Hundreds of financial advisors in Toronto took time today to gain global perspectives and insights from three of Fidelity Investments’s top portfolio managers. Joel Tillinghast, Cecilia Mo and Chris Goudie, co-portfolio managers of Fidelity NorthStar Fund, offered their perspectives on where they see growth opportunities and risks for investors in 2007.

Chief investment officer and head of Fidelity’s Team Canada, Bob Haber also provided attendees with his unique insights.

Launched in 2002, Fidelity NorthStar Fund has an open mandate to invest in equities that offer the best risk-return potential regardless of where they might be found. This “go-anywhere” mandate has provided investors with strong returns since inception, while providing excellent downside protection. NorthStar is run by three proven, experienced managers, who each bring different and complementary skills to the team. Tillinghast manages approximately half of the fund, with investments in U.S. and international markets. Mo focuses primarily on the Canadian market and Goudie focuses on markets outside of the U.S.

Dubbed “The Wizard of Wall Street” by Smart Money Magazine and “one of the 10 best mutual fund managers of all time” by Morningstar in 2006, Tillinghast is considered by many as one of the top portfolio managers around today. He has been co-manager of Fidelity NorthStar Fund since inception. He also runs Fidelity Low-Priced Stock Fund for U.S. investors, which is so popular that it has been closed to new money since 2003. The only way Canadian investors can access his expertise is through the Fidelity NorthStar fund.

When asked where he sees opportunity in 2007, Tillinghast stated that he is now seeing more opportunities for growth outside of U.S. markets. “European and Asian markets are continuing to outperform the U.S. markets, and in particular, Asian technology and consumer companies are benefiting from increased consumer demand in the U.S., Europe and Asia,” added Tillinghast. “High demand from China and other emerging countries will also continue to buoy the energy and materials markets.”

No stranger to Canadian investors and advisors, Cecilia Mo joined the NorthStar investment team in December 2006. Focusing on Canadian markets, Mo echoed Tillinghast’s comments on the energy sector stating, “Demand for energy is not abating in North American markets and many energy services firms are poised to benefit from this sustained demand.” Mo also sees opportunities within the Canadian industrials, technology and consumer discretionary sectors.

With an eye to international markets, Goudie brings over twenty years of investing experience to the Fidelity NorthStar Fund. Joining the team in early 2006, Goudie has sought opportunities in Japanese, European and Asian markets. “China continues to be a major engine of growth for the world’s economies, though much of the recent growth in Chinese stocks is due in part to the reinvestment of China’s huge current account surplus,” said Goudie. Looking to the emerging markets, Goudie favours select South Korean stocks within the financial and industrials sectors.

Fidelity Investments is Canada’s eighth largest mutual fund company and part of the Fidelity Investments organization of Boston, one of the world’s largest providers of financial services. In Canada, Fidelity manages a total of $43 billion in mutual fund and corporate pension plan assets.