Higher expenses bite Into AGF profit

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Eric Sprott takes a new path toward less volatility

BOYD ERMAN  

berman@globeandmail.comHedge fund manager Eric Sprott made a name and a fortune for himself with a prescient bet on gold and silver. But Sprott Inc., the publicly traded asset manager he founded, is finding that creating a successful fund company requires more than a single big idea. Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Can dragon breathe life into Chinese funds?

SHIRLEY WON  

swon@globeandmail.comWhat are we looking for?How greater China equity funds fared in the Year of the Rabbit.The screenWe ranked funds by the best returns since the start of the Chinese New Year on Feb. 3, 2011, to Jan. 20, 2012. The new Year of the Dragon began Monday. (U.S. dollar and duplicate versions of funds were excluded.) Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The market's throwing a party, but few are going

DAVID PARKINSON  

dparkinson@globeandmail.comA funny thing happened on the way to the stock market recovery. Volumes forgot to come along.While stock prices overall have come a long way from their trough in March, 2009, those gains have not been accompanied by a corresponding rise in trading volumes. Average volumes in both the U.S. and Canada have been trending downward throughout much of the recovery; U.S. volumes are at their lowest levels since 1999. Saturday, January 21, 2012

Banks warn Volcker rule could violate NAFTA

GRANT ROBERTSON AND TIM KILADZE  

Canada's Big Five banks have sent a stern letter to U.S. regulators, warning that proposed rules designed to limit the risks major financial institutions take may violate the two countries' free trade agreement. Friday, January 20, 2012

Seven charged in insider trading probe

LARRY NEUMEISTER and TOM HAYS  

Greed on Wall Street set a record, authorities said Wednesday as they unveiled a nearly $78-million (U.S.) insider trading case that involved at least seven financial industry professionals and included a hedge fund co-founder who triggered a single trade that earned $53-million in profits, the largest lone transaction ever prosecuted in Manhattan. Thursday, January 19, 2012

Covered call ETFs: Look before you leap

JOHN HEINZL  

jheinzl@globeandmail.comWith bond and GIC interest rates shrinking to microscopic levels, income-hungry investors are snapping up yield products as fast as marketers can crank them out. Unfortunately, understanding how the products work or the risks involved are often secondary considerations. Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Dividend funds cushioned market's punches

SHIRLEY WON  

swon@globeandmail.comWhat are we looking for?The stars among all Canadian stock funds in 2011. Given that the resource-heavy Canadian market struggled this past year amid concerns about slowing global growth, let's see what funds bucked the trend. Tuesday, January 17, 2012

BlackRock deal creates ETF powerhouse

SHIRLEY WON and TARA PERKINS  

BlackRock Inc. is forging ahead with ambitious growth plans for Canada, striking a deal for Claymore Investments Inc. that unites the country's top two sellers of exchange traded funds. Thursday, January 12, 2012