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Do you invest too much in Canada? + MORE Nov 10th
Canada is the second-largest country in the world. But is there such a thing as too much Canada?
Too much natural beauty, no. Too much poutine, never. Too much snow, yep. Too much Justin Bieber, yes. And too much held in Canadian stocks? Definitely yes.
The Canadian stock market represents l.... More »
Asian stocks leap as fears ease over British vote on EU + MORE Jun 20th
HONG KONG – Most Asian stock markets jumped Monday as polls suggest British voters will choose to remain in the European Union in a referendum this week, easing investor worries about a possible “Brexit.”
KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index surged 2.3 per cent t.... More »
Banking watchdog warns rising mortgage debt puts lenders at risk + MORE Nov 29th
In October, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. issued its ‘red warning’ for the country’s real estate market as a whole
.... More »
Making sense of the markets this week: April 28, 2024 + MORE Apr 26th
Kyle Prevost, creator of 4 Steps to a Worry-Free Retirement, Canada’s DIY retirement planning course, shares financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors.
Google starts paying out
Several big tech names made waves this week, but for very different reasons.
Tech earnings .... More »
For a child’s dreams, are parents going for gold, or broke? + MORE Aug 1st
The Olympics spark hope in many a child of going for the gold. But in financially supporting those dreams, some parents are going for broke.
For his 15-year old son’s travel hockey team, Tim Richmeier was spending about $5,000 a season: using his tax refunds, halting contributions to his 401(k.... More »
Creditors delay multimillion-dollar loan payment for Puerto Rico’s public power company
– canadianbusiness.com
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico’s financially struggling public power company won a big reprieve Thursday, announcing that creditors agreed to postpone payment of $671 million worth of bank loans until next year.
It was the third time this year that creditors allowed the state-owned Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA, to delay payments amid growing speculation that it might default on its roughly $9 billion debt.
The power company owes a Scotiabank consortium $525 million and Citigroup $146 million and now has until March 31 to make those payments. The banks will continue to collect interest on those amounts.
“Today’s agreements give PREPA the additional time and financial resources we need to reach a comprehensive solution that ensures our ability to provide a safe, reliable and efficient power supply to all Puerto Ricans for many years to come,” said Juan Alicea, executive director of the power company.
The credit lines allow the power company to buy oil and keep lights on across the U…
It was the third time this year that creditors allowed the state-owned Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA, to delay payments amid growing speculation that it might default on its roughly $9 billion debt.
The power company owes a Scotiabank consortium $525 million and Citigroup $146 million and now has until March 31 to make those payments. The banks will continue to collect interest on those amounts.
“Today’s agreements give PREPA the additional time and financial resources we need to reach a comprehensive solution that ensures our ability to provide a safe, reliable and efficient power supply to all Puerto Ricans for many years to come,” said Juan Alicea, executive director of the power company.
The credit lines allow the power company to buy oil and keep lights on across the U…
Weekend Reading – Poor bond yields, blog success, debt and more
– myownadvisor.ca
Welcome to another Weekend Reading edition, my selections for the best in personal finance from the blogosphere. This week, I wrote about my financials goals for 2014 and thanks to my friends at 5i Research, I shared some technical details about analyzing Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).Here are some of my favourite articles and sites visited from the week that was – enjoy friends.
Ian McGugan wrote about retirement strategies for a low (and likely prolonged) bond-yield world. This was an interesting bucket approach I’ve seen before and I thought the visual was kinda cool. Also interesting was where most of the assets could be held in bucket # 3 for longer-term investing: an ETF that focuses on holding Canadian dividend-paying stocks with the ticker VDY managed by low-cost leader Vanguard Canada:
My friends at Boomer & Echo are celebrating four years of success.
Young and Thrifty encouraged you to check out their great series of podcasts, and I’m there too!
Barry Choi wrote about debt…
Canada Pension Plan assets reach $227 billion
– thestar.com
The Canada Pension Plan fund gained $7.7 billion in its latest quarter, with net assets reaching nearly $227 billion.
Algonquin Power boosts dividend 12% as it switches to U.S. currency
– canadianbusiness.com
OAKVILLE, Ont. – Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX:AQN) has announced a more than 12 increase in its annual dividend, which in future will be paid in U.S. rather than Canadian currency.
The Ontario-based operator of regulated and unregulated utilities across North America said the dividend will increase on an annual basis to 35 cents US from 34 cents Cdn, effectively a 12.4 per cent increased based on midday exchange rates Thursday.
Payments will continue to be made on a quarterly basis, with the increase taking it to 8.75 cents US per share. The first payment under the new regime will be Oct. 15 to shareholders of record on Sept. 30.
“The board made the strategic decision to change to a U.S. dollar denominated dividend to better align APUC’s dividend policy with the currency profile of its cash flows, which are predominantly generated in the U.S.,” the company said in a statement after markets closed.
The announcement came as Algonquin also reported a slight decrease in second-quarter net income from continuing operations, while adjusted earnings were essentially flat…
The Ontario-based operator of regulated and unregulated utilities across North America said the dividend will increase on an annual basis to 35 cents US from 34 cents Cdn, effectively a 12.4 per cent increased based on midday exchange rates Thursday.
Payments will continue to be made on a quarterly basis, with the increase taking it to 8.75 cents US per share. The first payment under the new regime will be Oct. 15 to shareholders of record on Sept. 30.
“The board made the strategic decision to change to a U.S. dollar denominated dividend to better align APUC’s dividend policy with the currency profile of its cash flows, which are predominantly generated in the U.S.,” the company said in a statement after markets closed.
The announcement came as Algonquin also reported a slight decrease in second-quarter net income from continuing operations, while adjusted earnings were essentially flat…
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reveals stake in Charter Communications, tweaks several holdings
– canadianbusiness.com
OMAHA, Neb. – Billionaire Warren Buffett’s company has revealed a new stake in Charter Communications Inc. and made several other tweaks to its $108 billion U.S. stock portfolio.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. filed an update on its portfolio with the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday.
Berkshire said it owned 2.3 million shares of cable television provider Charter, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut, at the end of June.
Many investors like to copy Buffett’s moves because of his remarkably successful record. But Berkshire’s combined filing includes investments made by two other executives at the company, so it’s not always clear whether Buffett made the decisions.
Berkshire officials don’t routinely comment on these quarterly stock filings, and they didn’t immediately respond to a request Thursday.
Buffett has said investments smaller than $300 million are likely to be the work of Berkshire’s investment managers.
During the second quarter, Berkshire added to its holdings in General Motors Co…
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. filed an update on its portfolio with the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday.
Berkshire said it owned 2.3 million shares of cable television provider Charter, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut, at the end of June.
Many investors like to copy Buffett’s moves because of his remarkably successful record. But Berkshire’s combined filing includes investments made by two other executives at the company, so it’s not always clear whether Buffett made the decisions.
Berkshire officials don’t routinely comment on these quarterly stock filings, and they didn’t immediately respond to a request Thursday.
Buffett has said investments smaller than $300 million are likely to be the work of Berkshire’s investment managers.
During the second quarter, Berkshire added to its holdings in General Motors Co…
