Canadian Edge

Roger Conrad’s Canadian Edge focuses exclusively on the world of high-yielding Canadian income and royalty trusts, a business structure that allows companies to pay the vast majority of their earnings to shareholders in the form of dividends and return on capital—without paying taxes. Although Canada first authorized the trust structure in 1986 to attract investors to energy-exploration firms—a backbone of the country’s economy—businesses in a wide range of sectors, from real estate to telecommunications, now enjoy its considerable benefits.

In each monthly issue of Canadian Edge, Roger provides readers not only with sample portfolios that are tailored to meet the objectives of conservative and aggressive investors, but also a “How They Rate Table” that tracks the performance of the best Canadian income and royalty trusts for American investors. This comprehensive database supplements each company’s vital statistics with Roger’s proprietary safety ratings as well as actionable advice.

But these tables provide investors with only so much of an edge. Every issue also includes Roger’s penetrating analyses of recent regulatory and economic trends that might influence the performance of Canadian trusts in general, those operating within certain sectors or industries, and even individual companies. Regular columns focus specifically on the growth prospects for oil and gas trusts, while another monthly feature addresses key political and regulatory developments. Subscribers are also kept apprised of any breaking news through updates posted on the publication’s website.

With the help of associate editor David Dittman, Roger has established Canadian Edge as the premier source of information on prospective changes to the Canadian tax code (slated for 2011) and their ramifications for investors.

Recent topics and opportunities featured in Roger Conrad’s Canadian Edge include:

·    How Canadian income trusts have fared since Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced prospective changes to the tax code, and why investors shouldn’t necessarily panic about their implementation in 2011;

·    Which specific income trusts are best positioned to succeed when their tax burden increases in 2011 and which companies have the most exposure;

·    The market’s reaction to Trinidad Drilling and TransForce Income Fund’s decision to switch from trusts to corporations and the implications for the likelihood and timing of further conversions;

·    Why a slowing US economy no longer translates into sagging crude oil prices, and which oil-producing Canadian trusts are likely to reap the benefits; and

·    Why natural gas prices have shrugged off their two-year slump, and the long-term growth prospects for natural gas producers as electric utilities increasingly turn to gas-fired plants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.