Converting now will allow Ag Growth greater access to capital as it pursues an aggressive growth strategy, much of which is focused on expanding its international presence. About two-thirds of the company’s 2008 sales were to US-based customers, a market supported by federal legislation mandating the use of corn-based ethanol in gasoline. But developing countries are also investing more in grain infrastructure. Read More

The incremental progress we see in the BOS and the SLOS seems at odds with the 25 percent rallies we’ve seen in the S&P/Toronto Stock Exchange Income Trust Index, the S&P/TSX Composite as well as the S&P 500. But it’s important to note that the market is often disconnected from on-the-ground economic conditions. Financial markets are forward-looking mechanisms, and the fact that deterioration has slowed--not even reversing, in the case of many indicators--is good enough to let slip at least some of the animal spirits. Read More

The recent trend has been away from spending big dollars on exploration and production or mergers and acquisitions in the oil and gas space, but we’ve seen several deals in recent weeks that confirm that companies are indeed looking to the future. Read More

What we’re seeing now may mark a real turning point. Or it might be simply a fleeting rally before another major down leg. But there’s one strong argument that we’ve seen the worst for trusts and companies whose underlying businesses have stayed strong: They’ve been noticeably holding their own in the stock market since late October. Read More

A reliable and growing yield of 11 percent in a secure industry, and the chance to multiply your money four-fold in a volatile one: The two April High Yield of the Month entries are opposites that together cover both bases. Read More

Erratic action was the only consistency for global markets in March 2009. The broad-based S&P/Toronto Stock Exchange Income Trust Index (SPRTCM) sold off sharply in early March, touched bottom on the 9th, rallied 23 percent, and then tailed off in the month’s last days. Its moves mirrored similar action in crude oil, as well as the Canadian dollar. Read More

We don’t have all the information on how trusts will deal with 2011 yet. The good news is that we do know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that good businesses will fare well no matter what happens on the trust tax front. Moreover, all of them are still pricing in a great deal of 2011 uncertainty and risk. That means little downside risk again no matter what happens, and a lot of upside as uncertainty is gradually reduced in coming months. Read More

On his way to London for a summit of G20 leaders, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made stops in Washington, DC and New York to tout his ideas to fix broken banks and maintain free trade. Read More