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Australia’s top commodity export, iron ore, is already in trouble and Australia is now dealing with a 40% decline in the price of crude oil since mid-June.Plus, Australian companies involved in the $180 billion (all currencies in U.S. dollars) construction of infrastructure to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) are under… Read More

Welcome to the new look of Australian Edge. As we did with Canadian Edge starting in October, we’ve made AE more concise and easier to read. CE readers overwhelmingly liked the changes, and we think you will too.While the length and look of Australian Edge have changed, the most important… Read More

Despite the recent spike in oil prices, the majority of Canadian oil and gas producers remain under pressure. But focusing on healthy businesses has kept investors afloat during the flood of sector turmoil. Read More

In the weakening North American economy, the stock market punishes even the healthiest trusts. Even taking a look at underlying numbers isn't enough as the market reacts to numbers that best fit the current mood. But any trust that continues to increase distributions will eventually post higher gains. Read More

TransForce Income Fund faced a difficult choice. Its units peaked in February 2006 above CAD19, traded just below CAD18 on Oct. 31, 2006, and slid along with the rest of the trust sector after Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s destructive announcement that specified investment flow-throughs (SIFT) would be taxed at the entity level beginning in 2011. Read More

Stephane Dion is such a punchless opponent that the federal conservatives—hungry for a real fight—have taken on the liberal provincial government in Ontario, too. Read More

A March 11 Financial Post story labeled Jerry Antoniuk, owner of Edmonton, Alberta-based Polar Ice, a “self-described thorn in the side of the package ice industry.” He certainly brought the heat to Arctic Glacier Income Fund in Canada and seems to have sparked a US Dept of Justice (DoJ) investigation as well as a lawsuit filed in a Minneapolis federal court. Read More

Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson has written to US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warning that an “expansive interpretation” of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 could impede development of Canada’s oil sands because of strict greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards included in Section 526 of the law. Read More

Even in this current market environment, it's time to buckle down and prepare for more volatility as we ride out this storm. The 2008 outlook remains solid as battled trusts are simply victims of perceived recession risk. Read More

Despite the close ties between the US and Canada, the latter boasts economic characteristics structured to withstand US weakness. The question is whether these challenging market conditions are long term. Read More

Trusts are being valued at far lower levels than equivalent corporations. But once they convert in 2011, those discounts should disappear, creating a windfall for investors. Read More

Several trusts increased distributions this month, while a few cut. We've also provided trust-specific points to guide you through tax season. Read More