One of the most important principles of sound investment management is staying on top of what’s happening in the world and how those events affect finances. Conditions change quickly, and keeping up-to-date on developments and trends can be challenging. The team of experts producing IWB have been advising Canadian investors for over 25 years.
Edited and Published by Gordon Pape. Associate Editor: Richard Croft
With Gavin Graham, Ryan Irvine, Glenn Rogers, Shawn Allen, Adam Mayers, Paul Bamford & Michael Corcoran.
Recent Issues
iwb22223 (June 13, 2022)
Pro and cons of DRIPs… Bottom fishing… Richard Croft updates BMO Covered Call Canadian Banks ETF, BMO S&P/TSX Equal Weight Banks Index ETF, Goldman Sachs… Gordon Pape updates Descartes Systems Group, Target… Seniors shocked at high risk rating… Your Questions: DRIP taxation… Members’ Corner: Dividend stocks
iwb22222 (June 5, 2022)
Interest rate woes… Fight a recession with dividends… An uncomfortable opportunity… Glenn Rogers updates Xylem, Boeing, Nike, Sabre, Teck Resources… Gordon Pape updates Telus, BCE… Your Questions: DRIP taxation
iwb22221 (May 30, 2022)
Big box stores struggle… Investment valuations and interest rates… Shawn Allen recommends Starbucks… Shawn Allen updates Canadian Tire, Alimentation Couch-Tard, Canadian Western Bank… Gordon Pape updates Home Depot… Your Questions: Tax filings; Claiming tax loss; Successor annuitants
iwb22220 (May 16, 2022)
Market bust, energy boom… Gains for fast food giants… REITs with new economy potential… Gordon Pape’s updates: ExxonMobil, Equitable Group, Brookfield Asset Management… Your Questions: Mawer fund; Seeking a safe haven; Pharmaceutical ETFs… Members’ Corner: More on aging
Recent Updates
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B)
Berkshire is a giant conglomerate holding company, with hundreds of operating subsidiaries and huge stock investments.
Dollarama (TSX: DOL)
Dollarama has 1,719 stores in Canada. Its highly profitable business model includes directly sourcing its products at low cost, generally from Asia, and from China in particular. All stores are company-owned and operated in leased premises. It also owns 60% of the fast-growing 752-store Dollarcity chain, with established locations in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Peru. Dollarcity recently opened its first eleven stores in Mexico.
lululemon Athletic (NDQ: LULU)
The fact that its products are proprietary, along with its strong brand reputation, allows lululemon to sell at very lucrative margins. Its gross margin of 54% equates to a markup over costs of 117%!
It now has 811 company-operated stores in 23 countries. The locations of the stores are 47% in the US, 21% China, 9% Canada, 14% in Asia Pacific, 6% in Europe and the Middle East, and 3% in Mexico. Close to half of its revenue is now derived from online direct-to-consumer sales.
Canadian National Railway (TSX: CNR, NYSE: CNI)
CNR operates across Canada and south through Chicago and Memphis to the Gulf of Mexico. Most of its revenue (69%) is from Canada and the rest is from the US. About 35% of its revenues relate to overseas traffic, while 65% represents freight moving within North America.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF
IWM is an ETF designed to track the investment results of the Russell 2000 Index. The underlying index is the most widely followed benchmark for small‑cap equities.