Blog: Cutting Through the Noise

Podcast: 2011 in Review

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on January 12, 2012

2011 was a great year for bonds and a not-so-great year for stocks. Interest rates declined further (10-year government bond yields ended the year below 2% for the first time in a century) leading to strong price gains in government bonds, and to a lesser extent corporate bonds. Debt concerns in Europe and political lollygagging weighed on investor confidence and most stock markets...

Read More

Podcast: Third Quarter Review

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 11, 2011

It was an ugly quarter for stocks, with most major markets suffering double-digit declines. The bond market, on the other hand, had its strongest showing in 15 years (government bond yields now stand at levels not seen since the 1940s). Our funds declined, but held up better than the market. Their focus on high-quality, non...

Read More

Podcast: Talking Stocks with Wil Wutherich

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on September 15, 2011

Wil Wutherich, the manager of our Small-Cap Equity Fund, is in town this week on a research trip. We booked an afternoon of his time to discuss the fund. Since we've covered his investment process in previous sessions and his philosophy is well documented on our site, Tom sat down with him to talk stocks...

Read More

Podcast: Second Quarter Review

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on July 12, 2011

It was a skittish quarter for stocks. The Canadian market had a rough spring, as commodity-related stocks gave back some of their gains from earlier in the year. The U.S. and Japanese markets were largely unchanged, while Europe was mixed. Bonds, on the other hand, had a strong quarter, as investors embraced safety and yields...

Read More

Podcast: First Quarter Review

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on April 12, 2011

Stock markets pushed forward in the first quarter despite some strong headwinds, including revolutions in North Africa, a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and lingering sovereign debt issues in Europe. It goes to prove that the linkage between headlines and market returns is anything but precise. In this podcast, we...

Read More

Podcast: Small Talk with Wil Wutherich

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on March 30, 2011

Wil Wutherich, the manager of our Small-Cap Equity Fund, is in town this week on a research trip. We booked an afternoon of his time to review the fund and get some further insights on some of the stocks in the portfolio. Topics of discussion include: performance, valuations, and the resource sector, among others. Listen now...

Read More

Podcast: 2010 in Review

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on January 17, 2011

2010 was a good year for both stocks and bonds. Resource-focused and small-cap stocks saw sharp gains, and both the Canadian and U.S. markets turned in double-digit returns. European stocks struggled in comparison, however, due to the well-publicized headwinds in the region (i.e., debt problems)...

Read More

Video: Small-Cap Equity Fund Update

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 28, 2010

Small cap stocks were hit particularly hard during the credit crisis of 2008/09. In this update, Tom talks with Wil Wutherich (the manager of the fund) about the current financial shape of the businesses in the portfolio and how they weathered...

Read More

Video: Global Equity Fund Update

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 27, 2010

In this update, Tom and Dr. Sandy Nairn discuss some of the opportunities and dangers in the global markets (Sandy's firm manages our Global Fund). They touch on the outlook for the economy and how it impacts EPL's research efforts, their views...

Read More

Video: Equity Fund Update

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 26, 2010

In this update, Tom discusses the Equity Fund with Ted Ecclestone, a partner at CGOV (the manager of the fund). The fund has an emphasis on high-quality stocks, which have underperformed the broader market over the past several quarters...

Read More

Video: Income Fund Update

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 25, 2010

With the camera rolling, Tom recently sat down with Warren Stoddart, a Vice President and Managing Partner at Connor, Clark & Lunn, to provide an update on our Income Fund (which CC&L manages). Topics of discussion included: interest rates, inflation...

Read More

Podcast: Second Quarter Review

Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on July 15, 2010

The second quarter of 2010 was a challenging period for equity markets, as investors focused on the European debt problems and the sustainability of the global economic recovery. In this podcast, we review these issues and highlight some of the key messages from our Quarterly Report. You can subscribe to our podcasts via iTunes...

Read More