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
iwb22535 (October 5, 2025)
The CRA is a mess… The Week… Canadian banks outperform… Gavin Graham’s bank updates… Gavin Graham updates Winpak, Cameco… Gordon Pape updates CGI, Pfizer, Maple Leaf Foods
iwb22534 (September 29, 2025)
Big gain for Global Portfolio, The Week, Small cap dividend growers: A hybrid approach, Ryan Irvine updates Dynacor, Polaris Infrastructure, Gordon Pape updates Constellation Software, Financial factoids: Nintendo
iwb22533 (September 21, 2025)
Where to invest now… The Week… Investing in Canadian healthcare… Adam Mayers updates Loblaw, Telus, Telus International… Gordon Pape’s ETF updates: iShares Core S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETF, iShares Core MSCI Canadian Quality Dividend Index ETF, iShares Global Agricultural Index ETF… Gordon Pape’s stock updates: BCE, Rogers Communications
iwb22532 (September 15, 2025)
Growth Portfolio gains 35%… The Week… State of the Markets… Shawn Allen updates WSP Global, Canadian Tire, Dollarama, RioCan REIT… Adam Mayers updates MDA Space… Members’ Corner: Trump scorecard
Recent Updates
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.
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.
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.