IT is a well known maxim that out of every crisis there is an opportunity, and while this current recession has led to the greatest contraction in wealth since World War II, Mayberry investment has identified opportunities in these tough times and decided to share them with local investors.

At its monthly forum held at the Knutsford Court Hotel on February 24, four Mayberry executives made presentations on different investment opportunities: Equities, Fixed Income, Structured Finance (mutual funds) and Global Investments.

Mayberry director and financial analyst Sushil Jain, shared with an attentive audience his views of where value could be gained in the global investment spectrum. He directed investors towards emerging markets, such as Brazil, India and Singapore which has been left unscathed by the global recession. Investors could get a foothold in these emerging markets by investing in emerging market bonds, mutual funds, ETFs and natural resources/commodities. He also steered investors away from “dead birds”, for example, he said, banks with non-performing loans, companies with no clarity of future investment and countries with out of control fiscal deficits.

Jain’s point was reinforced by Bob Russell, Mayberry assistant vice-president of structured finance, who highlighted that investors should look to take advantage of CI mutual funds that are well diversified among emerging markets, as well as, resource/commodity rich Canadian mutual funds.

He recommended these four CI funds: Signature Select Canadian Corporate Class, Signature Canadian Resource, CI Emerging Market and CI Science & Technology.

Russell also made mention of the importance of dollar cost averaging, which means that one should invest consistently and periodically over time. This, he pointed out, would lessen the effects of the downturn in the investment climate.

After Russell’s presentation, investors were addressed by Denise Marshall-Miller, Mayberry’s fixed income manager. She pointed out that yields fell through out the last year, and should continue in same vain. Marshall-Miller recommended bond investors to get in early as the price on bonds would rise. It is a convention with bonds that as yields fall prices rise.

Last but not least, equities were put under the microscope by Neilson Rose, Mayberry’s asset and equity manager. While sharing his enthusiasm for prospects ahead in the stock market, he indicated that investors should buy shares in companies that show long term growth potential. He added that investors should be concerned with future earnings and how this translates into value for the share price.