Investment Q&A

Q: Hi there,

I own this (not a lot in a diversified portfolio but enough for this situation to be annoying lol.

it’s suffering right now and keeps dropping owing to the varies worries of US debt, latest tax cut bill and concern of countries unloading their US debt holdings.

Should one just get out? Or should one sell some and add another short term US Bond ETF?

Always thought Bonds were safe but not right now!

Ok thanks.

Q: I submit this question again since it did not seem to go through, sorry if is doubled .I intend to invest cash very progressively in 2025 ,since I consider as ''not totally impossible'' that (among other world factors ), the economic situation in Japan could lead to a sell-off of their US bonds , and have an impact on word economy and eventually on interest rates. On Yahoo finance website : YTD daily total return indicates : 0,97% for CASH,1,08% for PSA,and 0,77% for HSAV ! Does this means that lower NAVs counterbalance the yields after one year ? (but NAV looked relatively stable..).Once I can finally understand those numbers, I wish to choose the most efficient ETF in a non registered account if you could suggest one of the 3 ,considering all factors , as capital gain fiscal advantage of HSAV, VS total Yields and NAVs tendencies. Many thanks for your always very useful clarifications

Q: Hello 5i Team.

One of the most important reasons that I am a subscriber is not only to ask questions about my own portfolio and stocks on my watch list but also to learn from you folks PLUS fellow subscribers and their questions!

Today (20th May) Peter asked a question about Bond ETFs VS Actively managed Bond funds. Having read so many Q&A s about bond ETFs by you, I thought Bond ETFs like VAB,VSB etc would have been your top picks! I didn't realize that actively managed Bond funds beat the ETFs. A new lesson for me!

Given that is your answer, can you suggest your top picks in actively managed Bond funds, for Canada, for the US and perhaps for the international exposure. Of course lower fees would be preferable!

Thanks for your answer in advance.

Q: If a bond crisis were coming in Canada ,with increased interest rates( including Moody's lowering CDA rating ),increased debt and deficits for instance , would ETFs similar to HSAV or CASH also be at risk ( as longer term bonds) and in such case,woùd you have better ETF suggestions for short term investments ?

Q: Do actively managed bond funds have a history of outperforming bond etfs? My bond etf doesn’t seem to move much.

Q: Hi Peter and 5i Team,

Can you recommend a few ETFs that are focused on 20+ Treasury bonds, and also one that is focused on 7-10 year Treasury bonds?

Thanks for all the work that you do.

Q: I am looking to increase my fixed income percentage but this current market has me bamboozled. Major markets are basically even YTD despite Trump's tariffs still being on the books. There was a significant rally the other day because the US is “only” going to levy 30% tariffs and China will drop theirs to “only”20%! But while the markets go up, long term bonds continue to drop which I thought was a negative market indicator. So are things as mixed up and incoherent as I think? And with this background is now a good time to buy long bonds, short bonds or equal amounts of both?

Appreciate your insight.

Paul F.

Q: Would like your opinion on the new debenture issue -is this a reasonable risk
for fixed income (5% max) or is the rate a red flag? How is the debt /cash flow ?

Q: Do you consider HYLD as a reasonably safe place to store cash in my normally growth orientated TFSA while I decide on a growth stock I want to invest in long term? (The high yield is very tempting).
Thank you.
David

Q: Is there a way for individual investor to buy latin american debt? corporate or gov bonds

Q: Delete the last question; Harvest shows a truncated version - as though it has just been issued. The profile is very similar to that of HPYT so the new question is should these funds do well and what is the difference between them?

Q: What type of bond funds are best to invest in right now? Long term duration or short term, funds or can I buy individual bonds? Could you make recommendations for investing in todays market for the bond side of portfolio. I would prefer to make a 4-5% dividend but don't know if that is possible. Thank you!

Q: Further to my last question on MAAA, is there a CLO that you would recommend?

Q: MAAA Any thoughts on Mackenzie AAA CLO ETF Trust Units? Would it be a good addition to a fixed income portfolio?

Q: A follow up question re HBND. The yield as you point out is quite high. I suspect that is due to the decrease in share price. If the price recovers will the dividend $ continue to be close to where they are now; and therefore providing the best of both worlds…. Some degree of safety, nice yield and a capital gain.

Q: Which fixed income investment instruments would be your most favourite at this time based on cost and potential returns?
Thank you,
Miroslaw

Q: What is the difference between ZST.CA, ZST.L.CA and ZSTL.CA. What is the total return 5 and 10 year return on each. Which one if any would you recommend for use of holding portfolio cash to generate some income and the safety of principal.
Thanks.

Q: I am slowly working on reducing my exposure to the US$ given the recent commentary and negative sentiment. I am also questioning bond exposures given the Trump administrations decisions recently and hiccups it has been causing in the bond market. I have ensured the downside risk on long bonds and would like your take on the following:

1) If Trump causes crisis in the bond market which bond market and ETF would be least likely to be disrupted?

2) What is your take on the short and medium term risks to the bond market with Trumps economic non-strategy?

3) Is it a more reasoned decision to reduce bond exposures in favour of investing in shares of stable Canadian or European companies?

Thanks very much,

Dave

Q: What would be a good replacement for MMF559 - could you provide a mutual fund and ETF option and brief points why. Or should I just keep it? Just not sure it's performance justifies the cost.
Thanks

Q: Would the Blackrock Corporate High Yield Fund be appropriate for an otherwise reasonably well-diversified equity-oriented dividend portfolio in the current market environment? I recognize its potential for negative volatility and intend to use 5% stop-loss orders if I proceed with this trade. Thanks for your insights. David