is aiming to design products to alleviate the annual tax burden associated […]

By Mark Brown |May 11, 2006

4 min read

Briefly:

(May 10, 2006) The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee raised its key interest rate this afternoon, setting the overnight rate at 5%, up from 4.75%. None of this came as a surprise, really, and traders were more interested in divining future moves from the Fed, based on the language of the announcement. Many were expecting […]

By Staff |May 10, 2006

3 min read

Housing starts seen easing through 2007

After four years of strong growth, the Canadian housing market is expected to cool down through 2006, with housing starts slowly declining, according to the latest report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “Housing starts this year will be stronger than previously forecast, mainly due to persistent strong demand in Alberta and British Columbia, but […]

By Steven Lamb |May 10, 2006

3 min read