Morningstar Canada Announces Winners of 2015 Morningstar Awards

TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar Research, Inc., a Canadian subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. MORN, a leading provider of independent investment research, today announced the winners of the 2015 Morningstar Awards. The Morningstar Awards are designed to help investors identify the country's most exceptional funds and fund managers of the year. Morningstar hosted the 21st annual Awards gala, at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, honouring more than 40 individuals and companies that Morningstar believes have made a difference in the lives of investors.  

The awards encompass a wide range of investment products, including mutual funds and pooled funds. Additional awards recognize outstanding individual managers, online brokerages, investor education, and marketing campaigns. The awards program represents an extensive, year-long evaluation of dozens of firms and industry individuals by analysts and experienced jury members.

Morningstar introduced two new awards this year. The new Breakout Fund Manager of the Year award recognizes up-and-coming managers worthy of investors' attention. The Morningstar Multi-Asset Fund Manager of the Year award acknowledges managers who have invested successfully across asset classes.

Ed Robertson, lead singer, songwriter, and a founding member of Barenaked Ladies, was the host and emcee to more than 500 guests in attendance.

The 2015 Morningstar Awards winners are:

Fund Manager of the Year Awards:

Morningstar Domestic Equity Fund Manager of the Year
Winner: Jim Hall and Vijay Viswanathan, Mawer Canadian Equity, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Tye Bousada and Geoff MacDonald, EdgePoint Canadian Portfolio, EdgePoint Wealth Management Inc.
Maxime Lemieux, Fidelity True North, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

"Managers Jim Hall and Vijay Viswanathan benefited from their historical aversion to energy and basic materials stocks," Christopher Davis, director of manager research for Morningstar Canada, said. "Their focus on high-quality investments and big winners like Constellation Software kept their fund comfortably in the black as most of their peers suffered losses. Their long-term risk-adjusted performance is extraordinary."

Morningstar Foreign Equity Fund Manager of the Year
Winner: Richard Jenkins, CI Black Creek International Equity, CI Investments Inc.
Finalists:
Carl Kawaja, Dina Perry, and Galen Hoskin, Capital Group Global Equity—Canada, Capital International Asset Management (Canada), Inc.
Paul Moroz, Mawer Global Small Cap, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.

"Richard Jenkins pushed ahead of the pack by investing differently than the competition," Davis said. "Picks like brick maker Weinerberger and packaging producer Gerresheimer don't appear in many rival portfolios. The success of names like these led to terrific performance this year, and more importantly, over the long term."

Morningstar Fixed-Income Fund Manager of the Year
Winner: Daniel Janis, Thomas Goggins, and Kisoo Park, Manulife Strategic Income, Manulife Asset Management Ltd.
Finalist: Stephen Burke, PH&N Bond and PH&N Total Return Bond, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.

"Dan Janis, Thomas Goggins, and Kisoo Park got some big calls right," Davis said. "They gave their portfolio a conservative bent and positioned it for Canadian dollar weakness–moves that paid off nicely this year. Savvy decisions like these are nothing new for the team, explaining their success over the long haul."

Morningstar Multi-Asset Fund Manager of the Year 
Winner: Geoffrey Stein and David Wolf, Fidelity Global Monthly Income, Fidelity Canadian Asset Allocation, and Fidelity Monthly Income, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Finalists:
Tye Bousada, Geoff MacDonald, and Frank Mullen, EdgePoint Canadian Growth & Income Portfolio and EdgePoint Global Growth & Income Portfolio, EdgePoint Wealth Management Inc.
Alan Wicks, Conrad Dabiet, and Jonathan Popper, Manulife Monthly High Income Fund, Manulife Asset Management Ltd.

"Managers Geoffrey Stein and David Wolf show you don't need to make flashy asset allocation shifts to succeed," says Davis said. "They modestly tilted their portfolios toward US equities and bonds, for example, which helped them beat their peers. While their asset allocation has been a positive, their funds have also benefited from strong performance of their stock and bond holdings alike."

Morningstar Analysts' Choice Steward of the Year:
EdgePoint Wealth Management, Inc.

"EdgePoint built top-rate stewardship practices into its DNA right from the beginning," Davis said. "The firm kept its lineup simple, avoided expensive marketing to keep costs low, and committed to close funds at conservative asset levels. Heavy co-investment from EdgePoint managers assures alignment with fund holder interests."

Breakout Fund Manager of the Year:
Winner:  Stephen Groff and Greg Dean, CI Cambridge Pure Canadian Equity Fund, CI Investments Inc.
Finalists:
Ken O'Kennedy, Pender Canadian Equity, Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel
Geoff Marshall, CI Signature High Yield, CI Investments Inc.

Advisors' Choice Investment Fund Company of the Year: 
Winner: Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Finalists: 
OceanRock Investments Inc.
CI Investments Inc.

Career Achievement:
Winner: Philip Armstrong   

Mutual Fund Awards:

Best Canadian Balanced Fund
Winner: Manulife Monthly High Income, Manulife Asset Management Ltd.
Finalists:
EdgePoint Canadian Growth & Income, EdgePoint Wealth Management Inc.
Fidelity Canadian Balanced, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

Best Canadian Dividend & Income Equity Fund
Winner: Manulife Dividend Income, Manulife Asset Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Beutel Goodman Canadian Dividend, Beutel, Goodman & Company Ltd.
Fidelity Dividend, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

Best Canadian Equity Fund
Winner: CI Cambridge Canadian Equity, CI Investments Inc.
Finalists:
Fidelity Canadian Large Cap, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Steadyhand Equity, Steadyhand Investment Funds Inc.

Best Canadian Fixed-Income Fund
Winner: PH&N Total Return Bond, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.
Finalists:
Dynamic Aurion Total Return Bond, Dynamic Funds
Fidelity Canadian Bond, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

Best Canadian Small-/Mid-Cap Equity Fund
Winner: Fidelity Special Situations, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Finalists:
Sentry Small/Mid Cap Income, Sentry Investments
Mawer New Canada, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.

Best Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Winner: RBC Emerging Markets Equity, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.
Finalists:
Mackenzie Emerging Markets, Mackenzie Investments
Redwood Emerging Markets Dividend Fund, Redwood Asset Management Inc.

Best Fund of Fund Series
Winner: Fidelity Managed Portfolios, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Finalists:
CI Portfolio Series, CI Investments Inc.
CI Portfolio Select, CI Investments Inc.

Best Global Balanced Fund
Winner: EdgePoint Global Growth & Income Portfolio, EdgePoint Wealth Management Inc.
Finalists:
Mawer Balanced, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Fidelity Global Monthly Income, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

Best Global Equity Fund
Winner: EdgePoint Global Portfolio, EdgePoint Wealth Management Inc.
Finalists:
Mawer Global Equity, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Capital Group Global Equity—Canada, Capital International Asset Management (Canada), Inc.

Best Global Fixed-Income Fund
Winner: Lysander Corporate Value Bond, Lysander Funds Ltd.
Finalists:
PIMCO Monthly Income, PIMCO Canada Corp.
Renaissance Global Bond, CIBC Asset Management Inc.

Best Global Small-/Mid-Cap Equity Fund
Winner: Mawer Global Small Cap, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Fidelity NorthStar, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Trimark Global Small Companies, Invesco Canada Ltd.

Best High-Yield Fixed-Income Fund
Winner: Manulife Strategic Income, Manulife Asset Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Fidelity American High Yield, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
PH&N High Yield Bond, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.

Best International Equity Fund
Winner: Mawer International Equity, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Finalists:
CI Black Creek International Equity, CI Investments Inc.
Invesco International Growth, Invesco Canada Ltd.

Best Specialty Equity Fund
Winner: Renaissance Global Health Care, CIBC Asset Management Inc.
Finalists:
Fidelity Global Health Care, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
RBC Global Resources, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.
RBC Global Energy, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.

Best US Equity Fund
Winner: Mawer US Equity, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Finalists:
TD US Blue Chip Equity, TD Asset Management Inc.
Beutel Goodman American Equity, Beutel, Goodman & Company Ltd.

Best US Small-/Mid-Cap Equity Fund
Winner: Fidelity Small Cap America, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Finalists:
TD US Mid-Cap Growth, TD Asset Management Inc. 
Brandes US Small Cap Equity, Bridgehouse Asset Managers

ETF Awards:

Best Equity ETF 
Winner: BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF, BMO Global Asset Management Inc.
Finalists:
iShares US Fundamental/US Fundamental CAD-Hedged, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd.
Vanguard US Total Market ETF/US Total Market ETF CAD-Hedged, Vanguard Investments Canada Inc.

Best Fixed-Income ETF
Winner: Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond ETF, Vanguard Investments Canada Inc.
Finalists:
iShares Core High Quality Canadian Bond, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd. 
iShares 1-10 Year Laddered Corporate Bond, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd.

Best Specialty ETF
Winner: BMO Equal Weight US Healthcare Hedged to CAD ETF, BMO Global Asset Management Inc.
Finalist:
Horizons Seasonal Rotation ETF, Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.

Pooled Fund Awards:

Best Pooled Fund of Fund Series
Winner: Sun Life Granite Target Date Series, Sun Life Global Investments (Canada), Inc.
Finalists:
BlackRock Canadian LifePath (2020-2050) Inc., BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd.
Fidelity Clearpath, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC                 

Best Canadian Balanced Pooled Fund
Winner: Burgundy Balanced Pension, Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Manulife MMF Monthly High Income, Manulife Asset Management Ltd.
CGOV Balanced Pooled Fund, CGOV Asset Management

Best Canadian Equity Pooled Fund
Winner: Mawer Canadian Equity Pooled, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Finalists:
CGOV Equity Pooled, CGOV Asset Management
CI Cambridge All Canadian Equity, CI Investments Inc.

Best Canadian Fixed-Income Pooled Fund
Winner: PH&N Total Return Bond, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.
Finalists:
TD Emerald Canadian Core Plus, TD Asset Management Inc.
Canso Corporate Bond, Canso Investment Counsel Ltd.

Best Canadian Small-/Mid-Cap Equity Pooled Fund
Winner: CI Cambridge Pure Canadian Equity, CI Investments Inc.
Finalists:
Burgundy Canadian Small Cap, Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.
QV Canadian Small Cap, QV Investors Inc.

Best Global Balanced Pooled Fund
Winner: Mawer Balanced Pooled, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Burgundy Partners Balanced RSP, Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.
CI Signature Global Income & Growth, CI Investments Inc.

Best Global Equity Pooled Fund
Winner: Burgundy Global Equity, Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Mawer Global Small Cap Pooled, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Mawer Global Equity Pooled, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.

Best International Equity Pooled Fund
Winner: Burgundy EAFE, Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.
Finalists:
Mawer International Equity Pooled, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Fiera Capital International Equity, Fiera Capital Corp.

Best US Equity Pooled Fund
Winner: Beutel Goodman American Equity, Beutel, Goodman & Company Ltd.
Finalists:
Burgundy American Equity, Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.
Fiera Capital US Equity, Fiera Capital Corp.

Submission-Based Awards:

Best Online Brokerage Award
Winner: BMO InvestorLine
Finalists:
Questrade
Qtrade Investor

IFIC Investor Education Award
Winner: The Snapshots Newcomers Life Event, Dynamic Funds
Finalist:
Planning for Future Health Care Needs, AGF Investments Inc.

Canadian Investment Marketing Award
Winner: iThinking Campaign, iShares by BlackRock
Finalists:
Real Needs Demand Real Outcomes, CIBC Asset Management Inc.
Infrastructure: The $57 Trillion Opportunity, Russell Investments

Best Use of Technology Award
Winner: Platform Traded Funds, Invesco Canada Ltd.
Finalists:
eDOCS, FundSERV Inc.
Wealthsimple mobile app, Wealthsimple

Best ETF Initiative Award
Winner: Helping Investors Navigate Fixed Income, iShares by BlackRock
Finalist:
BMO Canadian ETF Dashboard, BMO Global Asset Management Inc.

For more information about the Morningstar Awards, please visit investmentawards.com.

About Morningstar Research, Inc. and Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar Research, Inc. is a Canadian subsidiary of Chicago-based Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, and retirement plan providers and sponsors. Morningstar provides data on more than 500,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 17 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with more than US$170 billion in assets under advisement and management as of Sept. 30, 2015. The company has operations in 27 countries.

Certain of the above fund companies and online brokerages are clients of Morningstar Research, Inc.

©2015 Morningstar, Inc.  All rights reserved.

MORN-R

Media Contact:
Jaime Lyn Aitken, +1 416 484-7868 or jaimelyn.aitken@morningstar.com 

 

 

 

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SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.