High dividends are not the only criterion for good dividend-oriented investments. Juliette John, portfolio manager of the Bissett Dividend Income Fund, is utilizing a proprietary screening system in pursuit of sound businesses that are poised for steady, long-term dividend growth at a reasonable price.

Caldwell Canada Fund focuses almost exclusively on a universe of Canadian equities, income trusts, and companies having a minimum market capitalization of $500 million. Fund manager Brendan Caldwell has adopted an investment strategy of stock selection that is strictly based on the chart and the price momentum that the stock has shown over the previous two years.

Mid-cap companies in Canada are generally under-researched and have many attractive inefficiencies that can be exploited by astute value investors. Canada-based JC Clark Focused Opportunities Fund manager Colin Stewart and his 14-member team use a focused long-short strategy to look for investments mainly in the Canadian mid cap arena. They aim to get absolute return on capital, which they believe is best achieved by a long-short approach to investing.