Latest Stock Buy or Sell? Make More Informed Decisions!

Today, Bob Thompson commented about whether

TOP PICK
Sprott Small Cap Hedge Fund – Only 10 days old. Manager has proved to be one of the best small-cap managers over the last 15 years. Just moved from managing $1.5 billion to $30 million fund where he can be more flexible. He is up around 20% on the year.
TOP PICK
Dynamic Power Hedge - 5 years old and has gone up 10X since inception. Averages about 60% a year. Good management. The small size allows him to concentrate his positions. Will be volatile.
TOP PICK
C. I. Trident Global Opportunities-Manager has one of the brightest hedge fund minds in the world. Has been treading water for the last couple of years because he has expected a credit crunch to happen, and when it finally happened he was there. This fund would be for the bears.
COMMENT
Hedge Funds - There are about 20 different hedge fund strategies, but 3 basic types. Relative Value-More arbitrage based, which may exploit the inefficiencies of markets. Event Driven- Basically when companies are merging, taken over, coming out of bankruptcy, distressed securities. Directional-This could be a global macro fund.
COMMENT
Hedge Funds versus Mutual Funds- Hedge funds are generally more flexible. He describes these as a car with breaks. A hedge manager can put on the brakes, but with a mutual fund, that is not necessarily the case. In bull markets, sometimes mutual funds will do better.
COMMENT
Vertex One - Based in Vancouver and manage about $1 billion in capital. Has about a 10-year track record, which is quite long for a hedge fund. Use a multi-strategy approach. A lot of what they did at the beginning was “merger arbitrage”. Experts in this trade. Have also done well in the resource space in the last few years. Have a limit and can only short 15% in the portfolio. Well managed.
COMMENT
Salida Multi-Strategy Hedge - Have done a fantastic job. Started the fund in 2001. Will be more aggressive than Vertex One. Generally will be less than 100% net market exposure, but will be more when needed. Very good in the mid to small-cap space.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick July 6/06.Up 19.4%.) Epic Limited Partnership - Have very good risk controls but are also very good stock pickers in the small to mid cap space. Started the fund in 2000 and had double-digit returns in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Up 66% in 2003.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick July 6/06. Up 17.78%.) Sprott Opportunites - The manager, Jean Tardiff, has a real aversion to risk. Currently up 15% year to date. Has averaged about 30% a year for the last few years.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick July 6/06. Up 14.15%.) Goodwood Fund-A has no resource compared to most funds. Prefers consumer-based stocks.
COMMENT
Front Street Canadian Hedge Fund - Manager has compounded money at almost 20% over 20 years. Great product. It will be resourced based, but will be in other areas also. When market gets a bit toppy, instead of short positions, he will build up cash. About one quarter of their own money is in the fund.
COMMENT
BluMont’s Hirsch Performance – Fund – Veronica Hirsch has run this since 1998 and has basically doubled the market. Fee structure is very good. One of the only funds that has no management fee. She takes 20% of the profit if she makes money for you. $25,000 minimum.
COMMENT
Dynamic Income Opportunities Fund -One of the best income trust managers in the country. Not necessarily income trusts, but anything that will generate income, so there is real estate, real estate securities, high yielding common stocks, etc. In the past year he is up around 31%.
COMMENT
Picton Mahoney Hedge Funds - Manages about $4 billion, so there is lots of information flow. Mainly mid-to large cap on the mutual funds and on the hedge funds they can take positions in smaller companies. Performance has been absolutely fantastic in the hedge fund. Mutual fund has been great too. The hedge fund will probably close in the next couple of weeks.
COMMENT
Chou Funds - Mr. Chou has been rated fund manager of the decade in the past. He is not a hedge fund, but he does run a more flexible mutual fund strategy. He will build up the cash a lot and if he doesn't see value in the market, he won't invest. Doesn't think he shorts or uses any other hedge fund strategies.