Blog: Cutting Through the Noise
Postings
14,000
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on February 17, 2011
A reporter called yesterday wanting to talk about the S&P/TSX Composite Index breaking through 14,000. He wanted to know my thoughts on the market’s rapid rise from the low of March, 2009 – what had taken 5 years to accomplish in the prior run-up, took just...Read More
How Bay Street Can Bridge its Credibility Gap
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on February 4, 2011
Bay Street, we have a problem. A PR problem. Our clients think we can do more than we’re capable of. Some think we know which stocks are going up and when to get in and out of the market. We’re setting them up for disappointment and as a...Read More
Star Fund Managers a Bet Well Worth Taking
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on January 21, 2011
On the buy side, we have a love/hate relationship with our stars. We’re happy when they put big return numbers up on the board, bring recognition to our firms and attract new assets. We don’t like it, however, when we become too dependent on them. Then...Read More
Monthly Income Funds - Some Useful Math
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on January 12, 2011
For investors that own a monthly income fund of some kind, Dan Hallett’s article in the Report on Business today is a must read. As Dan says, “the industry has created numerous products that kick out generous amounts of cash each month...Read More
Investing Questions That Need to be Asked
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on January 7, 2011
“Finding the right answers is easy. Asking the right questions is the hard part.” As we open our calendars on 2011, this old adage has never been more apt. We’re being buffeted with crosswinds and it’s not obvious which ones will affect investment...Read More
Facebook - Friending an Underwriter
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on January 6, 2011
It was reported this week that Goldman Sachs is investing $500 million in Facebook, which is a private company. Goldman’s 470 partners and select clients are also being given an opportunity to buy shares. One report suggested that this investment puts...Read More
Who Knew? Things Investors Wish They Saw Coming
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on December 24, 2010
Hindsight bias: The inclination to see events that have occurred as being more predictable than they were before they took place. That’s Wikipedia’s definition of a behavioural weakness we all have. We take credit for having seen something...Read More
The (De)Merits of Gold
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on December 22, 2010
Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital Management is one of my favourite market analysts. In a letter published last Friday, he takes on the topic of gold. It’s a wonderful piece and a must read for anyone who is interested in the shiny metal. There are too many pearls...Read More
Watch for the Rise of the Independent Money Manager
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on December 10, 2010
We’re going through another wave of consolidation in the asset management industry. Last summer, Sceptre Investment Counsel merged into Fiera Capital. More recently, CI Financial bought Hartford’s mutual funds, Bank of Nova Scotia made an offer for DundeeWealth...Read More
It's a Real Beauty
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on December 8, 2010
"We’ve priced this product to do well in the marketplace … it’s the right product for the times …” - Martin Nel, vice-president of personal bank lending and investment products, Bank of Montreal. I’m sure there are readers who wonder why we write so negatively about...Read More
Trends and Truthdom - Running Out of Oil?
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on December 3, 2010
Is it a long-term trend or an investment truth? In my last Globe and Mail column (Much-maligned Greenback is Looking Increasingly Cheap), I held this question up to a number of economic factors - the declining supply of oil, China’s growth, Japan’s...Read More
Be Like Prem
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on December 2, 2010
There was a story in the ROB today about how Prem Watsa’s investment acumen has made a huge difference to the Sick Kids Hospital Foundation. By reducing equities to 35% of the portfolio in 2007, the foundation held up well when markets were...Read More
