A dozen oil and gas producer trusts cut distributions last month. Of Canadian Edge Portfolio producers, only Peyto Energy Trust (TSX: PEY-U, OTC: PEYUF) and Vermilion Energy Trust (TSX: VET-U, OTC: VETMF) have the same monthly payouts as last summer. Read More

At any time of great uncertainty, reliable guidance is worth its weight in gold. And there’s nothing like hard business numbers to provide the needed perspective and wash away the emotion that so often leads investors in the wrong direction. Read More

Remember, in times of turmoil, the hard numbers are your guide to that most important of all questions: Are your holdings’ underlying businesses still standing up to the stress tests behind this historic bear market. Only a “yes” justifies sticking with them. Read More

Like open-end funds, closed-end funds hold portfolios of securities at the discretion of the manager. They do, however, differ in one key respect. Mainly, rather than mint shares when an investor wants to buy or cancel when there’s selling, closed-end funds trade a fixed number of shares on a major exchange. You never cash out or in. You buy and sell on the exchange just as you would a common stock or trust. Read More

A dozen Oil and Gas producers, two Natural Resource trusts, a Business Trust and an Energy Services trust slashed distributions last month. That was a few less than December’s record level of 19 cuts. But it’s a sure indicator that some pretty ugly earnings numbers lay ahead for the fourth quarter of 2008, as well as the rest of 2009. Tread with care. Read More

At the end of the day, the goal of any stimulus plan is to excite economic activity--to boost aggregate demand. Although the direct impact of Canada’s budget on any particular sector is limited from an investor’s perspective, there are important implications for the trusts included in the Canadian Edge How They Rate coverage universe. Read More

To be sure, there is a war being fought over coal. But contrary to the fears of many, the goal of the president and his new administration isn’t to kill coal. Rather, it’s to harness the power of science, armed with the financial power of government, to clean up coal. Read More

To be sure, there is a war being fought over coal. But contrary to the fears of many, the goal of the president and his new administration isn’t to kill coal. Rather, it’s to harness the power of science, armed with the financial power of government, to clean up coal. Read More

The presidency of Barrack Obama is only a few days old. But we already have a good indication he’ll be smiling on at least one industry: green energy. Read More

The presidency of Barrack Obama is only a few days old. But we already have a good indication he’ll be smiling on at least one industry: green energy. Read More