Archive for October 5th, 2012

Outlook for the Canadian Economy and the Housing Sector (Burleton)


Friday, October 5th, 2012

September 28, 2012 (6 minutes)

by TD Waterhouse

The Canadian economy appears to be stuck in a soft patch against the backdrop of slowing global demand and a lackluster recovery in the US. Derek Burleton, Deputy Chief Economist, TD, discusses the outlook for our economy and delves into the upward trend of the loonie. He also shares his view on the housing sector. Click here or on image to view.

Burleton addresses the following in the interview:

  • What is your outlook for the global economy?
  • What do you forecast the Canadian economy?
  • What about the loonie?
  • What is your outlook for the housing sector in Canada?
  • What about gold?

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Q3 Energy Sector Earnings May Not Help Equity Prices – Seasonal Exit Preferred


Friday, October 5th, 2012

(Next report is on Tuesday October 9th. The Canadian equity market is closed for a holiday on Monday. U.S. equity markets are open, but the bond market is closed for Columbus Day and equity volumes are expected to be well below recent daily activity).

Pre-opening Comments for October 5th

U.S. equity index futures are higher this morning. S&P 500 futures are up 4 point in pre-opening trade.

Index futures moved higher following release of the U.S. September jobs report. Consensus for September U.S. Non-farm Payrolls was 118,000 versus 96,000 in August. Actual was 114,000. Also, the August report was revised higher to 142,000. Consensus for the September unemployment rate was unchanged from August at 8.1%. Actual was a decline to 7.8%.

The Canadian jobs report also was encouraging. Consensus for September Canadian Employment was an increase of 10,000 versus a gain of 34,000 in August. Actual was a gain of 52,000. Consensus for the September unemployment rate was unchanged from August at 7.3%. Actual was an increase to 7.4%.

Hewlett Packard eased $0.14 to $14.80 after Argus reduced its rating from Buy to Hold and Sterne Agee downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral.

Marriott International fell $1.39 to $37.55 after Lezard Capital, ISI Group and UBS downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral.

Family Dollar Stores is expected to open higher after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock from Neutral to Outperform.

Automatic Data Processors added $0.35 to $59.25 after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy. Target was raised from $53 to $68.

Zynga plunged $0.58 to $2.24 after the company lowered its third quarter guidance.

Technical Watch

Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ:ZNGA) – $2.24 plunged 20.4% after the company lowered its third quarter guidance. The stock has a negative technical profile. Intermediate trend is down. The stock will open below support at $2.67 to reach an all-time high. The stock trades below its 20, 50 and 200 day moving averages. Short term momentum indicators are trending lower. Strength relative to the S&P 500 Index has been negative since March. Better opportunities exist elsewhere.

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Leibovit Volume Reversal Signals

Positive Leibovit volume reversal signals were flashed by XRT and GOOG. Following is a link to the report:

http://tinyurl.com/9zobz3z

Interesting Charts

The U.S. Dollar was surprisingly weak yesterday.

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Weakness in the U.S. Dollar prompted strength in commodity prices and related equities.

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Coal stocks led the advance among commodity stocks partially because of comments supporting coal made by Governor Romney during the Presidential debate.

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The Mexican ETF broke to an all-time high.

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Tech Talk’s ETF Column

(Published yesterday at www.globeandmail.com).

Headline reads, “Time to lighten up on your energy exposure”. Following is a link:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/funds-and-etfs/etfs/time-to-lighten-up-on-your-energy-exposure/article4587306/

Following is full text:

The second of two periods of seasonal strength in the energy sector is ending. Thackray’s 2012 Investor’s Guide notes that the average optimal time to own the sector is from July 24th to October 3rd. A trade in the S&P Energy Index and the S&P/TSX Energy Index has been profitable in 10 of the past 15 periods.

The energy sector has another period of seasonal strength from January 30th to April 13th. The latter time frame historically has been more reliable and more profitable than the July/October period.

Between the July/October period and the January/April period, energy prices and energy equity prices enter into a “shoulder” season between summer and winter when demand for energy and energy prices historically have weakened.

Once again, the July 24th to October 3rd period of seasonal strength has been profitable. Since recommending the sector in this column on July 23rd, the S&P/TSX Energy Index has gained 8.7 per cent and the S&P Energy Index has advanced 7.0 per cent.

On the charts, the S&P/TSX Energy Index had a positive technical profile until recently. In late July the Index broke above a classic reverse head and shoulders pattern on a break above 245. The Index slightly exceeded is target price of 272 based on the pattern. However, signs of technical weakness have surfaced recently. Short term momentum indicators are trending down. Strength relative to the S&P 500 Index and the TSX Composite Index turned negative last week. Preferred strategy is to take seasonal profits at current or higher prices.

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A word of caution! Anticipation of third quarter earnings reports by companies in the sector to be released in late October are not expected to help equity prices. On average, earnings by major companies in the sector are expected to decline by more than 20 percent on a year-over-year basis.

A wide variety of Exchange Traded Funds in the energy sector as well as crude oil, natural gas and gasoline are available in North American equity exchanges. U.S. exchanges list 30 Energy ETFs. A list is available at http://etfdb.com/etfdb-category/energy-equities. Another 24 U.S. based ETFs trade oil, gasoline and natural gas. A list is available at http://etfdb.com/etfdb-category/oil-gas. The most actively traded U.S. listed ETF, the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE $73.08) gained 8.6 percent since the close on July 20th. Canadian exchanges list seven energy equity ETFs and eleven oil and natural gas ETFs. The most actively traded Canadian equity ETF, iShares on the S&P/TSX Capped Energy Index (XEG $16.42Cdn.) has gained 9.0 per cent since the close on July 20th

Don Vialoux is the author of free daily reports on equity markets, sectors, commodities and Exchange Traded Funds. He is also a research analyst at Horizons Investment Management, offering research on Horizons Seasonal Rotation ETF (HAC-T). All of the views expressed herein are his personal views although they may be reflected in positions or transactions in the various client portfolios managed by Horizons Investment. Horizons Investment is the investment manager for the Horizons family of ETFs. Daily reports are available at http://www.timingthemarket.ca/

Updates on Continuing Seasonal Trades Recommended Since July

July 6: Accumulate gold bullion

Period of seasonal strength: July 12th to October 9th

Gold price on July 6th: $1,578.90. Current price: $1,791.80

Comment: The end of the period of seasonal strength is next Tuesday on average. However, technical remain positive. Preferred strategy is to hold for now, but take profits on the first available technical sign of weakness (e.g. breaking below its 20 day moving average)

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July 27: Sell the Transportation Sector

Dow Jones Transportation Average at 5,126.65. Current price: 5,012.71

ETF: IYT at $91.56. Current price: $89.20

Period of seasonal weakness: August 1st to October 9th

Comment: The period of seasonal strength is about to end. Technical have started to recover from oversold levels (Stochastics, RSI). The Index and ETF are about to move above their 20 day moving averages. Preferred strategy is to take profits on short positions at current or lower prices.

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August 6th: Sell the Airline sector

ETF: FAA at $28.66

Period of seasonal weakness: August 1st to October 9th

Comment: As noted in yesterday’s Tech Talk, a stop buy order was triggered on a break above resistance at $30.20.

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August 28: Sell the Semiconductor sector

Philadelphia Semiconductor Index: 397.04. Current level: 383.65

ETF: SMH: $32.83. Current level: $31.84

Period of seasonal weakness: End of August to October 9th

Comment: The end of the period of seasonal weakness on average is reached next week. Short term technical indicators (RSI, Stochastics, MACD) have started to recover from oversold levels. Preferred strategy is to take profits on short positions at current or lower prices.

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Eric Wheatley’s Column

Hi guys,

My laptop pooped out on me this week, so I’m typing this on a very old, buggy computer. I’ll therefore avoid spending too much time on this machine, so this week’s commentary will be recycled (and translated) from last week’s French-language blog post.

Here are my rules on life and investing. While they come from various sources – fans of Christopher Hitchens will undoubtedly recognise one of them – I’ve found them to work for me:

· There is nothing free in life. NOTHING.

· If you want to get yourself out of a hole, the first thing you have to do is to stop digging.

· Don’t ever speak ill of a former employer or significant other. It’ll only make YOU look bad.

· If you wouldn’t buy a stock you own at its current price, sell it.

· The only true human right/freedom is to leave.

· It’s always a good idea to buy a toilet plunger BEFORE you need it.

· Success is pretty much always proportionate to the effort put in.

· The markets are random over the short-term (astute charting folks notwithstanding). If you look at your retirement savings every morning and get giddy when they rise/depressed when they fall, you’ll just talk yourself into selling low and buying high.

· “That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence”.

· Silicone should NEVER lubricate silicone.

· Any man should get his butt kicked in a fight at least once in his life. This experience should then be recalled every time he gets angry enough to hit someone.

· If you listen to financial/medical/legal advice from your bother-in-law/neighbour/hairdresser, you’re going to regret it.

· Over the short-term, frankness and honesty can be deleterious. Over a lifetime however, the reflexive taking responsibility for one’s actions and being forthright will reward the valorous.

· Only you can solve your problems, no matter their cause. Wasting time and energy complaining about that which you can’t control isn’t going to help.

· Keep your eyes on the horizon. You probably have years yet to live; your little daily ups and downs have NO impact on your future wealth and happiness.

· If someone asks you to sniff something, say NO.

· Hope that your first-ever trade is a losing one.

· Always respect a sincere apology. Holding a grudge is easy, fessing up to a mistake isn’t.

· There is no riskless human endeavour. If you avoid all risk, the opportunity costs of events forgone will erode your wealth and happiness (in other words: get out there and do that stupid/embarrassing/kinky thing you’ve always wanted to).

· If you’re going to lift a heavy object, determine where you’re going to set it down ahead of time.

· There’s always a pigeon at the card table. If you can’t figure out who it is after two hands, it’s you.

· If you are going to work in a third-world country and get squicked out by Canadian public washrooms, you’re going to have a bad time (this one is specific and personal, but REALLY relevant if it applies).

· If you think you’ve found the secret to easy money, you’ll be poor soon.

· If you’re paying a professional, make sure that his/her interests are perfectly aligned with yours.

· The entire planet wants to siphon your savings. Stay alert and incredulous. This especially applies to everyone who is paying hidden mutual fund sales fees.

· Information is ubiquitous. Useless information is ubiquitous. Don’t blindly consume what the media excrete without critically sniffing it first (yeah, this contradicts a previous rule. This site is a medium. Sniff it).

· Most important of all: life is really frickin’ short. Stressing out only shortens it.

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I haven’t really been feeding my Twitter account this week because of the computer thingy. Sorry.

In this week’s French-language blog: overconfidence and xylophones.

Cheers!

Éric Wheatley, MBA, CIM

Associate Portfolio Manager, J.C. Hood Investment Counsel Inc.

eric@jchood.com

514.604.2829; 1.855.348.2829

Twitter: @jchood_eric_en

Blogue en français : gbsfinancier.blogspot.ca

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Little known fact about John Charles Hood #46

John Charles Hood has never owned a toilet plunger and has never needed one.

Special Free Services available through www.equityclock.com

Equityclock.com is offering free access to a data base showing seasonal studies on individual stocks and sectors. The data base holds seasonality studies on over 1000 big and moderate cap securities and indices.

To login, simply go to http://www.equityclock.com/charts/

Following is an example:

iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index Fund (ETF) (TSE:XIU) Seasonal Chart

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Disclaimer: Comments and opinions offered in this report at www.timingthemarket.c a are for information only. They should not be considered as advice to purchase or to sell mentioned securities. Data offered in this report is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.

Don and Jon Vialoux are research analysts for Horizons Investment Management Inc. All of the views expressed herein are the personal views of the authors and are not necessarily the views of Horizons Investment Management Inc., although any of the recommendations found herein may be reflected in positions or transactions in the various client portfolios managed by Horizons Investment Management Inc

Horizons Seasonal Rotation ETF HAC October 4th 2012

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Election Preview: Odds Favour the Status Quo (Neuberger Berman)


Friday, October 5th, 2012

Election Preview

October 4, 2012

by Matthew Rubin, Neuberger Berman

Odds Favor the Status Quo

In recent weeks, President Barack Obama has widened his lead over challenger Mitt Romney in most polls. As of October 4, the Iowa Electronic Markets (a trading market operated by the University of Iowa) puts the President’s chance of winning at around 70%, up from a little over 50% in May. Obama appears to have benefitted from a postconvention bounce and rising consumer confidence, although Romney’s strong showing in the first presidential debate might narrow that lead in the coming days. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives appears increasingly likely to remain in Republican control, with the market pricing in an 80% chance that the GOP will hold steady or gain additional House seats. The Senate’s election outcome appears to be a function of the presidential race; with Obama’s recent gains, Democrats appear to have the upper hand.

The table on the next page summarizes the probabilities of various election outcomes as implied by the market. There appears to be about a 60% possibility that President Obama will preside over a split or Republican Congress (highlighted in yellow) and a 24% probability of a President Romney working with a split Congress (blue). In short, despite the millions spent by both campaigns, the status quo is likely to prevail with political leaders finding themselves in similar strategic positions as before the election.
OBAMA VICTORY AND SPLIT CONGRESS LIKELY
Chart:OBAMA VICTORY AND SPLIT CONGRESS LIKELYSource: Iowa Electronic Markets, ISG; Data as of Oct 4, 2012.

Better Luck This Time?
Unfortunately, the highest probability scenario creates the most uncertainty in terms of predicting policy decisions going forward. In the past few years, the legislature has often been paralyzed by partisanship at the expense of practical policymaking. It’s hard to know whether the upcoming elections will remedy the situation and somehow prompt timely effective action on the fiscal cliff—especially given that some action is required before the start of the year when the new Congress convenes.

Given the short timeframe, investors are rightly nervous that a solution will not be achieved, particularly in light of last year’s harmful debt ceiling debate, which prompted a downgrade of U.S. Treasuries and caused global markets to tumble. However, many investors expect that a short-term extension on certain areas of controversy (i.e., the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts and a mix of spending reductions) is likely, which could soften the immediate impact on economic growth. In such a scenario, we believe the stock market is likely to react well in the short term but could become increasingly volatile as these issues are revisited in 2013. We caution investors against being too optimistic as we believe many elements of the fiscal cliff, such as payroll tax cuts, will probably be allowed to expire quietly regardless of the election outcome, creating a drag on GDP in 2013.

Other effects of an Obama victory are more predictable. We anticipate that higher income taxpayers would see their taxes rise during his second term. And the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Dodd-Frank financial regulations would likely remain in place, potentially with some adjustments. In contrast, a Romney victory would be supportive of lower tax rates, larger spending cuts, attempts at entitlement reform and a repeal or major overhaul of the ACA.
It Ain’t Over…
Despite increased odds of an Obama victory and a split Congress, a lot could change between now and the November 6 election. The polls are heavily influenced by confidence in the economy, which in turn is affected by the stock market (see display).

The recent rise in equity prices has partly been the result of looser monetary policy from the European Central Bank and Federal Reserve, but its impact may weaken, especially if employment data soften more than expected. Moreover, the remaining presidential debates could have an impact and there is always a chance of a last minute blunder or controversy that could sway results.

Notwithstanding the constant election headlines to come and the immediate implications for the fiscal cliff, the main economic effects of an election tend to be long term in nature. In the near term, we think investors should not be too distracted by political rhetoric and instead continue to focus on fundamentals affecting the economy.
OBAMA’S PROSPECTS LARGELY TRACK MARKET RESULTS
Chart: HOME PRICES AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY ARE IMPROVING

Source: FactSet, Intrade.

Copyright © Neuberger Berman

Disclaimer:

This material is presented solely for informational purposes and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. The views expressed herein are generally those of Neuberger Berman’s Investment Strategy Group (ISG), which analyzes market and economic indicators to develop asset allocation strategies. ISG consists of five investment professionals who consult regularly with portfolio managers and investment officers across the firm. Information is obtained from sources deemed reliable, but there is no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, completeness or reliability. All information is current as of the date of this material and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Third-party economic or market estimates discussed herein may or may not be realized and no opinion or representation is being given regarding such estimates. This material may include estimates, outlooks, projections and other “forward-looking statements.” Due to a variety of factors, actual events may differ significantly from those presented. Indexes are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment. Investing entails risks, including possible loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

This document is issued for use in Europe and the Middle East by Neuberger Berman Europe Limited which is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority (“FSA”) and is registered in England and Wales, Lansdowne House, 57 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6ER. Neuberger Berman is a registered trademark.

This document is being made available in Asia by Neuberger Berman Asia Limited (“NBAL”), a Hong Kong incorporated investment firm licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) to carry on Types 1, 4 and 9 regulated activities, as defined under the Securities and Futures Ordinance of Hong Kong (Cap.571) (the “SFO”).

This document, and the information contained in it, is being made available in Australia by Neuberger Berman Australia Pty Ltd (CAN 146 033 801), holder of Australian Financial Services Licence No. 391401 (“NB Australia”), to a person defined as a “wholesale client” under section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and applicable regulations, and other such persons to whom disclosure would not be required under chapter 6D and Part 7.9 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (“Wholesale Investor”), for informational and discussion purposes only. This document is intended only for the Wholesale Investor to which it has been provided, is strictly confidential and may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part nor may its contents be disclosed to any other person (other than such Wholesale Investor’s agents or advisers) under any circumstances without the prior written consent of NB Australia.

This document, and the information contained herein, is not, and does not constitute, directly or indirectly, a public or retail offer to buy or sell, or a public or retail solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, any fund, units or shares of any fund, security or other instrument (“Securities”), or to participate in any investment strategy.

The Wholesale Investor who receives this document should not consider it as a recommendation to purchase any Securities mentioned in it. To the extent that information in this document constitutes financial product advice, it is general financial product advice only, and provided only by NB Australia to Wholesale Investors. This document does not take into account the Wholesale Investor’s investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs (including financial and tax issues) as an investor. Any Securities mentioned in this document will only be available to a Wholesale Investor to whom the provision of a disclosure document prepared in accordance with Australian law is not required. The Wholesale Investor to which this document is provided should not rely on the information contained in this document in making any future investment decision.

This document has been issued for use in Japan and Korea by Neuberger Berman East Asia Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Agency of Japan and the Financial Services Commission of Republic of Korea, respectively. Please visit https://www.nb.com/Japan/risk.html for additional disclosure items required under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan.

The “Neuberger Berman” name and logo are registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Group LLC. Neuberger Berman LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor and Broker-Dealer. Member FINRA/SIPC.

 

Copyright © Neuberger Berman

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An Indian Flash Crash (FT Alphaville)


Friday, October 5th, 2012

Guest posted by David Keohane , FT Alphaville

Oct 05 09:55

See if you can spot it (chart of the Nifty from Google Finance):

From Bloomberg:

The National Stock Exchange of India said 59 erroneous orders were responsible for a plunge and halt in trading today that briefly erased about $58 billion in value from Asia’s fourth-largest market.

Orders entered by Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd. for a client that led to trades valued at 6.5 billion rupees ($126 million) caused the problem…

But, while this is particularly fun for one reason:

The halt, the biggest such problem in more than two years, comes about month before competition is poised to intensify when the third Indian bourse, the MCX Stock Exchange, begins trading equities.

“This clearly shows the systems are not in place,” Arun Kejriwal, director at Kejriwal Research & Investment Services Pvt. in Mumbai, said by phone. “With another exchange set to be operational in about a month’s time investors would have an alternative.”

It’s less fun for another:

From the NSE:

Emkay Global Financial Services has closed out the positions arising out of erroneous trades smoothly. The member has been disabled from trading.

The market circuit filter got triggered due to entry of 59 erroneous orders which resulted in multiple trades for an aggregate value of over Rs.650 crores. These orders have been entered by a trading member Emkay Global Financial Services on behalf of an institutional client. These non-algo market orders have been entered for an erroneous quantity which resulted in executing trades at multiple price points across the entire order book thereby causing the circuit filter to be triggered. These orders have been identified to a specific dealer terminal.

The market opened normally today and Nifty opened at 5,815. At 9.50.58 Nifty circuit filter got triggered upon which the cash market was closed automatically. The Nifty fall was apparently on account of abnormal orders resulting in multiple trades at low prices. While the Exchange systems functioned normally without any glitch, the above abnormal trades caused market closure automatically due to the index circuit filter getting triggered. The market was reopened by the Exchange with a pre-open phase at 10.00.22 and trading resumed at 10.05.00. The market is functioning normally and the incident is being investigated.

No algo baiting here then. Boo.

Copyright © FTAlpahville

Source: http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2012/10/05/1193301/an-indian-flash-crash/

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Mortgage Hedge Funds Love the Bernank


Friday, October 5th, 2012

by Sober Look

If there is one set of investors that has been cheering Ben Bernanke on, it is the mortgage-focused hedge funds. This group of funds has by far outperformed the hedge fund universe as the Fed decided to take a big chunk of MBS paper out of the market (see discussion) – in addition to the previous securities purchase programs. Other long-biased fixed income hedge funds (such as ABS) have done reasonably well on the back of Fed’s action, though most lag their indices. Equity funds on the other hand have struggled for the past two years (except for stat arb) as both the long-biased AND the short-biased equity funds lost money this and last year. It’s not clear how that happened but it speaks to the stock picking “prowess” of the hedge fund community.

Hedge Fund Performance (Source: Bloomberg)

 

Copyright © SoberLook.com

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Keeping An Eye On European Funds For Future Re-Entry


Friday, October 5th, 2012

by Richard Shaw, QVM Group

Europe will not stay down forever.  The US will not be the clear market of choice forever.  Depressed markets have substantial price recovery potential when their trend reverses from down to up.  Here is a look at some of the potentially more interesting European ETFs and a couple of European mutualf funds.

The fund is not totally inclusive.  Mutual funds are for the most part excluded, in favor of ETFs.  However, active management of a mutual fund may be advantageous.

To make the list a fund must outperform the S&P 500 proxy SPY in at least one of these periods: 10 years, 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or YTD 2012 or 3 months; and the fund must have at least $10 million in assets.

Many funds outperformed over 10 years.  No funds outperformed over 5 years and 3 years.   Some funds outperformed YTD, and more funds outperformed over 3 months.

Here’s the data — except for capture ratios, SPY is included in the data table for contrast.

Figure 1: Rolling Returns and Yield

Figure 2: Calendar Yields

Figure 3: Sharpe Ratio and Capture Ratio Spreads for 1, 3, 5 and 10 Years

Figure 4: Historical Valuation Multiples

Figure 5: Forward Valuation Multiples

 

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Being Benched


Friday, October 5th, 2012

by Jamie Hyndman, Mawer Investment Management

Earlier this week, Vanguard announced they are changing benchmark providers. They are switching from MSCI to FTSE for their international products, and to the Center for Research in Security Prices for their U.S. products. While the move has received a great deal of media coverage, no one at Mawer Investment Management has lost any sleep over it.

We pay little attention to benchmarks. In fact, we are ambivalent as to whether our portfolios look similar to a benchmark or are completely different from it. What’s important to us is that the companies we own are wealth creating, have excellent management teams, and trade at attractive valuations.

Having said that, we are acutely aware of the existence of benchmarks because each quarter-end many of our clients use them to evaluate our performance. Yet in our minds, the degree to which benchmarks have permeated the investment industry is a shame. Terms like “tracking error” speak volumes about where the industry is at with respect to benchmarking. Tracking error suggests that it is a mistake to have a portfolio that is different from that of a benchmark – we beg to differ.

Why should we feel pressured to mimic a benchmark and invest in what we might consider to be unattractive investments? There are numerous examples of companies that once dominated their indices but turned out to be poor investments. Nortel and Research in Motion are a few such examples.

Despite the prevalence of benchmarks in our industry, we intend to remain agnostic in our approach to them. Instead, we will continue to focus on our disciplined investment approach and our long-term view on investing. Although this can lead to being benched in the short-term, we are confident it is the right approach in the long-term.

Jamie Hyndman

Copyright © Mawer Investment Management

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The Top Ten Foods That Make You Bloat, and other (Thanksgiving) Weekend Reads


Friday, October 5th, 2012

http://advisoranalyst.com/glablog/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/eb339c8abd9ccce8cebe17329ada1da2.jpg

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gkk/pix/Turkey-Moo.jpg

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are this week’s reading diversions for your personal enlightenment. Have a truly awesome and Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Is Alzheimer’s A Fourth Type Of Diabetes?

In clinical practice today, there are three types of diabetes: type 1, which has no known cause or cure and is typically diagnosed in childhood; type 2, called the “lifestyle” diabetes, though it is also caused by ethnicity and family history; and gestational, which strikes pregnant women and in 90 percent of cases goes away after women give birth.

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Breast Cancer Treatment: Two Fruits That Could Kill Cancer

The study suggests that two polyphenols (plant-based chemicals) are responsible for the cancer cell deaths. It was published recently in the “Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.” The phenols are organic compounds that occur specifically in fruits. They are slightly acidic and may be associated with traits such as aroma, taste or color.

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Neck Cracking, Dangerous? Spinal Manipulation May Increase Risk Of Stroke

If you crack your neck to relieve pain, you aren’t alone. By one estimate, chiropractors perform between 18 and 38 million cervical spine manipulation treatments each year. That involves quick motions to loosen the joint and ligaments, which often makes a “pop” sound — and that helps explain the colloquial term we often use: “cracking.”

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Pomegranate Juice: Blood Pressure Fighter?

Despite its underworld associations, the pomegranate has a number of health benefits. Pomegranate juice has long been linked to blood pressure regulation, thanks to its potassium, sodium and folic acid content. The fruit is also rich with antioxidants, more so than most fruit juices according to the Mayo Clinic, which is good for heart health.

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Slideshow Pictures: ADHD in Adults — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on eMedicineHealth

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not limited to children — 30% to 70% of kids with ADHD continue having symptoms when they grow up. In addition, people who were never diagnosed as kids may develop more obvious symptoms in adulthood, causing trouble on the job or in relationships. Many adults don’t realize they have ADHD, leaving them mystified about why their goals seem to slip out of reach.

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Hospital meals need to hold the salt – Health – CBC News

On average, Canadians consume 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, which is 1,100 milligrams over the recommended levels. At least three-quarters of that sodium comes from processed foods.

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Silent Cacophony: Happy Thanksgiving! A Fresh New Start

It took me a while to realize that I actually have quite a lot to be thankful for. Sure, things didn’t quite work out the way I had wanted them to this last year. But that doesn’t really mean much in the grand scheme of things. I truly believe that things happen for a reason and that things will work out eventually.

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Vitamin D and Your Immune System: Does D Stop You From Getting Sick? | Women’s Health News Blog: Latest Health Headlines and Tips to Stay Healthy

There’s one vitamin that comes pretty close to perfect on paper—until now. Researchers have long sung their praises for D, the vitamin proven to fend off everything from bad moods, to belly fat–we’re talking bone-strengthening, cancer-fighting, life-lengthening power. Damn.

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Why You Need More Vitamin D | Women’s Health Magazine

Translation: Low vitamin D will result in your body working far below its potential. And you’re probably not getting anywhere near the right amount. Here’s why you’ll be hearing a lot more about it and how you can score what you need to avoid a vitaimin D deficiency and make your body function at its absolute max

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Why Is It Important To Be Healthy? | LIVESTRONG.COM

A healthy lifestyle entails making changes in your life to decrease your risk for disease and increase your longevity. In order to follow a healthy lifestyle you should eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, be a nonsmoker and drink in moderation. By making these changes you are taking the first step to feeling your very best.

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Amanda Garbutt: The Top 10 Foods That Make You Bloat

Health Canada reports that on average Canadians consume approximately 3,400 mg of sodium each day — almost double the recommended daily amount. Sugar is even worse: we consume an average of 26 tsp/110 g of sugar per day, accounting for roughly one in five calories in our diets.

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10 Things You Should Know About Writing a Will – Assets, Inheritance – AARP

A will is simply a legal document in which you, the testator, declare who will manage your estate after you die. Your estate can consist of big, expensive things such as a vacation home but also small items that might hold sentimental value such as photographs. The person named in the will to manage your estate is called the executor because he or she executes your stated wishes.

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Beer is the better match for Thanksgiving Dinner: What’s Brewing? – thestar.com

Oh sure, you might have one while you’re cooking the turkey or ham, or later after the houseful of relatives is gone. But on the dinner table? Odds are you’ll offer up a bottle or two of wine, probably white (say, riesling?).
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