Investment Management

We serve high net worth clients. As such, we employ a similar approach to some of the worlds most sophisticated investors, such as the Yale Endowment Fund, the Harvard Endowment Fund and other very large pools of capital.

We utilize both public stocks and bonds, private equity and private debt as well as hard assets such as real estate and infrastructure.

Private Debt & Equity (for accredited investors only)

Most of our clients are entrepreneurs. As such, their wealth was made in private equity. As a result they are intimately familiar with the benefits of investing in this space.

However, in Canada very few investors access this investment category, simply because there are very few firms with expertise and options in this space.

 

Private markets have historically outperformed

A series of graphs showing the greater long-term returns for private equity, debt, real estate, and infrastructure compared to their public counterparts.


Source: PitchBook, Global PitchBook Benchmarks, quarterly returns as of September 30, 2022. Annualized Returns. Private fund strategies are preliminary quarterly returns. Public index values are total return CAGRs.

 

We are one of those firms. Our capital markets group researches and makes available very high quality private debt, private  equity, real estate, alternative, early-stage, and uncorrelated investments for our accredited high net worth clients.

While past performance is no guarantee of future results, historically a portfolio with a 20% exposure to this asset class can not only offer potentially higher returns, but also lower potential volatility.

 

 

Source: Cambridge Associates, U.S. Private Equity Index (Data as of 9/30/16), Bloomberg, Capital IQ, and Pomona Capital. Returns are based on actual quarterly returns. The U.S. Private Equity calculations use quarterly horizon pooled returns. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the S&P 500 calculations use total return index quarterly returns. Volatility is calculated based on rolling three-year periods over 20 years from October 1, 1996 to September 30, 2016. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

 

An example of some of the companies we have access to (subject to them being in the capital raising mode) are:

  • KKR
  • Sterling Global Financial
  • Brightspark
  • Perisen
  • RMC Group
  • Kensington Capital
  • Panache Ventures
  • Turtle Creek Asset Management
  • Slate Securities
  • Formula Growth
  • UBS Asset Management

For more a more detailed analysis of the benefits of alternative investments in your portfolio click here.

To listen to a podcast on this topic click here.

Public Investments

The bulk of Canadian investors invest in the public markets. Primarily because their investment management company does not offer alternatives.

The main benefit of public investments is that they provide investors greater liquidity, albeit generally at lower potential returns than through private investments.

Through proper cash flow and financial planning, we can determine the appropriate level of public investments required to fund your needs for a specific time frame. This creates clarity on what a suitable allocation to private investments might be for you.

In the public space we utilize Segel Rogerscasey, a global institutional pension consulting firm, to monitor the world’s institutional stock and bond managers and select the best to invest in Canada, US, and internationally. We include value and growth strategies as well as exchange traded funds.

Examples of some of the managers we work with include:

  • Jarislowski Fraser
  • Guardian Capital
  • Barometer
  • Beutel Goodman
  • Connor Clark & Lunn
  • Foyston Gordon Payne
  • Kayne Anderson Rudnick
  • Lorica
  • Pimco
  • Mawer
  • River Road
  • Timber Creek

We design integrated portfolios of both public and private investments based on your goals, time frames and tax situation.

Investment Strategy

Having the right investment is one thing. Having the right strategy is another.

Our Chief Investment Officer and our Capital Markets Research Group in Toronto, monitors the global capital markets to assist us in making asset mix changes as required for every part of the ever evolving market cycle.

They draw not only on their own proprietary research, but also external sources of research when formulating strategy.

For those who wish to stay informed, we can provide daily, weekly and quarterly research commentary direct from our research group.

Investor Behavior

The often overlooked element of successful investing is individual investor behavior. For clarity, we are speaking of individuals behavior. Not investment performance or stock market behavior.

For 200,000 years our fight or flight instinct has served our species well.

However, when it comes to investing, that instinct is what derails even the best thought out investment strategy or the highest quality products.

Especially in these times where the media tends to sensationalize every 100 point move in the market.

Turbulent times are inevitable (even desirable), and we take great pains to ensure our clients have the information and the tools to stick to their investment strategy through every part of the market cycle.