Investment Q&A

Q: Good morning, my daughter has $600,000 to invest for a two year period. She is looking for relative safety of principal, but a better return than GIC's or daily interest accounts, thanks?

Q: Is there a Canadian Dollar equivalent to the
US I Savings Bond?

Q: I need to shore up my accounts with some fixed income (low risk) positions. All indications are that interest rates are likely to rise, which makes me nervous to hold bonds or bond funds. I am not sure where to turn - maybe Bond ETF's? I don't want to micromanage a specific bond portfolio either. Do you have any advice on the best approach? I am still 10-15 years from "retirement" (whatever that means), so my investment horizon is still pretty long term.

Thanks in advance

Q: Hi Guys
I don't see how bonds can have a stabilizing effect on portfolios in todays fast paced electronic trading platforms.
Between Feb 2020 & Mar 2020 my holdings in XLB dropped roughly 23.3 % XRB also dropped a similar amount.
Looking forward to your answer.
Thanks Guys !

Q: With the 30 year US bond flirting with 1.7% I am wondering what 5i's take is relative to the current discussion about inflation and the taper. Conventional wisdom would suggest selling bonds should tend to move rates up as would expectations of higher inflation.
Thanks in advance.
Mike

Q: Can you suggest some short-term bond ETFs that are investing in government and/or large blue-chip companies? 3 for Canadian market and 3 for internal markets please? This is to provide regular income after retirement.

Q: Is this a good bond ETF to buy as a starter Bond Fund for my Portfolio? Looking for a 2-3 year hold.

Q: fyi
Question was asked where to park cash for short periods that is readily available. You suggested PSA ETF. Looked this up and I think the yield is .57%. EQ Bank (virtual) currently pays 1.25% calculated daily and is CDIC backed. Money can be transferred between EQ and your bank at any time (up to 3 days to clear). There are other high interest savings opportunities but for the past while, EQ has paid the highest rate.

Q: Hello, I am looking for an answer to a difficult question about evaluation of risk for fixed income assets.
I understand that for a long time, it was anticipated that the long decline of interest rates and correlated bond rally has ground down and the current prevailing question surrounding interest rates is how fast they may rise.
With this in mind, could you please offer thoughts on the relative risk of bonds? How much downside potential is there, and is it justifiable to buy their low volatility, even if it is believed to be a (apparently) horrible investment with no future potential, just for those two percents of yield?
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Q: Hi,

How would you allocate a 20% and a 30% position to the income portion of a portfolio? If one dumps it all into a well diversified bond fund like ZAG be too much in a single ETF?

Thanks

Q: Good morning. I have VALE in my registered account, with a much lower value than cost. It does pay a substantial dividend and I am aware that it also has cash. Is it reasonably safe to hold since materials are doing fairly well generally? Should I consider reducing my position or selling? Is it safe to hold with its high dividend at this time?

Q: Peter,

What happened to the Sherritt bonds due November 15,2021? Did they get paid out, refinanced or was there a haircut ?

Thank you,

Paul

Q: Good afternoon!
This is one of Dorr Capital's funds that invest in mortgages (assumedly higher risk), and are speculating (pun intended!) a return of 7.5% annually, with distributions monthly.
The management fee is 1.25% (Series "A") or .85% (Series "F"). There is a cost to redeem on 30 days notice of 2% if in 1 year or 1% if in the second year.
I don't think this is much of a good idea, but was wondering:
1) Your thoughts on this specific investment?
2) Would there be any equities you could steer me towards that do this type of investment but without the management fees or the slow redemptions?
Thanks!
PaulK

Q: Hi 5i Research. I have all the above ETFs in my RRIF. Does it make sense to combine all of these ETFs into one. If so, would XSB be a suitable choice? Thanks very much. Ron

Q: Hello 5i Team

I currently hold a Canada Real Return Bond (Canada Dec-21) in a RRSP account which matures December 01, 2021.

I would like to maintain my current exposure to Real Return Bonds, however from experience I find it very difficult to purchase Real Return Bonds from my discount broker.

I am looking at the following current Real Return Bond ETF:

XRB – MER = 0.39 % – Effective Duration 15.26 year – YTM 1.83 %

ZRR – MER = 0.28 % – Effective Duration 15.91 year – YTM 1.65 %

Three newer ETFs based on the US short term TIPS are as follows:

BMO Short-Term US TIPS Index ETF (Hedged Units) [ZTIP.F] – MER = 0.17 % – Effective Duration 2.65 year – YTM 0.24 %

iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) [XSTH] – MER = 0.15 % – Effective Duration 2.60 years – YTM 0.23 %

Mackenzie US TIPS Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) [QTIP] – MER = 0.17 % – Effective Duration 8.05 year – YTM 1.13 %

Which ETF would be a suitable replacement for my Canadian $ Real Return Bond maturing on December 01, 2021?

Thank you

Q: Could you please comment on Closed end Municipal Bond Funds in the U.S.? How are they leveraged, and are they a good safe investments as a hedge against more troubled times next year? Any picks?

Q: Hello 5i Team

I currently hold PH&N High Yield Bond Fund Series D (RBF1280) in a RRSP account.

I would like to transition from this mutual fund to an equivalent ETF.

What ETF would be a suitable replacement for this mutual fund, trading in Canadian dollars on the TSX?

Thank you

Q: Hello,

I am concerned in a rising interest rate environment CBO (5.0%), CPD (1.92%), XHY (7.4%), VAB (4.13%) are positions that need to change in my portfolio. Portfolio Analytics recommends holding 35% in fixed income. I currently hold about 18%.

Should I be selling some or all of these positions and then re-investing in other fixed income vehicles given the rising interest rates?

I would appreciate your feedback/suggestions on current position. Thanks again for all your great service.

Q: How would IShares Preferred share ETF (CPD) and IShares Convertible Bond ETF (CVD) perform in a rising rate environment?

Thanks, Mike

Q: Expectations of sooner-than-expected rate increases have pushed short-term yields higher in recent days. If so, interest rates could be headed up faster than thought, with dismal consequences for stock prices and real estate speculators. Can you suggest a Canadian Bond EFT that would be suitable during this period of inflation? Cheers.