Portfolio Update

May 2026

Global equity markets advanced in April, with major indices returning to positive territory despite an environment characterized by volatility and persistent geopolitical tensions. As of April 30th, the S&P 500 returned 4.4% (total return in Canadian dollars), the MSCI ACWI 5.5%, the MSCI EAFE 4.5%, the MSCI Emerging Markets 15.6%, and the S&P/TSX 5.8% year-to-date.

As referenced in our recent Economic Outlook, the U.S./Israel-Iran war and the potential of a prolonged energy crisis have led to highly uncertain economic consequences. Our base case is for world real GDP to advance by 3.0% in 2026, compared to 3.3% in 2025, although recent geopolitical developments have increased downside risks to global growth.

Against this backdrop, we continue to focus on high-quality businesses trading at attractive valuations. Maintaining valuation discipline and liquidity remains central to our approach, supporting our aim to allocate capital prudently while preserving the flexibility to act decisively when market volatility creates compelling opportunities.

Recent Portfolio Activity

As noted in last month’s edition of our Portfolio Update, we recently initiated a position in Microsoft, and have since added Constellation Software, reflecting our continued flexibility to capitalize on market dislocations and redeploy capital into high-quality businesses with durable competitive advantages when valuations become more compelling.

Constellation Software is a leading provider of mission-critical software with a strong history of disciplined growth and long-term value creation. The company has an impressive track record of successfully acquiring and operating niche software businesses with recurring revenues and strong customer retention. Investor concerns around the pace of artificial intelligence adoption and uncertainty surrounding long-term leadership succession have weighed on the share price, creating an opportunity to own a dominant player in vertical market software at a valuation of approximately 15.5x forward earnings, as of end of April. This represents a meaningful discount to the company’s 5-year average P/E of 27.8x. With a disciplined acquisition strategy, consistent organic growth and strong cash flow generation, we believe Constellation remains well positioned to compound capital over the long term and continue its track record of value creation for shareholders.

On the fixed income side, our strategy remains largely unchanged. We continue to focus on capital preservation by minimizing risk in our bond holdings through an emphasis on credit quality and a continued avoidance of long-duration securities, which we believe remain vulnerable to inflationary pressures. Since early 2025, we have modestly extended portfolio duration from approximately 4.0 years to roughly 4.5 years, reflecting a measured response to evolving market conditions rather than a shift in overall strategy. At this stage, we do not advocate any major changes in asset allocation beyond the adjustments already made.

Concluding Thoughts

The current environment underscores the importance of patience, discipline, and a long-term perspective. While geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty may contribute to ongoing market volatility, such periods can create opportunities to add to high-quality businesses when valuations become more compelling. By balancing capital preservation with selective investment opportunities, we believe portfolios remain well-positioned to navigate uncertainty and create value over time.

The information and opinions expressed herein are provided for informational purposes only, are subject to change and are not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, accounting, legal or tax advice or investment recommendations. Any companies mentioned herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not considered to be a recommendation to buy or sell. It should not be assumed that an investment in these companies was or would be profitable. Unless otherwise indicated, information included herein is presented as of the dates indicated. While the information presented herein is believed to be accurate at the time it is prepared, Letko, Brosseau & Associates Inc. cannot give any assurance that it is accurate, complete and current at all times.
Where the information contained in this presentation has been obtained or derived from third-party sources, the information is from sources believed to be reliable, but the firm has not independently verified such information. No representation or warranty is provided in relation to the accuracy, correctness, completeness or reliability of such information. Any opinions or estimates contained herein constitute our judgment as of this date and are subject to change without notice.
Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. All investments pose the risk of loss and there is no guarantee that any of the benefits expressed herein will be achieved or realized.
The information provided herein does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information.
Certain information contained in this document constitutes “forward-looking statements,” which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “project,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue” or “believe,” or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to, among other things, risks, uncertainties and assumptions regarding currencies, economic growth, current and expected conditions, and other factors that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances which could cause actual events, results, performance or prospects to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
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