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
iwb20124 (July 5, 2010)
G20 fallout… A safety-first ETF… Irwin Michael: Volatility will continue… Irwin Michael updates American National Insurance, Fortress Paper… IWB Defensive Portfolio update… Gordon Pape’s updates: Shaw Communications… Selling your car? Beware of scams. … Your Questions: Account fees, how many stocks?… Members’ Corner: More on TFSAs
iwb20123 (June 28, 2010)
The Fed’s bleak outlook… China’s housing bubble not a repeat of U.S. mess… Ryan Irvine updates Boyuan Construction, Zungui Haixi, Cash Store Financial… Suncor or Cenovus?… Gordon Pape’s updates: Viterra, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Research in Motion… Glenn Rogers updates Jabil Circuit, Cogent Systems… Members’ Corner: G20 meeting, TFSA confusion… Senate report… Last chance to beat HST
iwb20122 (June 21, 2010)
G20 a bad idea… The TFSA mess… More on TFSAs… Glenn Rogers buys iPad, finds stock… Glenn Rogers updates Global Technology ETF, Cisco, Broadcom… Gordon Pape’s updates: Shaw Communications… Tom Slee updates three preferreds… Your Questions: U.S. dollars in RRSPs, bond spreads
iwb20121 (June 14, 2010)
The silly season… Oil sands updates: Suncor, UTS, Claymore ETF, Penn West… Tom Slee: Focus on the fundamentals… Tom Slee updates Finning, Toromont… Gavin Graham: Do cry for Argentina… Your Questions: Gold prices… Members’ Corner: Nortel still eligible?
Recent Updates
Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX, NYSE: BNS)
Scotiabank is the most internationally diversified of the major Canadian banks, with over 30% of its assets coming from its overseas operations, primarily what the bank describes as the three Pacific Alliance countries of Mexico, Peru, and Chile. It sold its subscale operations in Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica to bank Davivienda in the first quarter in exchange for a 20% stake in Davivienda, taking a $1.4 billion impairment charge on the sale. Scotiabank has strengths in mortgage and corporate lending and wealth management and is usually the lowest cost operator amongst the major banks.
Buy
RBC Group (TSX, NYSE: RY)
RBC is the largest bank in Canada, with 23% market share after the acquisition of HSBC’s Canadian operations in late 2024. It has strengths in retail banking, investment banking, and asset management plus the largest share of mortgages and corporate lending in Canada.
Buy
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE)
Pfizer is a leading international pharmaceutical company that can trace its history back more than 170 years. Its business units include Oncology, Inflammation & Immunology, Rare Disease, Hospital, Vaccines, and Internal Medicine. Pfizer was the first company (along with partner BioNTech) to have a Covid vaccine approved for general use. It has proven to be highly effective with minimal side effects. The company has also developed a drug to treat the virus.
Hold
Winpak Ltd. (TSX: WPK, OTC: WIPKF)
Winpak produces goods that are mainly used in the food and beverage and healthcare industries. Its modified atmosphere packaging is used to extend the shelf life of perishable products such as meat, poultry, and cheese as well as healthcare products. The majority of its sales are in North America.
Buy
Cameco Corp. (TSX: CCO, NYSE: CCJ)
Cameco is one of the world’s largest uranium producers, with mines at McArthur River and Cigar Lake in Saskatchewan and refineries in Ontario. As governments and investors have become more favourably inclined towards non-carbon emitting sources of baseload power such as nuclear in recent years, Cameco’s fortunes and its share price have revived.