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Is Canada’s Conservative Party starting to triangulate on trusts? Last month, the government rolled back the restrictions on foreign investment for REITs imposed by last year’s Tax Fairness Act. That ensures that virtually all will qualify for favorable tax status in 2011 and beyond, and it opens a new avenue for growth as well. Read More

Canadian trusts suffered a number of distribution cuts last month, most of which resulted from weak natural gas prices. The weak US economy and housing slump has also been troublesome for trusts outside the energy sector. Read More

An ominous Institute of Supply Management reading for December put an early crimp in the action, and oil and gold approached historic levels on the first day of 2008 trading. The numbers are a reminder that the housing-and-credit fog that shrouded the second half of 2007 didn’t magically lift with the turnover to 2008. Read More

Any number of things can move trust unit prices in the near term. But long term, only one thing does: distribution growth. Read More

Well, here we are, cold, sick of the 2008 election, wondering whom to blame for The Steroid Era, a little lighter on the brokerage statement and not knowing how long subprime will rule the mood. But low payout ratios and under-control costs help the best businesses weather storms like the one we’re experiencing. Read More

Mark Carney, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s designee to succeed David Dodge as governor of the Bank of Canada, confirmed a well-circulated rumor last week during an appearance before the House of Commons Finance Committee intended to establish his qualifications to head the country’s central bank. Read More

Canada's natural bounty will help the country survive a US downturn, as it now ranks among the world's top five producers of mineral commodities. And as long as Chinese demand keeps commodity prices high, the Canadian economy and the loonie will stay aloft. Read More

US economic weakness if affecting certain sectors in Canada. But because Canada's resource exports aren't entirely dependent upon the US market, its economy is still running strong. Read More

Two-thirds of the trusts in the Canadian Edge universe yield double digits or better. Three-quarters produce enough cash flow to cover their generous distributions by a comfortable margin. Thirty-seven trusts—or more than a third—have raised dividends at least once since Halloween 2006. And four out of every five sell for less than 1.5 times book value and/or a discount to annual sales. Read More

There are several additions to this month's Dividend Watch List. The rising Canadian dollar has been a boon for many trusts, while others have suffered from the loonie's bolstered strength. Read More

Despite last month's aggressive selloffs, Canadian trusts are still posting substantial gains. Energy trusts are still awaiting a recovery, but they're cheap now and poised to capitalize when the upside kicks in. Read More

Ten thousand delegates from 190 countries will be in Bali this week to talk about climate change, kicking off negotiations for a new international agreement to follow the Kyoto Accord. The US continues to oppose mandatory emissions cuts by wealthy nations and a target to limit the rise in global temperatures. Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper is trying to bridge a gap between what now amounts to the rest of the industrialized world and the US. Read More

I’m best known for dishing out advice on income stocks like utilities and Canadian trusts. But through my new service with colleague Yiannis Mostrous, I'm also providing insight into vital resources such as base and precious metals, agricultural, water, industrial metals, steel and other raw materials stocks. Also included is a full overview of third quarter results for all CE Portfolio holdings. Read More

One element of the Tax Fairness Plan--the formal name of the scheme to subject income trusts to double taxation--that provides at least some comfort is the three-year window before flow-through entities have to start coughing up more cash to the government. A lot can happen in 36 months. Read More

The Canadian dollar has fallen of late, thanks in part to OPEC news, carry trades and profit-taking. And Alberta isn't alone in its proposal to increase ownership; its rate hike is only one of many moves worldwide to keep resource benefits local. Also, support for the Conservatives has slipped, not risen as intended, because of tax cuts in a mini-budget. Read More

The Canadian dollar is trading at all-time highs against the US dollar, boosting the volume of capital investment. Demand for resources--the most important part of Canada's economy--is also on the rise. Read More

Canadian trusts are making headway, battling back from last November's lows. There are still a few shaky trusts to weed out, but most are climbing steadily, poised for big gains.  Read More