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Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: If I had put $100,000 into RY 20 years ago with all dividends reinvested, can you tell me what it would be worth today?

This is not a rhetorical question. I recently came to realize that a close friend put $100,000 RRSP into RY in 1989 as he has now retired from there. As he is an unsophisticated investor, he just left it there. But as there have been withdrawals over the years, it is difficult to determine the actual growth. It is now worth a tidy little sum. This is, in my estimation, a significant argument for a buy and hold strategy although most would also argue for more diversification.


Read Answer Asked by Fred on June 15, 2020
Q: These banks have been "hammered" in the recent downturn (for good reason due to prospective loan losses, and near zero rates). That said, do you see the Fed mandating dividend cuts/eliminations in the future here, or is the market just really skittish about it? They all look "cheap" right now, but an elimination of the dividend would be a real reason for me to leave this space if it were as distinct possibility vs. a "tail risk". What is your take on this and these companies - do you see much risk in dividend cuts here? Or is it just a reflexive thought in that the European banks were mandated to eliminate dividends...
Read Answer Asked by David on June 15, 2020
Q: I’ve held BNS shares in a DRIP over the past 10 years. My ACB is about break even. I obviously chose the wrong bank as I would have done much better holding RY, TD, or NA over the same time period. Since I’m in a position to sell and not pay any tax, would you suggest switching over to one of the other big five or simply stay the course? I’m a long term investor and plan on leaving this money for my estate. Thanks for your insight.
Read Answer Asked by Curtis on June 10, 2020
Q: This fund is recommended by my broker for my RIF/TFSA. Would appreciate your opinion on the pros and cons of investing in this fund. it looks like that this fund provides trailer fee to the broker, would that be an incentive for his recommendation?
The fund may have performed well due to the drastic fall in interest rate. What effect of higher interest rate on the performance of this fund? Do you forecast that interest rate may go higher when the situation of the virus subsides?

Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Saad on June 09, 2020
Q: I am looking to add one financial stock to me RRSP portfolio. I currently have TD as the lone finance company. I also have BNS , TD, BAM.A and VISA in other portfolios. Can you give me some names - US and CDN - that I can take into consideration. Preferably those with a safe, good and growing dividend. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by JOHN on June 08, 2020
Q: Hello Ryan and Peter:

I hope you are all staying well in these trying times. We had our stock club meeting last month and one of our members was promoting hard for preferred shares because of the dividend. We purchased it for the club and I would like to know what are the advantages over the common share beyond the obvious of:
1. Preferred shares have higher pecking order in case of bankruptcy.
2. Dividend of the common share will get cut first before the preferred share dividend cut.

I see more disadvantages than advantages:
1. Dividend of the common share is similar to the preferred.
2. Very illiquid on the markets. The preferred can only trade 3000-5000 per day while the common share trades in the millions.

The slight difference in the dividend does not appear to be worth the risk of illiquidity. Also the higher pecking order in term of bankruptcy seems pointless when it comes to Canadian banks. Also the point of the common share dividend getting cut is not a big advantage when the big banks have not cut their dividend in over 80 years and National Bank I don’t include as one of the big banks.

Is there something that I am missing here.


Regards,

Brendan
Read Answer Asked by Brendan on June 08, 2020
Q: I have been investing recently in high quality dividend producing firms but have backed myself in to a bit of a corner in terms of my reliance on banking and insurance company stocks (FITB, BNS, BK, SLF, PRU, FSZ). Would ITUB's Brazilian preferred share provenance be both sufficiently secure and a good diversifier?
Read Answer Asked by David on June 05, 2020
Q: May I have your overview of the significance in terms of dividend security, market risk and general health of the Big 5 Cdn. banks now that they have all finished reporting. Were there any issues that you saw as alarming, or even concerning in terms of the short term future -- say 1 year or so. Clearly, a lot depends upon the outcome of Covid, but assuming a vaccine by mid to late 2021, what is your take? Thanks, Don
Read Answer Asked by Donald on June 05, 2020
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