Investments

Oil patch should heat up in 2011

Increased optimism in Canada’s oil and gas sector means the number of IPOs and corporate transactions are expected to rise this year, according to Ernst & Young. This increased activity comes after a relatively slow 2010 that saw fewer but larger deals than 2009, with the value of transactions up 67% from 2009 at $35.7 […]

By Melissa Shin |February 22, 2011

2 min read

‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ mindset hurts ETFs

Twenty-one years ago the Toronto Stock Exchange launched the world’s first exchange-traded fund, the Toronto 35 Index Participation Units (TIPS). The advantages that ETFs offer have since been well chronicled. Support for low-cost, passive investing is broad and includes big names such as Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, and Charles Schwab.

By Mark Yamada |February 18, 2011

3 min read

Start sooner to save more

Many Canadians wish they had started saving and investing earlier for retirement. After all, that’s one way to be a millionaire (read: Time is on the side of young investors). Yet again the looming RRSP deadline has triggered a bout of soul-searching as Canadians take stock of their financial footing. Going by the findings of […]

By Vikram Barhat |February 17, 2011

2 min read

Assessing the earning power of financials

This past year has been interesting for financials. After the recession in 2008, bank rescues and profits led markets to recovery in 2009 as writedowns on bad loans began to slow and lending activity resumed.

By Andrew Zamfotis |February 16, 2011

3 min read