Industry News

Decorative pattern

Regulators finally clarify EMD requirements

Under the new National Instrument 31-103, commonly referred to as registration reform, there is the ability for market participants to apply for exempt market dealer status (EMD). The Canadian Securities Administrators has announced the requirements to obtain EMD status, which greatly reduces the regulatory burden under the new national securities registration. Coming into effect nationally […]

By Mark Noble |August 10, 2009

3 min read

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Covered calls help get clients back in equities

Advisors with access to option trading capabilities are finding it easier to get clients invested in equities through the use of covered calls, which mitigate the downside risk on individual stock prices. Psychologically, clients are much more predisposed to fear of loss than they are to maximizing the potential returns on their investments. This frame […]

By Mark Noble |August 7, 2009

6 min read

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Briefly:

According to Statistics Canada, employment declined by 45,000 in July for both full-time and part-time workers. The unemployment rate remained constant at 8.6%. July figures indicate that employment fell, most notably, among young people between the ages of 15 and 24, and among women between the ages of 25 and 54. Since October 2008, employment […]

By Staff |August 7, 2009

4 min read

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As insurers report profits, Manulife cuts dividend

Canada’s top insurers reported their earnings for the second quarter of the year, but news that Manulife Financial has chopped its dividend in half is casting a pall over the sector. The dividend cut, the first such drastic move among the major financials, was announced as an effort to shore up “fortress levels” of capital. […]

By Steven Lamb |August 6, 2009

4 min read

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Opportunity fades in financials rally

One of the largest and most vigourous rallies in equities — financial services stocks — appears to have largely run its course. Financial services was the hardest hit sector of the downturn; in a number of cases, investor sentiment seemingly left the sector for dead. As economic prospects and earnings expectations have bounced back slightly, […]

By Mark Noble |August 6, 2009

6 min read

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Briefly:

The confidence level of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) remain stable despite the Bank of Canada’s recent announcement that the worst is almost behind us. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) Business Barometer, optimism among small business owners remained stable and unchanged. In July, the index was at 58.6 compared to June’s […]

By Staff |August 5, 2009

2 min read

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Financials lead rally in equity funds: Morningstar

July was another great month to own financial services funds — as confidence that a recovery is underway increased, so did the fortunes of the beaten-down sector, according to preliminary performance data released today by Morningstar Canada. Strong performance in financial services led Canadian equity funds to a fifth consecutive month of positive results in […]

By Mark Noble |August 5, 2009

3 min read

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Forestry smoking, but not just from fires

Lumber prices have been on fire lately, despite the fact that the commodity’s key driver, the U.S. housing market, remains in a slump. Some have pointed to speculative trading based on the wildfires sweeping British Columbia, but there is more to the story. The more likely causes are low log inventories and the closure of […]

By Steven Lamb |August 5, 2009

3 min read

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Fund sales suffer July slump

Mutual funds sales slipped into negative territory in July, according to preliminary data released from the Investment Funds Institute of Canada. Investors sold off between $1.4 billion and $1.9 billion. While net sales were negative, there was one ray of sunshine on the industry. Investors appear to be moving back into riskier assets, which are […]

By Steven Lamb |August 5, 2009

3 min read

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Briefly:

Bay Street guru Richard John “Jack” Lawrence and his companion, Carol Richardson, died in a plane crash while leaving the family cottage on Lake Muskoka yesterday afternoon. Authorities continue to investigate the details surrounding the accident. Lawrence was most recently the chair and CEO of Lawrence & Company Inc., a company he founded in 1996, […]

By Staff |August 4, 2009

3 min read

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