A lot has changed…

Technology has made the world smaller. Things move fast and things change even faster. The news, views, and concerns of the world make it to our screens in the matter of seconds. When it comes to wealth management and investing, it can be hard to keep perspective.

October 6, 2017

RESULTS at a glance

Canadian stocks and gold prices both rose in the third quarter of 2017.  U.S. stocks were up, though the majority of the gains were lost due to the loonie’s strength this quarter. Long-term bond yields diverged, rising in Canada while relatively flat in the U.S.  The price of oil recovered […]
September 14, 2017

Attention to Details – September Edition

Short-Term Noise and Long–Term Investing: An example of why long-term investing is harder than it sounds (GuruFocus). One of the most difficult tasks faced by investors is maintaining conviction with a company in the face of short-term, negative price action. Quite often, it is the noise of a stock’s recent […]
August 17, 2017

September 5, 2017 T+2: Ready, Get Set, Switch!

Years in the works, September 5, 2017 marks the target date for an important change in the securities marketplace.  On that day Canada and the U.S. intend to shorten their standard securities settlement cycle. The Canadian Capital Market Association is working to promote investor awareness and prepare Canada to switch. […]
July 20, 2017

Results at a Glance

Read more about H1 – 2017 in WDS Investment Perspectives. Canadian and U.S. stock-returns diverged even more this quarter, with the Canadian market slumping as U.S. markets set record highs. Long-term bond yields took different directions as well, rising in Canada and falling in the US. Gold is flat since March. […]
July 10, 2017

The Yield Whisper Part II – Is the Dividend Sustainable?

In Part I (link) we explored the question “is a higher yield always better?” Not necessarily it turned out if it’s only the result of a declining stock price. Now let’s break down the dividend yield further by zooming in on the annual dividend payout. As a future investor you […]
June 20, 2017

Attention To Details – June Edition

Each month we’ll lift the lid on what WDS does behind the scenes to invest well. It is attention to such details, over the course of time that allows you to accumulate wealth and attain financial security. Enterprising Investor – The Active Equity Renaissance Arbitrary measures of performance, financial intermediaries, […]
June 12, 2017

Be Prepared: Know Your Appetite for Risk

“Emotions are the most important determinant of long-horizon wealth.” – C. Thomas Howard, PhD.   Is there truth to Dr. Howard’s unorthodox statement that you need to know about? When you invest, you make choices. One of the main trade-offs is the level of risk you are willing to bear […]
May 16, 2017

Attention to Details – May Edition

Each month we’ll lift the lid on what WDS does behind the scenes to invest well. It is attention to such details, over the course of time that allows you to accumulate wealth and attain financial security. GuruFocus – Why Cash Is King This article (link) explains the free cash […]
April 5, 2019

RESULTS at a glance – 1Q19

2019 started off strong, with Canadian and U.S. markets both experiencing low-teen returns in the first quarter. At the same time, 10-year government yields have fallen in both countries as central banks signaled a pause in their rate hikes; in the U.S., this has led to a yield inversion, with […]
March 8, 2019

Attention to Detail – March 2019

An Important Lesson From Ben Graham by Charlie Munger (GuruFocus) This month’s article (link) features a short excerpt from an old Outstanding Investor Digest issue, in which Charlie Munger himself recalls an encounter he had with his investment mentor, Ben Graham, that taught him a valuable lesson about corporate management. […]
January 29, 2019

RESULTS at a glance – 2018 Year End

It was a tough year, with two corrections causing both Canadian and U.S. markets to experience negative returns in 2018. The Canadian dollar erased much of its progress against the greenback despite rising interest rates in Canada. Oil prices dropped drastically after rallying throughout most of the year. Gold, while down […]
December 14, 2018

Attention to Detail – December 2018

Zoom Out, Baby, Zoom Out (Safal Niveshak) Talk about a lousy way to end the year; as if the 10% and 8% drops in the S&P500 and TSX at the start of 2018 weren’t enough, the last three months have erased all gains year-to-date. Things are looking pretty rough outside […]