2024 Outlook and Positioning

Anthony Scilipoti, President and CEO, and Sam LaBell, Portfolio Manager, looked back at how the markets performed in 2023 with a view to how our funds are positioned for 2024.

Anthony Scilipoti, President and CEO, and Sam LaBell, Portfolio Manager, looked back at how the markets performed in 2023 with a view to how our funds are positioned for 2024.

Highlights of the discussion:

  • Key economic factors to watch in 2024; Anthony and Sam review fiscal stimulus, employment levels, household balance sheets and pandemic savings. Even after taking into account higher taxes for services such as health care, Canadian consumers have a higher debt service ratio than U.S. consumers. “We’re already in that red zone of having a very difficult-to-carry debt-service ratio,” Sam said, adding that Canadian house owners are also rolling over into much higher mortgage payments. “We do see a huge drag on the domestic side of the economy in Canada but that doesn’t mean there are no stocks to buy in Canada. Most larger Canadian companies have a global footprint and global outlook. Our funds are positioned to take advantage of the fact that the U.S. is still in relatively good shape and the global economy is still moving forward.”
  • Sector weightings: Anthony and Sam reviewed sector weighting and some of the top holdings of both funds. Our funds are avoiding the Big Six banks, which are about 20% of the Canadian market, because of the outlook for the Canadian consumer. “Generally, we’ve moved away from financials to other potentially safer parts of the market. What we’re looking for in those sectors is global scale and global growth opportunities.”
  • Benefits of our Canadian Equity Fund and Absolute Return Fund: The Veritas Canadian Equity Fund has a three-year return that exceeds the market ETF with 20% lower volatility. The Veritas Absolute Return Fund has low correlations to the index and low volatility as it is designed to diversify equity exposures. “If you feel there is elevated risk in equities, this fund can smooth out some of that risk,” Sam said. “We’re not that high octane, high levered hedge fund. What we are trying to give you is that steady return that is uncorrelated with the market that can help you smooth the performance over time.”
  • Structure of the Veritas Next Edge Premium Yield Fund: From a tax perspective, last year’s payout was very favourable to the investor, Anthony explained.

Please also download the slides from the webinar.

DISCLOSURES