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Portfolio Manager Commentary – October 2018

Horizons Inovestor Canadian Equity ETF (INOC)

The S&P/TSX Total Return Index ended the month of October down 6.27% as investors are selling off risky assets on slower global growth, mounting inflation, peaking corporate earnings, and rising bond yields, which coincides with a late-stage of the economic cycle. The Bank of Canada hiked its interest rate to 1.75% citing the economic output is operating close to its potential and trade risks are subdued with NAFTA 2.0. Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar fell 1.91% as commodities retreated. Our Nasdaq Inovestor Canadian Equity Index (NQICA) fell 6.35% for the same period, 8bps below the benchmark. Our sector allocation contributed 82bps as our decision to overweight staples and underweight energy proved to be fruitful. However, our stock selection contributed -90bps as a couple of our stocks clearly underperformed. You will find below the top three and bottom three contributors to performance.

The top three contributors to performance were:

1. Metro (MRU), a food retailer, rose 3.3% as investors chose to invest in defensive sectors such as staples, which only declined 0.7% this month as stocks retreated from their highs.

2. Parkland Fuel (PKI), a consumable fuel producer, gained 2.1% after saying it would buy a 75% stake in SOL Investments, the largest independent fuel marketer in the Caribbean.

3. Gildan Activewear (GIL), an apparel manufacturer, increased 0.1% as Moody’s shifted the apparel industry to a positive outlook from stable after watching faster than anticipated growth.

The bottom three contributors to performance were:

1. CAE (CAE), a simulation equipment maker, declined -11.4% as industrial stocks faced a route with several bellwethers like Caterpillar (CAT) and 3M (MMM) warning of higher costs ahead.

2. NFI Group (NFI), a bus manufacturer, dropped -11.7% as industrial stocks faced a route with several bellwethers like Caterpillar (CAT) and 3M (MMM) warning of higher costs ahead.

3. Equitable Group (EQB), a mortgage and thrift company, fell -12.2% as the Bank of Canada raised its interest rates, another sign the Canadian real estate market could cool even more.

Best,

The Inovestor Asset Management Team

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