TV would agree this has been a difficult market but yes some people are making money. the shorts (people who short stocks ) have done very well. the avgerage equity fund has lost -15%, large cap fund -14.3, however bond funds on average are up 14%, high yield debt funds up +3% good compared to other investments.
would not carried away with bonds as the yields are very low and interest rates look to be on the rise by as much as half to one point. unlike in the US rates look to hold or go down.
read an article by one investor who owns DRIP/SPP stocks and has averaged +11% per year from May 1999 to Jan 2003. these are blue chip stocks that pay a dividend. I started posting about one about 18 months ago, stopped not enough time to update all of the monthly dividends. portfolio included Riocan 8.5% reit (3% discount when dividend is reinvested to buy more shares), BNS (Bank Scotia), Enbridge (which has done nothing but yields 3.5% not bad defensive play.) that was about it. you should set one up and see if you can beat your mutual funds, get a bank (BNS, CM, BMO,) throw in a pipeline (TRP,ENB), maybe a few income trust (Riocan, summit, ) be careful valuations are not cheap. other large caps later such as BCE, Alcan, ect. if you look at a chart of the Cdn. banks over 3 years they have all held up fairly well.
finally make sure you have the best funds, if your fund beat the average do not worry about it, and is top quartile, however if your fund struggles year after year near the bottom get rid of it.
will do an update of some of the stocks talked about in this forum and the good and bad results and the mistakes made and the good trades.
finally look for stocks that not everyone else and their dog has heard of, for instance Coolbrands which I listed here as one suggestion for the club picked has doubled (do not currently own it), also Rider this year selection has had a gain of 14% and got bought out, went as high as $1.68 to $2.25. played it wrong
still a decent profit.
Russel Metals has held up do not expect it to do much but yields over 4%, and KVL was mentioned here at $1.42-$1.45 currently at $1.80 stock is still cheap (note small caps and Jr. oils/gas come with risk, risk).
I will profile some funds and why they may be worthwile later.
by the way TV set up a discount account get some friends together to share the costs buy a few shares, register them, then enroll in their DRIP/SPP plans a good way for an investor to begin, you maybe surprised how many mutual funds you beat over time.
stocks available for DRIP/SPP
TRP, BCE, ENB, FTS, CM, BMO, bns, AIT, AL, IMO,SU, N, (number of income trusts) do noth carried away get a couple 2-3 a build them up then add another stock.
finally when a stock is sinking dump it, in the MR.GIC portfolio I should have dumped CAE long ago, I know people who have had large gains in stocks and now have lost 80-95% of all their money in the position. when it starts going the wrong way dump it, also do not be in a hurry of trying to catch a stock making a new bottom made this mistake last month on one position and lost 15% for my troubles.
good luck TV
thanks
selkirk
