Blog

Cutting Through the Noise


February 12, 2008

By Scott Ronalds

Fund Investors Vote with their Feet

Derek DeCloet wrote an article in today’s Globe and Mail that most fund companies probably don’t want you to read. He cites strong net redemptions in January from some of the industry’s "lumbering giants", and concludes that poor markets are ...

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January 31, 2008

By Scott Ronalds

Score One for E*Trade

Generally speaking, the financial services industry isn’t known for punchy, let alone creative advertising.  Most of the big firms tend to stick to conservative, feel-good campaigns. I came across an ad in a magazine the other day from E*Trade that ...

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January 22, 2008

By Scott Ronalds

What's Going on Out There?

It’s times like these that test our patience as investors. As of yesterday’s close, the TSX had dropped more than 12% since the beginning of the year. Last year’s gains were gone in a mere three weeks. The S&P 500 ...

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January 17, 2008

By Scott Ronalds

Podcast: Fourth Quarter Review

In this podcast, we review the fourth quarter, touch on some of the highlights of our Quarterly Report, and take a closer look at how our funds are positioned for 2008 and beyond. The session was fuelled by Nibs (Steadyhand's licorice of choice) for those wondering about the obscure reference toward the end.

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January 2, 2008

By Scott Ronalds

Top Business Ideas for 2008

Bell-bottom jeans, the Chia Pet, and the $5 latte. What do they have in common? All were seemingly ridiculous ideas that were brushed over and laughed at in the conceptual phase. But who’s laughing now? We were inspired by a ...

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November 22, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

It's Been a Bumpy Week for Financial Professionals

This was just too good to pass up... ...

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November 21, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Podcast: Edinburgh Partners & the Global Equity Fund - Part II (mp3)

In this podcast, Christine Montgomery, an insurance analyst and portfolio manager at Edinburgh Partners (EP), reviews her firm's investment philosophy, gives an update on the Global Equity Fund and provides some insight into what investors can expect going forward. On a personal note, we discover that EP's insurance analyst is a fan of Led Zeppelin, bypasses Burberry, and prefers St. Andrews over Carnoustie.

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November 14, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Those Damn Academics

Some mutual fund executives must be getting pretty fed up with the academic world. First there was the study Mutual Fund Fees Around the World published last year by three professors from Harvard Business School, the London Business School and ...

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November 5, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Show me the Return

Ever wonder why your broker or mutual fund company doesn’t show performance on your account statement? The reason is pretty simple – they don’t have to. There’s a group of financial advisors who are trying to change that. The Investor ...

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November 1, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Videocast: Wil Wutherich

With the camera rolling, the manager of the Steadyhand Small-Cap Equity Fund (Wil Wutherich) recently sat down with Tom to talk shop. Watch the video to learn more about Wil's background, investing style, and the Small-Cap Fund (note: high speed internet required...

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October 17, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Update on Tom: Back in the Saddle

We're pleased to announce that Tom's recovery from surgery is going extremely well and he returned to work this week and will once again be a permanent fixture around the office. While the rest of the team will likely have ...

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October 15, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Hedgies are Bulking Up, But it may not Benefit Investors

The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published October 13, 2007 The first column I wrote for The Globe and Mail was on hedge funds. As a guest columnist, I innocently poked my head up and declared that their fees ...

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October 10, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

ABCP - Another Made-in-Canada Defective Investment Product

There has been a lot written about Canada’s asset-backed commercial paper debacle. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to sort it all out, given that everyone has an axe to grind on the issue. Diane Urquhart is an independent analyst who I ...

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October 3, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Poolside with David Swensen

I got an email from Neil on Saturday afternoon: From: njensen@steadyhand.com Subject: Words of wisdom from Swensen Body: Read while watching Claire at swimming today (p.60): "Sensible investors pursue diversification as a policy to reduce risk, not as a tactic ...

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October 1, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

We Know They're Mistakes, So Why Keep Making Them?

The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published September 29, 2007 "Wisdom comes from sitting on your ass." According to Warren Buffett's sidekick, Charlie Munger, it's the best road to effective thinking. For the last six weeks I've been laid ...

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October 1, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Believe Me, I'm Not Making This Up

This month, Lori and I received the following notice with our Visa bill. It comes from the bank that is ‘First for you.’ Take a break this month No minimum payment required this month Because you are a valued cardholder, ...

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September 27, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Meet the Small-Cap Manager

Wil Wutherich , the manager of the Steadyhand Small-Cap Equity Fund, is leaving his perch in Montreal for a series of research meetings out west. We've booked the evening of Thursday, October 11th , for him to tell the Wutherich ...

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September 21, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Update on Tom

We've had a few calls and emails lately asking how Tom's doing, so we felt it was a good time to provide a brief update. Tom is recovering well and on-track from his surgery and expects to be back in ...

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September 21, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Looney Predictions

With the loonie hitting parity with the U.S. dollar for the first time in over 30 years, the forecasters are once again coming out of the woodwork with predictions on the future direction of the currency. Some are patting themselves ...

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September 18, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Questions from an Informed Investor

We recently received an email from an investor who posed a few well thought questions about our funds and our company. We thought other investors following the development of Steadyhand may find these questions, and our responses, informative. Q: I ...

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September 16, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Bigger Isn't Better, So Give Some Love to the Little Guys

The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published September 15, 2007 If you've been a regular reader of this column, you know that I sometimes write about things that are driving my wife crazy. When Lori gets on a rant ...

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September 12, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Longevity Ultimately Leads to Success

Richard Croft wrote a good article in yesterday’s National Post about how longevity is the most important factor in determining investment success. “In the end, one strategy or style is probably as good as another...the problem for average investors is ...

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September 10, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Is Apple Doing the Right Thing?

After only two months on the market, Apple has dropped the price of its new iPhone from $599 to $399. Steve Jobs, the company’s CEO, posted a note on Apple’s website explaining the reasoning behind the 33% price slash. Essentially, ...

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September 6, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist

Tom's been busy reading during his recovery from surgery (we've taken away his laptop, but we can't take away his library). He recently dusted off Roger Lowenstein's book, Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist , and added it to ...

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September 4, 2007

By Scott Ronalds

Immaculate Correction? Maybe, But Times Have Changed

The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published September 1, 2007 Are we experiencing another immaculate correction? That’s how I describe the market corrections we’ve experienced while living under the protective umbrella of U.S. President George W. Bush and former ...

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