How Fed Up Will the Market Get After a September Rate Hike?

Many have said “bull markets don’t die of old age; central bankers kill them.” The conventional wisdom is that once rates start to head higher, stocks are less attractive because the cost of borrowing becomes more expensive and investors are offered an income-producing alternative by the bond market. However, history says they are wrong. The […]

Scotiabank has the Cheques and Balances to Justify its Valuation

Yes, Canadian banks are trading at valuation multiples unseen in years. However, comparing these multiples to their historical valuations may not make all that much sense. The banking industry has changed drastically over the years.  Decades ago, banks were mostly just mortgage lenders. They would take in deposits from savers, keep a very small fraction […]

Don’t Let Scammers Call the Shots

Someone once said that if Al Capone had turned his talents toward legitimate enterprise, he could have been the CEO of General Motors. Today’s fraudsters are no different—highly organized, intelligent, and using sophisticated tools. Unfortunately, they’re applying those skills to deception, not innovation. My Close Call Recently, I received a phone call that appeared to […]

After Gaining +30%, is Canadian Utilities Running Out of Gas?

Our investment in Canadian Utilities (“CU”), which delivers gas and electricity, in November 2023 was based on a straightforward premise: its attractive 5.7% dividend yield positioned it as a prime beneficiary of anticipated interest rate cuts. We believed falling rates would naturally enhance the appeal of high-yielding dividend stocks like CU for income investors seeking […]