Market Insights

Brace yourself for a volatile 2011

Two of Fidelity’s top investment strategists recently weighed in on the 2011 outlook for the fund company’s annual ‘Straight Talk on the Markets’ webcast. Getting Aggressive Trevor Greetham, asset allocation director for Fidelity International’s Investment Solutions Group, says the first thing to keep in mind is the economic cycle has become quite short, and increasingly […]

By Dean DiSpalatro |January 21, 2011

5 min read

Market Insights

A bumpy ride ahead

Towers Watson today released its 30th annual Canadian Survey of Economic Expectations, predicting mostly growth in a low interest rate environment. The survey is based on data gathered from mid-November to early December 2010 and provides projections from leading business economists, analysts and portfolio managers from more than 45 organizations. The Outlook Most survey respondents […]

By Staff |January 20, 2011

4 min read

Market Insights

2011 economic, retirement trends

It’s the beginning of a new year, and a good time to look ahead at some of the developments we may see both in the economy and capital markets and some of the issues that will have an impact on Canadians’ plans for their retirement in the years ahead. Together, they add to an outlook for the economics of retirement in 2011.

By Peter Drake |January 18, 2011

6 min read

Industry

Foreigners saw Canada as a hotspot in November

Foreign investors continued to buy Canadian securities late in 2010, according to Statistics Canada, acquiring an additional $8 billion in November, the most recent month for which data is available. Foreign buyers focused on debt issues, which made up $7.1 billion of the overall total. New private corporate bonds – mainly U.S.-denominated – accounted for […]

By Staff |January 17, 2011

1 min read

Strong fund sales cap off 2010

Mutual funds sales for December – in fact, much of 2010 – were reminiscent of Goldilocks. Investors found some fund categories too hot for their liking (equity), while others were starting to cool off (fixed income). Great luck for balanced fund managers, as investors opted for the “just right” asset mix. “Long term fund sales […]

By Steven Lamb |January 17, 2011

2 min read

Global investing lowers risk

When it comes to investing in international equities, the forecast for 2011 finds a mix of challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Turmoil in Europe, and inflationary concerns in emerging markets may pose risks, but consumption spending and prudent companies offer a promising outlook.

4 min read

Bonds face challenges, but no bubble

The crisis of 2008-09 sent investors on a mad search for safety and a huge number of them sought refuge in bonds. Fixed income led mutual fund sales since the crisis, driving the price of bonds higher and yields lower. Some have suggested fixed income poses a threat as the next bubble.

By Steven Lamb |January 11, 2011

5 min read

Global recovery to drive commodities

This past year has been a wild one for commodities — gold reached all time nominal highs, oil climbed from around $70 to almost $90, while natural gas bas barely budged from a low $4. Fortunately for investors, the outlook for 2011 is less volatile; commodity prices should be on their way up.

4 min read

Does the loonie still have room to fly?

It might be the riskiest financial forecast of all: currency. The stakes are a huge. Get it wrong, and your foreign content allocation can implode. Get it right, and you'll enjoy a multiplier effect on those out-of-county assets.

By Al Emid |January 11, 2011

3 min read