Blog: Cutting Through the Noise
Postings
The Secret of Vanguard's Viral Appeal
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on June 10, 2011
We heard this week that Vanguard, the giant U.S. asset manager, is coming to Canada. As a permanent student of the business, I’ve been fascinated by Vanguard for many years. It’s an example of a company that grew through word of mouth. It went viral...Read More
Steady Freddie. Stanley's Coming.
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on June 8, 2011
A 7-game playoff series is a unique animal. It’s a roller coaster ride with potential mood swings after each game. It reminds me a lot of investing actually. As I sit here with my Canucks jersey on, I feel like the boring realist. I’ve celebrated each victory and got pissed off after each loss, but in between, I've refused to get too caught up in the hyperbole. I've found myself in a few conversations that go...
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Say it Ain't So
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on May 31, 2011
I learned last week that the HealthShares Dermatology and Wound Care ETF has been shut down. A shame, really. Seemed like a solid backbone for a portfolio. Investors who like their ETFs sharp and narrow need not fret, however, as the Direxion Daily Daily Agribusiness Bear 3X Shares ETF is still around (for the time...
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How Seasoned Managers Stack Up Against the Up-and-comers
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on May 27, 2011
“What I find of particular interest is the speed at which changes in communication technology are happening. It’s causing a great intergenerational knowledge gap, which is rather worrisome because many decision makers are still part of my old-fart...Read More
Commodity Prices Take a Breather
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on May 19, 2011
In Connor, Clark & Lunn’s latest outlook, they assess the recent pullback in commodity prices. After a sharp run-up that began in early 2009, many commodities have been in retreat recently. Silver has grabbed the headlines, falling over 30% since late April, but...Read More
Cracks Appear in the ETF Halo
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on May 13, 2011
Personal disclosure: I’m a dyed-in-the-wool active manager, but admit to having used exchange-traded funds in my portfolio. I’ve tread on the dark side for tax planning purposes and, occasionally, to hedge certain long-term positions. I also must...Read More
Fund Company Calls 'The Cleaner'
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on May 10, 2011
“If I’m curt, then I apologize. But as I understand it, we have a situation here and time is of the essence.” - Newman. I’m a Seinfeld junkie. One of my favorite episodes was “The Muffin Tops”, in which Elaine’s former boss (Mr. Lippman) decides to open...Read More
Are Client Returns Secondary?
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on May 4, 2011
There was news today that two private equity firms, Berkshire Partners LLC and OMERS Private Equity, are buying Husky International from Onex, another private equity company. This secondary buyout (defined as one private equity firm buying a company...Read More
An Election Platform for Better Investing
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on April 29, 2011
I’ve enjoyed watching the federal election campaign, but that’s where it ends. It will have no impact on markets (for more than a day), and my interest in being a public official has never been lower (it’s a brutal job). The office I’m interested in running for, however, is...Read More
Canadians Are Cash Rich
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on April 27, 2011
In this space, we’ve talked often about the conundrum cash-rich investors face. If they’ve been out of the market, or are sitting on a high proportion of cash, what do they do? This week there were some comments from Earl (the Pearl) Bederman at Investor...Read More
Cross Country Customer Experiences
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on April 25, 2011
How’s this for two totally different customer experiences. Recently I went into Sigge’s, a local cross-country ski store, to buy some equipment. I’ve been a ‘classic’ skier for years, but am increasingly feeling the pressure to keep up with my ‘skate skiing...Read More
145 and Counting
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on April 19, 2011
On the plane yesterday I was scanning the list of Canadian exchange-traded funds (ETFs). There were 145 funds on the list from four providers (BMO, Claymore, BlackRock and Horizons BetaPro). I know the numbers are higher now because I...Read More
