March_9th_2011.mp3 Yesterday's News    What goes up goes up? What goes down goes down? Time to ground your thoughts.    Bank of America Corporation (Click For Larger Picture) Gold, 100 Troy Oz. COMEX (Click For Larger Picture) Media and market participants often get caught up in the mood of the moment and excite emotions to a fever pitch. Markets feed on these emotions and take things to a euphoric level. Media sensationalizes the movement by finding reinforcing reasons for even higher levels. Infomercials bolster the fever and what goes up goes up goes up. Pessimism also spreads like wildfire as negative news brings more negative news and panic and fear set in. Does it ever end? Newton's law of gravity will come into play "What goes up must come down; for every action there is equal and opposite reaction." One must learn to think outside of the box and step off a trend before it ends. Parabolic moves are a tell tale sign that warns us to be nimble and assess our current positions. Now is the time to carefully choose investments based on their merit and not by recent popularity. Using various tools one can apply risk /reward studies, to compare the expected returns of an investment to the amount of risk undertaken to capture these returns. There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

March_2nd_2011.mp3 Confidence Returning    Mid East turmoil, gold at record highs, rising oil prices; media outlets feeding the frenzy with daily reports of further woes of rebellion and coming inflation.    Private U.S. Payrolls (Click For Larger Picture) Recent news reports of spreading Mid East rebellions causing global chaos and uncertainty, instilling fears of food inflation along with minute by minute reports of Gold hitting record highs, news reports of soaring oil prices which are actually down 32% from their peak. Yet stocks in North America are up 97% on the S&P 500 and 89% on the TSX from lows hit in 2009. Is confidence back? Market participants had lost trust in financial markets and politicians. Recently investors are starting to believe markets will achieve increased economic activity. With money supply at an all time high and World Governments continuing to spend at record levels the economy is improving. However it is key that private enterprise not Government is seeing economic improvement. Key to any improvement is increased employment. There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

February_23rd_2011.mp3 Trading Volatility    Textbooks suggest a well diversified investment portfolio often linked to a stock index or a mutual fund. The trouble is most equity indexes and mutual funds are at the same level as 10 years ago, the lost decade for investment returns. Is it time to differentiate yourself when investing.    VIX - Volatility Index (Click For Larger Picture) Many investors have lost money in the last ten years patiently waiting for their mutual funds and stocks to show a positive return. Meanwhile there have been individual stocks that have soared and plunged in value. An over diversified portfolio is like a shotgun peppering shots over a wide area while a rifle is aimed at a target. In today's investment environment it is time to define ones investment goals, target a limited number of stocks based on a well thought out risk/reward analysis. This is a trading environment and requires active management. There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

February_16th_2011.mp3 Population, Freedom and Prosperity    China, India and the rest of Asia (and now Africa) have moved into the modern era. Freedom and prosperity are in demand; the rest of the world wants the American dream.   World Population by Country (Click For Larger Picture) The wonderful living standards of the developed nations is transmitted globally in this the age of instant communications; cell phones, facebook, hand held computers, youtube, twitter, transcending language barriers, religion and demographics. One of the great changes in history is Asia's amazing climb out of poverty. The changes are remarkable. Every year ten million new mouths enter China's enormous work force, they are all looking for jobs. The average wage in Egypt is two to four dollars a day. In much of Africa people work for just the food that keeps them from starvation. As the standard of living in Asia and Africa rises, the standard of living in the developed nations declines. The people who do more work for less money will compete with the people who produce less at much higher costs. In the West, the pressure will be on the unions, the cost of living, the job opportunities. What will this mean to us as investors is loss of purchasing power; Beware of both inflation and deflation avoid owning the wrong assets at the wrong time, do not think you can make money using a buy and hold strategy. Use risk / reward models for investing, be nimble.   There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

February_9th_2011.mp3 Inflation?    Inflation is described as too many dollars chasing too few goods. Soaring commodity prices have the media and market pundits warning of rising inflation.   Annual Inflation Rate (Click For Larger Picture) Many analysts warn that the current easy money policy by global central banks will devalue currency and push commodities including food stock to levels unaffordable by many already unemployed. Cotton prices have soared to levels not seen since the U.S. Civil War. Gold has hit record highs; Oil remains above $85 a barrel. Commodity prices are rising, forcing your grocery bill higher. Is inflation a problem? From 1914 until 2011, the average inflation rate in United States was 3.38 percent reaching an historical high of 23.70 percent in June of 1920 and a record low of -15.80 percent in June of 1921. The inflation rate in United States was recently reported at 1.50 percent. The liquidity crisis had us in a deflationary spiral; recent global government spending has successfully turned the trend back to an inflationary bent. Volatility usually goes to extremes in markets; the last time commodities measured by the Commodity Research Bureau Index known by the CRB Index peaked in 2008 it rapidly fell 36%. Oil went from its peak of $147.50 a barrel in July 2008 to $33.20 by January 2009. Gold also retreated 34%.   There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

February_2nd_2011.mp3 Increased Economic Activity    Equities are rallying to levels last seen 2 ½ years ago. Gold is off record highs even with unrest and political chaos in the Middle East.   ISM Manufacturing Index (Click For Larger Picture) Many investors that bought into a mutual fund or a hedge fund have not made a cent over the last 5 or 10 years, indeed with fees they find their holdings are at a loss. However from the lows reached at the crash low two years ago when the Dow Jones Industrial Index feel to 6,469.95 on March 6th 2009 to the high reached this morning at 12,001.11 have amounted to an incredible 85.5% move. Still there are many individuals, hedge funds and mutual funds that have not kept pace with these stellar returns. Timing is everything!   There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

January_26th_2011.mp3 Stellar Return    We have all heard that the equity market returns have been disappointing with little appreciation in the last 10 years. Buy and hold as a strategy has frustrated investors and mutual fund managers. However major moves have occurred.   Dow Jones Industrial Average (Click For Larger Picture) Many investors that bought into a mutual fund or a hedge fund have not made a cent over the last 5 or 10 years, indeed with fees they find their holdings are at a loss. However from the lows reached at the crash low two years ago when the Dow Jones Industrial Index feel to 6,469.95 on March 6th 2009 to the high reached this morning at 12,001.11 have amounted to an incredible 85.5% move. Still there are many individuals, hedge funds and mutual funds that have not kept pace with these stellar returns. Timing is everything!   There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

January_21st_2011.mp3 Return to Parity    The Canadian Dollar value measured against major currencies affects the price of everyday purchases and investments. Recent commodity activity and U.S. Dollar volatility globally have pushed the Canadian Dollar toward parity to the American Dollar once again.   Canadian Dollar (Click For Larger Picture) In 2010 the Canadian Dollar traded as high as 1.0066 U.S. dollars in April and as low as .9215 U.S. dollars one month latter in May. To realize the absolute value of this one month change consider a $25,000 U.S. car; it would cost $24,836 Canadian in April and as much as $27,130 Canadian one month latter in May, a difference of 9.2% which would also be your investment return on your money if you correctly anticipated the currency movement when investing. To highlight this point further the post war low on the Canadian dollar was .6179 in 2002 and reached a premium high against the U.S. of 1.1038 in 2007. The $25,000 U.S. car would have cost $40,460 in 2002 but only would have cost only $22,649 in 2007 a 78.6% change. Getting the currency right can make or break ones investment return, even a losing purchase could turn positive when conversions are made.   There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

January_12th_2011.mp3 Half Empty, or Half Full?    Is the glass half empty, or half full? Commodity prices have soared over the last several months approaching highs set over two years ago.   CRB Index (Click For Larger Picture) Soaring commodity prices have the media and market pundits warning of soaring inflation. Many analysts warn that the current easy money policy by global central banks will devalue currency and push commodities including food stock to levels unaffordable by many already unemployed. However bleak things seem, there is often another side to the story. Volatility usually goes to extremes in markets; the last time commodities measured by the Commodity Research Bureau Index known by the CRB Index peaked in 2008 it rapidly fell 36%. Oil went from its peak of $147.50 a barrel in July 2008 to $33.20 by January 2009. Gold also retreated 34%. Volatility is evident over the 64 years shown and as we reach extremes we should be aware the glass is often half full not half empty. It is yet another flag in the overall markets that warns us to be nimble and assess our current positions.   There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.

January_5th_2011.mp3 Global Market Returns 2010    Trillions of dollars trade in milliseconds all over the World. Global events affect financial markets instantaneously, "money never sleeps".   Global Market Results - 2010 (Click For Larger Picture) Global equity markets have mixed returns shifting rapidly day to day second to second. In 2010 the worst performing equity exchange was the Greek Athex composite exchange falling 35.6%. The best performing exchange for 2010 was Peru's Lima general exchange rising 65%. Canada's TSX Venture exchange was in the top 3 returning 50.4%. North American equity markets claimed middle ground with positive returns in the 11 to 17% area. Junior cap issues outpaced senior and intermediate stocks.   There are many opportunities to make money but it requires action on your part, each stock selected must show risk/reward of at least 2:1. Make the call - let me provide you with a unique perspective on your investments through a no-obligation consultation. Contact me by filling out the 'Unique Perspective' form on the Contact page, or by calling at 1-204-982-0633. Before trading, please contact an investment professional.