Are alternative energy suppliers a good deal? + MORE Nov 18th

How to go about securing the best return for your investment in Canada.
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Sears faces soft market in sale of Canadian assets + MORE May 15th

Recent sale of store leases has weakened prospects for a quick sale, with no buyer in sight .... More »

Ottawa should consider steps to cool mortgage borrowing + MORE Dec 10th

OTTAWA – The federal government may want to consider targeted steps to “lean against” the shift toward significantly bigger mortgages, a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute suggests. But it cautioned against any broad measures such as raising the minimum down payment for all borrowers. The r.... More »

Alaska could end to oil checks paid to residents since 1982 + MORE Jun 29th

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – As Alaska faces a multibillion dollar budget deficit, the oil fund wealth checks distributed yearly to nearly every Alaskan could be on the chopping block. It could mean the first time in more than 30 years that most Alaskans won’t get a check from the government just.... More »
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Stock news for investors: Air Canada Q3 profit plunges to as strike weighs on results Nov 7th

Here’s a round-up of news for Canadian investors this week. Air Canada Fortis Thomson Reuters Suncor Cameco Maple Leaf Foods Sun Life Financial Cineplex Corus Entertainment Xanadu Quantum Technologies Featured RRSP Accounts .... More »

Germany’s Axel Springer sells all of its Russian media assets to comply with new law + MORE Sep 18th

MOSCOW – The Russian subsidiary of a major German publishing house on Thursday sold all of its media assets in Russia to comply with a new law. Russia adopted a law last year that limited foreign ownership in Russian media to 20 per cent, citing security concerns, and although the law does not.... More »
The activist investor also says he will stick with his Apple investment

Continue Reading On theglobeandmail.com »

TORONTO – Some of the most active companies traded Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange:
Toronto Stock Exchange (13,458.06 down 24.50 points):
Air Canada (TSX:AC.B). Airline. Down 26 cents, or 3.82 per cent, at $6.55 on 5.54 million shares.
Canada Lithium Corp. (TSXV:CLQ). Miner. Up 2.5 cents, or 6.33 per cent, at 42 cents on 5.06 million shares. The Toronto-based miner announced that it has achieved a “continuous production of lithium carbonate” at its open pit mining and processing plant near Val d’Or, Que.
Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Plane and train maker. Up a penny, or 0.22 per cent, at $4.65 on 4.54 million shares. Bombardier announced it had secured contracts and interest at the Dubai air show from two companies for a number of its Q400 turboprop planes in deals that could be worth up to US$423 million.
Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX:MFC). Insurer. Up 35 cents, or 1.79 per cent, at $19.86 on 4.27 million shares.
Encana Corp. (TSX:ECA)…

Continue Reading On canadianbusiness.com »

The truth about bond prices

– moneysense.ca

Q: I have 95% of my bond investments in an ETF with a low yield. Instead of investing such a large amount in a bond fund, should I search for individual bonds offering higher returns?
—Jim Semple, Regina
A: You’ve probably seen those obnoxious ads offering “factory direct” pricing. They promise great savings on furniture or flooring by cutting out the middleman. Unfortunately you can’t go direct to the factory when it comes to bonds. “Individual investors are at a disadvantage in buying bonds because unlike stocks, bonds trade from dealers’ inventories,” says Terry Shaunessy, president of Shaunessy Investment Counsel. “Pricing is not transparent. Retail buyers usually pay a big premium—1% or more—over the wholesale or institutional market.” If you want to increase your yield, you could go with a corporate bond ETF or allocate some of your fixed-income portfolio to a preferred-share ETF. Both options involve a bit more risk, but offer the prospect of extra reward…

Continue Reading On moneysense.ca »

Business Highlights

– canadianbusiness.com

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Despite surge, many don’t see a stock bubble
NEW YORK (AP) — Is the stock market due for a pullback?
The Dow Jones industrial average has surged 900 points since early October and crossed the 16,000-point threshold Monday. IPOs are hot again. Small investors, stirred from their post-recession daze, are coming back to stocks. And it’s been more than two years since the market has had a significant slump.
Those trends have raised concerns of a stock bubble. They shouldn’t, money managers say, because even with the broader market’s 26 per cent jump this year, stocks aren’t overpriced yet.
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Stocks hit round-number milestones, then slip
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market broke through two milestones Monday before giving up nearly all its gains late in the day.
Stocks rose from the opening bell, lifting the Dow Jones industrial average above 16,000 for the first time and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index past 1,800, two big markers in a historic bull market…

Continue Reading On canadianbusiness.com »

Q: I recently switched to a company that supplies both electricity and natural gas in my area. Are these alternative suppliers a good deal?
—Ken McDougall, Guelph, Ont.
A: I have insurance on my home, my car and on my life. I spend the money each and every month to protect my family in case something catastrophic happens. But I don’t have insurance on my home heating bill. Alternative energy suppliers are essentially offering insurance that will protect you from variability in electricity and gas prices. However, that protection comes at a price. If your budget is stretched really thin, predictability may be helpful to you. But for most people, an increase in energy prices is not likely to cause serious financial hardship.
If you can stand some ups and downs on your utility bills, it isn’t worth paying more, says Trevor Johnson, an analyst at National Bank Financial. “You will pay quite a premium for the price certainty. If you just let it ride, rates would typically have to rise quite aggressively for the consumer to end up spending more money…

Continue Reading On moneysense.ca »

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