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
iwb21644 (December 12, 2016)
A year of improbable profits… Lessons from history… Glenn Rogers visits Cuba… Glenn Rogers’s updates: iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, Allergan plc, iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF… Gordon Pape’s updates: UnitedHealth Group, Aecon Group, Badger Daylighting, Lundin Mining… Your Questions: Rising interest rates
iwb21643 (December 4, 2016)
Good news for energy – maybe… Another gain for Buy and Hold… Winners and losers of 2016… Ryan Irvine picks Photon Control… Fee increase
iwb21642 (November 28, 2016)
Mini-Portfolio still on track Good news for banks… Gavin Graham’s bank updates… More Gavin Graham updates: Vodafone, Novartis AG… Gordon Pape’s updates: Stryker Corp., Shaw Communications… Your Questions: Mutual Funds or ETFs?… Membership fees
iwb21641 (November 20, 2016)
Predicting the unpredictable… Five issues that may affect your portfolio… Trump winners and losers… Shawn Allen’s updates: Stantec, Melcor Developments, American Express… Gordon Pape’s updates: J.B. Hunt Transport, New Flyer Industries, CGI Group
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.