Strength in Canadian currency and surging oil prices are driving energy trust.

Bearish sentiment for the U.S. dollar is helping Canada’s dollar to its best monthly performance in over 50 years. According to the Bank of Canada and Bloomberg, the currency has advanced by 8.6% since April 30. Ending the day without a dramatic fall would mean the biggest monthly rally since 1950. Oil prices are also running — crude now costs over $66 a barrel. Strength in the Canadian dollar and oil are a fantastic one-two punch for Canadian energy trusts, which keep both on their balance sheets.

The Canadian Energy Trusts Index is trading higher by 3.5% today. It is ahead of the S&P 500 by 23.4% over the last month.

Precision Drilling (PDS) is outperforming its peers today with gains of over 10%. The Calgary-based oil and gas exploration company is the sector’s top weekly performer, up by 22%.

Penn West Energy (PWE), Provident Energy (PVX), Advantage Energy Income Fund (AAV), Enerplus Resources Fund (ERF), and Harvest Energy Trust (HTE) are all trading higher by more than 3% today.

Enterra Energy (ENT) and Baytex Energy (BTE) are up more than 2%.

Pengrowth Energy (PGH) lags its peers with 1.5% gains. On a weekly basis it is in the middle of the pack with 8% gains. The entire Index is in positive territory over the last week.

As of this writing the Canadian Energy Trusts Index is among the top-10 performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, up by 27.2%.

Investors can follow the Canadian Energy Trusts Index and view related performance charts and metrics at tickerspy.com.

Can anything hold these stocks back?

A look at the Chinese solar sector’s massive aggregated first-quarter losses would suggest that the stocks are getting crushed. Instead, these companies are flying, some by over 30% in the last week, and investors relieved that the companies made it through the worst of the economic rough patch. Today the industry is soaring, with most stocks adding more than 5% to their weekly tallies.

As a whole, the Chinese Solar Stocks Index is up by 4.7%. It is crushing the S&P 500 by 58% this month.

The most recent earnings news came from Trina Solar (TSL), which reported a loss of $10.6 million or 42 cents a share in the first quarter. After excluding one-time expenses, the company recorded adjusted earnings per American Depository Share (ADS) of 2 cents, surprising analysts, who expected an -8 cent loss. Today the stock is an industry laggard, adding 1% to its 20% weekly run.

Suntech Power (STP), China’s largest solar equipment producer, announced today that it closed its 23 million ADS follow-on public offering. Net proceeds from the offering are approximately $277 million. The stock is up by 6% today, adding to its 31% run over the last week.

Canadian Solar (CSIQ) and Yingli Green Energy (YGE) are both having big days, trading up by more than 6%. Yingli is the Index’s top performer this week, adding 35% over five days after receiving a price target increase from Collins Stewart on Monday.

China Sunergy (CSUN), LDK Solar (LDK), and Solarfun Power Holdings (SOLF) are all up by more than 3% in today’s rally.

JA Solar (JASO) and ReneSola (SOL) round up the index with respective gains of 2% and 1%.

As of this writing. the Chinese Solar Stocks Index is the top performing tickerspy Index over the last month, gaining 63%.

Investors can follow the Chinese Solar Stocks Index and view related performance charts and metrics at tickerspy.com.

Uranium stocks were up to end the week on news that stockpiles may be insufficient.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said that uranium supplies in Russia and the US may only cover 5% of the world’s demand by 2015, according to Bloomberg. Chaitanyamoy Ganguly, director of the agency’s nuclear fuel forecasts, said spot prices between $50 and $100 would encourage further exploration and production. “A drop below $40,” he warns, “would imperil new projects.” Investors are buying up shares of uranium stocks today in hopes that the supply and demand concerns will drive up uranium spot prices.

As a whole, the Uranium Stocks Index is up by 2%. The Index is currently beating the S&P 500 by 7.6% over the last month.

Leading the way are Uranium Energy (UEC) and Cameco (CCJ), both of which are ahead by more than 3.5%.

Toronto-based Denison Mines (DNN) is up by 3% today, as is Uranium Resources (URRE). Denison is fighting to join the rest of the Index in positive territory for the week. Uranerz Energy (URZ) posting gains of 1%.

Paladin Energy (OTC: PALAF) and USEC (USU) are trading near breakeven.

As of this writing, the Uranium Stocks Index is one of the top-60 performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, with gains of 12%.

Investors can follow the Uranium Stocks Index and view related performance charts and metrics at tickerspy.com.

Harbinger Capital is increasingly making a name for itself on Wall Street by taking highly active roles with a number of large investments.

Harbinger has received a lot of attention for the pressure it put on The New York Times Company (NYT) via a large stake, and last year the fund helped block the proposed merger between iron and coal players Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) and Alpha Natural Resources (ANR).

Though Harbinger’s long-term track record is impressive — including a $1.7 billion payday for fund head Philip Falcone in 2007 — in 2008, the fund shared the struggles of many in the industry. Bloomberg reported that Harbinger’s flagship fund fell -23% through November. The fund’s fortunes appear to have improved somewhat in 2009, however. The Harbinger Capital Partners Fund was up by 6.4% in the first quarter, according to Bloomberg.

Looking at Harbinger’s top, U.S.-listed equity holdings from the end of Q1 across all its funds, the firm wasn’t making a lot of huge moves. Harbinger’s largest stake was in electric utilities firm Calpine (CPN), where it was adding to its holdings during the quarter. The firm also opened a new stake in construction and engineering firm McDermott International (MDR).

Elsewhere, Harbinger was trimming stakes in coal producer Consol Energy (CNX), iron ore producer Cliffs Natural Resources, cable operator Cablevision (CVC), truck and engine maker Navistar (NAV), and leveraged ETF ProShares UltraShort Financials (SKF)

If you want to see how your performance stacks up to Harbinger’s or see some of the hedge fund’s other holdings, visit tickerspy.com to see Harbinger’s top positions and a chart of their combined performance.

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions’ top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.

During a year that was catastrophic for many hedge funds, one that came out on top relied on a complex, high-tech strategy.

James Simons of Renaissance Technologies was at the top of Alpha Magazine’s annual list of top hedge fund earners in 2008, with earnings totaling $2.5 billion. Staffed by math wizards and utilizing complex trading algorithms, Renaissance’s strategy is difficult for many investors to grasp, let alone replicate. The fund turns over its positions incredibly quickly and makes use of a diverse array of instruments. According to the Financial Times, Simons’ flagship Medallion Fund generated a return of 80% in 2008.

Given Renaissance’s strategy, it’s impossible to use SEC filings to piece together a complete picture of the firm’s holdings. Nonetheless, they do provide a snapshot into one of the most successful families of funds.

Looking at Renaissance’s top-15, U.S.-listed equity holdings from the end of Q1 shows a bias toward blue chips with a few well-known growth names also in the mix. The holdings included stakes in Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Altria (MO), and Goldman Sachs (GS).

Renaissance was also upping stakes in ConocoPhillips (COP), McDonald’s (MCD), and Philip Morris International (PM).

Looking at tickerspy.com’s graph charting the performance of Renaissance’s holdings — though not much can be gleaned from the numbers — one can see that the combined holdings have lagged the market. Visit tickerspy.com to see Renaissance’s top holdings from the end of Q1 and a chart of their combined performance.

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions’ top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.

Oil and gas heavyweights were up big on Thursday as oil futures advanced by another dollar per barrel.

According to Bloomberg, OPEC is likely to leave production quotas unchanged despite weak demand. Officials expect demand to pick up, sending crude prices up as high as $75 by the end of 2009. Oil is up by 1.5% today to north of $64, and the related equities are following. The multi-billion dollar players are all in the green today, many by more than 3%.
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The cancer therapy sector was up big on Thursday on deal making news and new potential for treatments.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which begins Friday and lasts through Tuesday, is the biggest event of the year for cancer drug research, and it has put the spotlight on stocks in the sector. Today’s news from Peregrine Pharmaceuticals (PPHM) and Exelixis (EXEL) is also stirring up interest among investors who are riding the stocks to massive gains.
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Precious metals were up on Thursday as investors sought safety amid inflation worries.

Gold and silver stocks have had quite a rally over the last month. Today, the sector is up again as investors fear further declines in the dollar. Forex traders blame better-than-expected US durable goods orders and unemployment data for the recent inflation pressure. June contracts for gold are up $10.70, and are now trading for more than $964. Silver prices are up 2% to more than $15. Precious metal-driven equities are riding the commodities to some impressive gains today, many up by more than 5%.

As a whole the Gold and Silver Stocks Index is up by 4.8% today. The index is now beating the S&P 500 by more than 24% over the last month.

Leading the sector today is Silver Standard Resources (NADSAQ: SSRI), which is up by 13%. Its peers, Silver Wheaton (SLW) and Pan American Silver (PAAS), are also doing well today. Both are trading higher by more than 5%.

Tanzanian Royalty Exploration (TRE) is up by 10% today on the gold rally. Hecla Mining (HL) and Golden Star Resources (AMES: GSS) are close behind with gains of more than 7%.

The $40 billion Anglo American (AAUK) is up by 3% today. It is being outperformed by some of its multi-billion-dollar peers, including Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG), and Kinross Gold (KGC), all of which are up by more than 3.5%.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU), IAMGOLD (IAG), and Randgold Resources (GOLD) are all pushing to new 52-week highs. All three have rebounded by more than 200% from their lows over the last year.

As of this writing, the Gold and Silver Stocks Index is one of the top-10 performing tickerspy indexes this month, with gains of 29.7%.

Investors can follow the Gold and Silver Stocks Index and view related performance charts and metrics at tickerspy.com.

Like just about everyone else with exposure to Wall Street’s woes, university endowments took a big hit in 2008.

According to Bloomberg, Yale’s endowment “was valued at $17 billion in December, a decline of -25% since June 30.” The value of the Harvard endowment dropped by -22% over that period.

As is the case at Harvard, Yale’s endowment owns a variety of alternative investments, but it also has disclosed holdings in a handful of U.S.-list equities. We recently took a look at Harvard’s strategy and noted the prevalence of international-focused ETFs in its portfolio. It turns out that its Ivy League rival Yale appears to be pursuing a similar strategy.

Looking at Yale’s top U.S.-listed holdings at the end of Q1, the endowment’s top position was in ETF iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM). Yale also had positions in ETFs iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (EFA) and iShares S&P 100 Index (OEF).

Besides the ETFs, Yale’s end-of-Q3 portfolio included stocks like biotech Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG), optical communications networks firm Infinera (Nasdaq: INFN), REIT Acadia Realty Trust (AKR), and natural gas firm Crosstex Energy (Nasdaq: XTXI).

Looking at tickerspy.com’s graph charting the performance of the Yale’s end-of-Q1 holdings so far in Q2, one can see that the holdings are ahead of the market. If you want to see how your performance stacks up to Yale’s or see some of the other stocks it’s invested in, visit tickerspy.com to see Yale’s top holdings and a chart of their combined performance.

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions’ top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.

For a stalwart of the mutual fund world, 2008 was a tumultuous year.

The venerable, value-focused Sequoia Fund (Nasdaq: SEQUX) opened to new investors for the first time in 26 years during 2008, but the fund lost about -27% over the course of the year. Though this easily outperformed the S&P 500, it was an underwhelming result. So far in 2009, the Sequoia Fund is near breakeven.

In the fund’s annual letter, it said, “We were slow to react to the unfolding macroeconomic trends of 2008, and this hurt performance. But, over time, our emphasis on picking good stocks and not trying to predict economic or market trends has stood us in good stead. When we look at the current portfolio and contemplate normalized earnings levels, likely future growth rates and the resulting free cash flows, we believe future returns should prove satisfactory.”

Sequoia is managed by the firm Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb, which was founded by William Ruane. Like another legendary value investor, Warren Buffett, Ruane, who died in 2005, was a disciple of Benjamin Graham, and indeed Buffett recommended Ruane to a number of investors when Ruane was just starting out, helping to get the Sequoia Fund off the ground. Like Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A, BRK-B), Sequoia is known for holding positions for many years, even decades in some cases.

Looking at Ruane’s top-15, U.S.-listed, equity holdings, Sequoia and Buffett still have a lot in common. Ruane’s largest holding by far is in Berkshire Hathaway. During the quarter, Ruane was selling “A” shares of Berkshire while modestly increasing “B” shares for a net reduction in the stake.

Elsewhere, the firm added to stakes in discount retailer Wal-Mart (WMT), truck maker Paccar (Nasdaq: PCAR), and industrial equipment auctioneer Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA).

Meanwhile, Ruane was cutting stakes in drugstore Walgreen (WAG), discount retailer Target (TGT), heavy equipment maker Cummins (CMI), and industrial and construction supply company Fastenal (Nasdaq: FAST).

Looking at tickerspy.com’s graph charting the performance of Ruane’s end-of-Q1 holdings during the current quarter, one can see that the holdings have stayed ahead of the market. If you want to see how your performance stacks up to this legendary mutual fund firm or to see some of the other stocks it’s invested in, visit tickerspy.com to see the firm’s top holdings and a chart of their combined performance.

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions’ top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.