Investments

Active managers continue to underperform

(September 2008) Thanks to quarter-to-quarter volatility, active managers, once again, failed to beat the benchmark in Q2. Standard & Poor’s Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) Funds Scorecard reports that just 31.2% of Canadian equity active fund managers outperformed the S&P/TSX Composite Index. While that might seem low, compared to long-term numbers, that result is actually pretty […]

By Bryan Borzykowski |September 3, 2008

2 min read

Where the money is not

It’s a money trail that leads from Nassau to Montreal and Minnesota – a trail of tears said to have evaporated $1.5 billion or more in investor money and shareholder assets. And it all started with a secret $4 million offshore investment. Whether there’s any money left for investors to claim – beyond a paltry […]

By Scot Blythe |September 1, 2008

12 min read

The right mix

Developing the right asset mix for your client can be tricky business. Advisors have to determine their clients’ risk tolerance, closely watch the markets, and there’s the not-so-small matter of making money. So what’s an advisor to do when clients’ portfolios are more volatile than an active volcano? Nothing. “I focus on the plans we […]

By Bryan Borzykowski |September 1, 2008

5 min read

Bank bear

Caution is the watchword for veteran hedge-fund manager Veronika Hirsch. “Right now we are sitting at 35% cash,” says the manager of the $142-million BluMont Hirsch Performance. “And I think that tells you how cautious we are. I’m using it strategically, as opposed to not having any ideas today.” Hirsch is the chief investment officer […]

By Diana Cawfield |September 1, 2008

3 min read