Meritas - socially responsible investments

Our Funds

View our standards and strategies used when evaluating and following funds.

Past Performance: As of January 31, 2010. (Fund inception date is March 30, 2001)
Period Performance
1 month 0.0
3 month 0.0
6 month 0.0
YTD 0.0
1 year 0.1
3 year 1.8
5 year 2.1
10 year N/A
since inception 2.0

Objective: Maximize current income while preserving capital and liquidity

Primary Investment: High quality, short term money market instruments issued or guaranteed by the Government of Canada, a provincial Government, a Canadian Corporation or a financial institution

Your Goal: Income from a short term, low risk investment

Investing in short term money market instruments issued or guarantted by the Government of Canada, a provincial government, a Canadian corporation or a financial institution

Investment Strategy

An active strategy is employed using a combination of interest rate anticipation, yield curve trading, sector rotation, foreign exchange rate anticipation and security selection while ensuring that the issuing corporations meet our standards for socially responsible investing.

Fund Managers

The Meritas Money Market Fund is managed by Natalie Laden of GWL Investment Managment Ltd., located in Winnipeg, MB.

GWL Investment Management Ltd. (GWLIM) was incorporated in 1981 as the investment management subsidiary of The Great-West Life Assurance Company (GWL). GWLIM is responsible for the investment management of pooled segregated funds and separately managed portfolios and providing investment counselling services for our clients.


Natalie Laden

Natalie Laden joined Great-West Life in 1978. Natalie assists in the management of the GWLIM Canadian bond portfolios including strategy formulation, bond analysis and selection. In addition, as of October 2003, Natalie assumed responsibility for the management of the GWLIM Money Market Fund.

Holdings: The holdings as of January 31, 2010
Security Name %
Canada T-Bill  0.31%  Apr/29/2010 35.3
Canada Housing Trust  3.75%  Mar/15/2010 14.4
Manitoba Treasury Bills  0.23%  Mar/10/2010 9.9
Bank of Nova Scotia  0.32%  Apr/07/2010 8.2
Royal Bank of Canada  0.33%  Jul/05/2010 5.7
Bank of Montreal  0.29%  Mar/10/2010 5.3
Province of Ontario  0.32%  Aug/04/2010 5.2
Toronto Dominion Bank  0.40%  Jul/30/2010 4.9
 Bank of Montreal  0.29%  Mar/05/2010 4.2
Toronto Dominion Bank  0.27%  Apr/08/2010 3.8
 Canada T-Bill  0.21%  Mar/18/2010 2.6
Past Performance: As of January 31, 2010.  (Fund inception date is March 30, 2001)
Period Performance
1 mth 1.7
3mth 1.6
6mth 3.7
YTD 1.7
1yr 7.6
3yr 3.9
5yr 3.3
10yr N/A
since inception 4.5

Objective: Current income with capital appreciation as a secondary objective

Primary Investment: Fixed income securities

Your Goal: Income with higher potential returns than money market funds

Investing in fixed income securities consisting of corporate bonds, provincial bonds and obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the Canadian Government

Investment Strategy

An active strategy is employed using a combination of interest rate anticipation, yield curve trading, sector rotation, foreign exchange rate anticipation and security selection while ensuring that the issuing corporations meet our standards for socially responsible investing.

Fund Managers

The Meritas Canadian Bond Fund is managed by Terry Parsonage of GWL Investment Management Ltd., located in Winnipeg, MB. 


GWL Investment Management Ltd. (GWLIM)
was incorporated in 1981 as the investment management subsidiary of The Great-West Life Assurance Company (GWL). GWLIM is responsible for the investment management of pooled segregated funds and separately managed portfolios and providing investment counselling services for our clients.


Terry Parsonage

Terry Parsonage graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1975 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree, obtaining his Chartered Accountant designation in 1978 and Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1996. Prior to joining Great-West Life in 1987 he spent four years as a principal of a small securities firm specializing in tax advantaged investments. He is responsible for the management of the Great-West Life Canadian bond funds with assets in excess of $1 billion.
Holdings: The top 25 holdings as of January 31, 2010
Security Name %
Canada Housing Trust  4.80%  Jun/15/2012 9.1
Province of Quebec  5.00%  Dec/01/2038 6.6
Province of Ontario  4.60%  Jun/02/2039 5.8
Canada Housing Trust  3.60%  Jun/15/2013 5.5
Government of Canada  3.50%  Jun/01/2013 4.1
Government of Canada  5.00%  Jun/01/2037 4.1
Government of Canada  4.00%  Jun/01/2017 4.0
Master Credit Card Trust  5.30%  Aug/21/2012 3.2
Thomson Reuters Corporation  6.00%  Mar/31/2016 2.8
407 International Inc.  4.65%  Jan/20/2012 2.6
Omers Realty CTT Holding  4.05%  May/05/2014 2.6
NHA MBS Alberta Motor  4.00%  Feb/01/2013 2.6
BCFMA  4.98%  Apr/06/2025 2.5
Province of Quebec  6.00%  Oct/01/2012 2.2
Met Life Glob Funding  4.45%  Nov/08/2013 2.1
NHA MBS Royal Bank  4.15%  Oct/01/2016 2.0
Trans-Canada Pipelines  5.65%  Jan/15/2014 1.9
Embridge Inc.  5.17%  May/19/2016 1.9
Bank of Nova Scotia  5.04%  Apr/08/2013 1.9
NHA MBS Pool  4.25%  Aug/01/2011 1.9
Greater Toronto Airport  4.85%  Jun/01/2017 1.9
Province of New Brunswick  4.70%  Jul/21/2016 1.6
Caterpillar Financial Services Ltd.  5.20%  Jun/03/2013 1.6
Telus Corporation  4.95%  May/15/2014 1.6
Citigroup Inc.  5.16%  May/24/2027 1.4
Past Performance: As of January 31, 2010.  (Fund inception date is January 29, 2004)
Period Performance
1 mth -1.3
3mth 0.8
6mth 2.8
YTD -1.3
1yr 15.4
3yr -3.0
5yr 1.4
10yr N/A
since inception 1.5

Objective: Capital appreciation with an equal emphasis on current income

Primary Investment: Units of other Meritas mutual funds ("underlying funds")

Your Goal: Growth component and an income component to your portfolio

Investing in units of other Meritas Mutual Funds

Investment Strategy

The Fund will invest in units of the underlying funds according to certain benchmark levels. The underlying funds and the benchmark levels are determined by the Manager from time to time. The Manager currently intends to invest in the following underlying funds according to the following benchmarks:

  • Meritas Money Market Fund 5%
  • Meritas Canadian Bond Fund 45%
  • Meritas Jantzi Social Index® Fund 26%
  • Meritas U.S. Equity Fund 14%
  • Meritas International Equity Fund 10%
The Adviser will have the ability to allow each investment in an underlying fund to deviate from its benchmark by no more than 2.5% at which point it will effect a transaction or transactions to bring the investment back within these parameters.

Fund Managers

The Meritas Balanced Portfolio Fund is managed by Gary Hawton of Meritas Financial Inc. located in Kitchener, Ontario.

Meritas Financial Inc., manages investments for the Meritas Mutual Funds family of funds and for large private and institutional clients.  Meritas' ownership structure has over sixty years experience managing socially responsible portfolios.


Gary Hawton

Gary Hawton,  CFA, is a Portfolio Manager and CEO for Meritas Financial Inc.  He joined the firm in September 2000. He is involved in the re-balancing of the fund.  Prior to joining Meritas, Gary worked as a regional sales manager for two of Canada's chartered banks. Gary holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Holdings: The holdings as of January 31, 2010
Security Name %
Meritas Canadian Bond Fund 45.7
Meritas Jantzi Social Index® Fund 25.6
Meritas U.S. Equity Fund 13.0
Meritas International Equity Fund 10.2
Meritas Money Market Fund 5.0
Past Performance: As of January 31, 2010. (Fund inception date is February 1, 2006)
Period Performance
1 mth -4.2
3mth 1.9
6mth 3.1
YTD -4.2
1yr 18.1
3yr -4.6
5yr N/A
10yr N/A
since inception -0.8

Objective: Capital appreciation with an equal emphasis on current income

Primary Investment: Income-producing Canadian Equity securities

Your Goal: Growth component and a relatively stable monthly income

Investing primarily in a variety of income-producing Canadian companies

Investment Strategy

Featuring a focus on income producing large capitalization Canadian companies.  This fund will typically have at least 50% of its assets in Canadian Equities, while ensuring that all investments meet our standards for socially responsible investing.

Fund Managers

The Meritas Monthly Dividend and Income Fund is managed by Blain Caverly of Jarislowsky, Fraser Limited from their Toronto, Ontario office.

Jarislowsky, Fraser Limited is a registered investment counseling firm, managing pension funds, pooled funds, endowment funds and, corporate and private portfolios for clients in North America and Europe.

Blain Caverly

Blaine Caverly has as B.A. from Queen's University.  Blain has been Senior Partner at Jarislowsky, Fraser Limited since 1989, and was formerly with Bank of America, CIBC and SEI Financial Services.
Holdings: There are a total of 50 holdings in the fund as of January 31, 2010. All securities are common shares except where indicated as ADR. Listed are the top 25 holdings:
Security Name %
Royal Bank of Canada 6.2
Bank of Nova Scotia 4.6
Suncor Energy Inc. 4.4
The Toronto-Dominion Bank 4.4
Talisman Energy Inc. 4.2
Nexen Inc. 3.6
Enbridge Inc. 3.3
Metro Inc. 'A' 3.1
Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. 3.1
Thomson Reuters Corp. 3.1
Manulife Financial Corp. 3.1
Canadian National Railway Co. 2.7
Pembina Pipeline Income Fund 2.6
Cenovus Energy Inc. 2.5
Kinross Gold Corporation 2.4
Research In Motion 2.3
Great-West Lifeco Inc. 2.2
EnCana Corporation 2.1
Stantech Inc. 2.1
Bonavista Energy Trust 1.9
Canadian Tire Corp. 'A' 1.9
Winpak Limited 1.7
Rogers Communications Inc. 'B' 1.5
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation 1.5
Bank of Montreal 1.4
Sector weightings as of January 31, 2010:
Sectors %
Energy 28.6
Financials 26.6
Consumer Discretionary 12.7
Industrials 9.1
Materials 8.6
Consumer Staples 8.2
Information Technology 3.4
Telecommunication Services 1.6
Utilities 1.2
Health Care 0.0
Past Performance: As of January 31, 2010.  (Fund inception date is March 30, 2001)
Period Performance
1 mth -5.8
3mth 1.0
6mth 0.8
YTD -5.8
1yr 32.8
3yr -5.1
5yr 4.1
10yr N/A
since inception 4.3

Objective: Capital appreciation with current income as a secondary objective

Primary Investment: Canadian equity securities which comprise the Jantzi Social Index®

Your Goal: Long term growth

Investing in Canadian equity securities which comprise the Jantzi Social Index®

Investment Strategy

The fund invests in medium to large capitalization companies that offer a blend of value and growth opportunities. The fund is passively managed based on the composition of the Jantzi Social Index®, which is consistent with our standards for socially responsible investing. Positions within the index will change only if standards within a company in the index are no longer acceptable, or when mergers or acquisitions of existing holdings take place.

Fund Managers

The Meritas Jantzi Social Index® Fund is managed by James Wittebol of State Street Global Advisors from their Montreal, Quebec office.

The world’s largest institutional asset manager with $1.7 trillion in assets under management, State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) is the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. SSgA commands a truly global presence, with 27 locations and 11 investment centers across 5 continents. 

James Wittebol

James Wittebol is a Principal of State Street Global Advisors, Ltd. (Canada) and a Portfolio Manger for the Global Structured Products Group. He is involved in the passive management of international and North American index funds in the Global Structured Products Group. Preceding this, he worked as a Project Manager and Manager in the Investment Accounting team. He joined the firm in April of 2001.

James received his Bachelor of Commerce, with a Major in Finance, and Minor in Management Information Systems from Concordia University. He is also a candidate in the CFA program.

As our research provider, Jantzi Research, provides a full range of social investment research and support services to institutional clients and financial professionals who integrate social and environmental criteria into their investment decisions.

Michael Jantzi

Michael Jantzi founded Jantzi Research in 1992. Active in the social investment field since 1990, he has co-authored a book on socially responsible investments in Canada. Michael holds a B.A. (Honours) in political science from the University of Western Ontario and an M.A. in international relations from Dalhousie University.

Holdings: There are a total of 66 holdings in the fund as of January 31, 2010. All securities are common shares except where indicated as ADR. Listed are the top 25 holdings
Security Name %
Royal Bank of Canada 9.6
TD Bank 8.5
Suncor Energy Inc. 8.3
Bank of Nova Scotia 7.0
RIM Limited 5.1
Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan 4.9
Bank of Montreal 4.5
Canadian National Railway Company 3.9
EnCana Corporation 3.9
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce 3.9
Talisman Energy Inc. 2.8
Sun Life Financial Inc. 2.8
Teck Resources Ltd. 'B' 2.6
Rogers Communications Inc. 'B' 2.6
Enbridge Inc. 2.5
Thomson Reuters Corporation 2.1
Nexen Inc. 1.9
Kinross Gold Corporation 1.9
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. 'A' 1.7
Agrium Inc. 1.5
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation 1.4
National Bank of Canada 1.4
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. 1.3
Yamana Gold Inc. 1.2
Shaw Communications Inc. 'B' 1.2
  Fund S&P/TSX 60
P/E Ratio 13.60 14.26
BETA 0.97 1.00
Sector weightings as of January 31, 2010
Sectors %
Financials 41.4
Energy 19.5
Materials 13.7
Industrials 6.1
Information Technology 5.2
Telecommunication Services 4.3
Consumer Discretionary 3.9
Utilities 3.3
Consumer Staples 2.2
Health Care 0.5
Past Performance: As of January 31, 2010.  (Fund inception date is March 30, 2001)
Period Performance
1 mth -1.5
3mth 2.5
6mth 8.9
YTD -1.5
1yr 17.4
3yr -14.7
5yr -7.3
10yr N/A
since inception -7.4

Objective: Capital appreciation with current income as a secondary objective

Primary Investment: Undervalued securities of medium to large capitalization companies

Your Goal: Long term growth

Investing in equity securities of U.S. companies

Investment Strategy

Featuring a relative value investment style, the fund invests in undervalued stocks of medium to large capitalization companies. The selection is based on solid track records, strong profitability, significant growth potential, and meeting our standards of socially responsible investing.

Fund Managers

The Meritas U.S. Equity Fund is managed by Christopher Davis and Kenneth Feinberg of Davis Selected Advisors, L. P. located in New York, New York.

Davis Selected Advisors, L. P. is an independent money management firm with main offices in New York and Tucson. Since its founding in 1969, Davis Advisors has been committed to serving both retail and institutional investors. As of September 30, 2005, Davis managed more than US$65 billion primarily in U.S. large cap equities, multi cap equities, REITs and financial stocks.


Kenneth C. Feinberg

Kenneth Feinberg is a Portfolio Manager with Davis Selected Advisors, L.P. and joined Davis Advisors in 1994. Previously, he was a Vice President at the Continental Corporation and a Capital and Business Analyst for the General Foods Corporation. Mr. Feinberg received his M.B.A. from Columbia University and his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.

Christopher C. Davis

Christopher C. Davis is CEO and a Portfolio Manager with Davis Selected Advisors, L.P. and has over 16 years experience in investment management and securities research. Mr. Davis joined Davis Advisors in 1989 and worked as an assistant Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst alongside Shelby M.C. Davis until September 1995. He received his M.A. from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Holdings: There are a total of 75 holdings in the fund as of January 31, 2010. All securities are common shares except where indicated as ADR. Listed are the top 25 holdings:
Security Name %
Costco Wholesale Corp. 6.2
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 'A' 6.1
Wells Fargo & Co. 5.0
American Express Co. 4.2
Merck & Company Inc. 3.8
EOG Resources Inc. 3.7
Proctor & Gamble Co. 3.4
Devon Energy Corp. 3.3
CVS Caremark Corp. 3.2
Google Inc. 'A' 3.0
Loews Corporation 2.9
The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. 2.6
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. 2.3
The Progressive Corp. 2.3
JPMorgan Chase & Co. 2.1
Sealed Air Corporation 2.1
Microsoft Corporation 2.1
Johnson & Johnson 1.8
Iron Mountain Inc. 1.7
Julius Baer Group Ltd. 1.6
Hewlett-Packard Company 1.6
Texas Instruments Inc. 1.5
Express Scripts Inc. 1.4
News Corporation 'A' 1.4
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. 1.4
  Fund S&P 500
P/E Ratio 17.10 16.67
BETA 1.05 1.00
Sector weightings as of January 31, 2010:
Sectors %
Financials 34.1
Consumer Staples 14.8
Energy 11.2
Health Care 9.7
Information Technology 9.4
Consumer Discretionary 8.2
Industrials 6.4
Materials 6.0
Utilities 0.2
Telecommunication Services 0.0
Past Performance: As of January 31, 2010.  (Fund inception date is March 30, 2001)
Period Performance
1 mth -2.6
3mth -2.9
6mth 0.7
YTD -2.6
1yr 16.9
3yr -10.8
5yr -1.3
10yr N/A
since inception -3.4

Objective: Capital appreciation with current income as a secondary objective

Primary Investment: Equity Securities of companies outside North America

Your Goal: Long term growth through foreign investment

Investing in equity securities of companies outside North America

Investment Strategy

Featuring a focus on unanticipated earnings growth, the fund invests primarily in large capitalization companies domiciled in Europe, Australia and the Far East, with no more than 20 percent in emerging markets, while ensuring that all investments meet our standards for socially responsible investing.

Fund Managers

The Meritas International Equity Fund is managed by Wendy Trevisani, William Fries, and Lei Wang of Thornburg Investment Managment, Inc., located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. is an independent money management organization dedicated to providing superior investment management to institutional and private investors.


William V. Fries

Bill Fries (CFA) is a managing director and co-portfolio manager of the Thornburg International Value Fund and the Thornburg Value Fund. Bill joined Thornburg in 1995 as managing director and founding portfolio manager of the Thornburg Value Fund. In 1998, he also founded the Thornburg International Value Fund. For his work with this fund, he was named Morningstar’s International Fund Manager of the Year for 2003. Bill was also recognized with the Excellence in Fund Management Award by Business Week magazine and Standard & Poor’s in 2004 and 2005 for Thornburg Value Fund and in 2006 for Thornburg International Value Fund. His responsibilities include portfolio management and analysis of companies as well as evaluation of existing positions and overall equity strategy performance.

Bill began his career as a securities analyst and bank investment officer. His 30 plus years of investment management experience includes an extended tenure as vice president of equities at USAA Investment Management Company. Bill is a CFA charterholder.

Lei Wang

BA, MA, East China Normal University
MBA, New York University

Lei Wang is a managing director and co-portfolio manager of the Thornburg International Value Fund. His primary responsibilities include portfolio management and analyzing companies. He is also responsible for evaluating existing positions and overall portfolio performance.

Lei Wang joined Thornburg Investment Management in 2004 as an associate portfolio manager and in 2006 was promoted to co-portfolio manager for the International Value Fund and was also named managing director. Prior to joining Thornburg, Lei served as an associate for Deutsche Bank as well as Enso Capital Management. He has also worked as a bank supervision manager at China’s central bank. Lei holds a BA and an MA from East China Normal University and an MBA from New York University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Wendy Trevisani

BA, Bucknell University
MBA, Columbia University

Wendy Trevisani is a managing director and co-portfolio manager of the Thornburg International Value Fund. Her responsibilities include portfolio management and analysis of companies as well as evaluation of existing positions and overall equity fund performance.

Wendy joined Thornburg Investment Management as an associate portfolio manager in 1999, and was named managing director in 2003. She was promoted to co-portfolio manager in 2006. Prior to joining Thornburg, Wendy began her investment career as an institutional sales and trading representative for Salomon Smith Barney in both New York City and London. Wendy received an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Columbia University and graduated Cum Laude with a BA degree in International Relations from Bucknell University.
Holdings: There are a total of 53 holdings in the fund as of January 31, 2010. All securities are common shares except where indicated as ADR. The top 25 holdings:
Security Name %
Teva Pharma Ltd. ADR 3.6
BP PLC ADR 3.5
Novartis AG 3.2
SAP AG 3.2
Novo Nordisk AS 'B' 2.8
Canadian National Railway Co. 2.8
Wal-Mart de Mexico 2.7
Toyota Motor Corp. 2.7
Kingfisher PLC 2.7
Amdocs Limited 2.7
Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited 2.6
BG Group PLC 2.6
Tesco PLC 2.6
Reckitt Benckiser PLC 2.6
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Company 2.4
BM&F Bovespa SA 2.4
Lafarge SA 2.4
L'Air Liquide SA 2.4
ARM Holdings PLC 2.3
Telefonica SA 2.3
Standard Chartered PLC 2.2
BNP Paribas SA 2.2
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. 2.2
Vestas Wind Systems A/SHennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) 'B' 2.1
National Bank of Greece S.A. 1.8
  Fund MSCI EAFE
P/E Ratio 19.45 17.00
BETA 0.90 1.00
Region allocation as of January 31, 2010:
Market Region %
Continental Europe 34.8
United Kingdom 25.6
Other 12.6
Canada 12.2
Pacific Basin 8.2
Japan 6.6
Total 100
Top ten sector weightings as of January 31, 2010:
Sectors %
Financials 21.0
Health Care 14.1
Information Technology 12.7
Consumer Discretionary 9.5
Consumer Staples 8.8
Energy 8.6
Cash & Equivalents 7.6
Materials 6.7
Industrials 6.3
Telecommunication Services 4.7

E-Newsletter

Receive news and updates from Meritas in your Inbox.

Sign-up Here

NOW AVAILABLE