Investment Q&A

Q: Some additional hints for Bob, regarding Alerts, if he chooses to go with TMX system. Quite apart from using the "Stock Screener" system, there is also a handy tool on there called "My Alerts" and once you set it up, it will email you directly any of a dozen parameters that are set, such as 52-week high/low, volume, news filings, price change, percentage change, etc. It's quite a useful little tool. You do have to set up an account, as noted by 5 I, but it's free, so you can't beat the price.

Alternately, each broker has very excellent Alert systems built into most portfolio features. I'm with TD, and you can choose a couple dozen alert points which will also be mailed directly into your inbox. I used to be with BMO and they had the same system -- so I can't imagine that all brokers don't have the same tools. Sometimes it just takes a bit of snooping around on all the features that are actually available to you before you find what you're looking for. Hope this helps.

Q: Could you recommend a site for stock screening that could also sent alerts when parameters are breached?

Q: When purchasing positions in a particular traded equity, and my 5% position is equal to $5,000, how many separate purchases should I make to get to a full position? (Trading fees are 9.99 per transaction.)......Thanks......Tom

Q: anyone experiencing problems with webbroker today. I was unable to make trade for the most part of the day!

Q: 5i's reassurances for a market recovery makes sense, but I find myself wondering which sectors or enterprises should catch the updraft the most. Sometimes it seems that it's the marginal plays - for example, miners with the highest costs - which get the greatest boost from a trend-reversal, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable working at the far ends of the risk spectrum. Is there any other way to conceptualise this problem to take advantage of differential rates of recovery?

Q: General Comment:

For information of other members. Here is an interesting article with a few clues as to what to look for when the market might be at a bottom. Its from a UK investment newsletter but the principles are essentially the same for North American markets.

http://tinyurl.com/ju24sld

Q: Any idea what the average % of Black Pool trades is to the average total daily trades on the TSX?

I have info for the U.S. markets and know how to identify them but not yet for the the CDN. markets.

I assume the rules are the same for this side of the boarder as they are south of the boarder. That being that the "big boys/girls" do not have to publish their trades until: after it is complete, at the end of the day or at the start of the next day.

This often explains why there are often price spikes with volume but they did not actually happen when retail investors think they did!

Q: For income generation for the next 3-5 years, is there one or 2 sectors to overweight on or is it still better to diversify across sectors?

Thanks

Q: I am going to give you another chance to answer Keith's question from earlier today about what caused the big drop in some 5i "market darlings" yesterday. I cannot believe it is just coincidence that this happened to these stocks on a day when the TSX was the only North American exchange that was open. Somehow I have to believe that there was some, if not manipulation, at least coordination with the Canadian fund managers. My list of stocks that were impacted by about 5% down on the day were BYD, ATD.B, CSU, ESL, CCL.B and SJ. My capital gains on these stocks range between 55% (SJ) and 260% (CSU). My reaction was to buy some CSU yesterday to increase my ACB from 115 to 140 which will at least delay to some extent the day of reckoning when the tax man will get his hands on my capital gains when I want to sell something (which was definitely not yesterday). I thought that might be what Canadian fund managers were doing as well, (ie the funds which have low ACB's on these stocks were willing buyers from those funds who got into these stocks later in the game and were willing to sell for whatever reason. But your answer to Keith said that was not likely. So again, please wrack your brains and see if you can come up with some kind of answer to what happened yesterday. Thanks.

Q: In response to Bill's request for a DRIP site where shares are exchanged I highly recommend the following. I have used it for well over a decade and it is moderated and we have never had an issue with anyone.


http://www.dripinvesting.org/boards/boards.asp

Q: Hi 5i team

I'm trying to put together a excel spread sheet of my portfolio for better analysis based on the financials. What would be the best way to calculate the free cash flow? Is ROIC an important measurement of profitability or is ROA sufficient? Thank you.

Q: Hi Peter and Team,

With the recent market turmoil and economic conditions expected for the next little while can you name 3-5 companies that you think would be absolute BUYs? Whether they are solid companies that have been brought down with the general market, or ones that can actually benefit from the current conditions.

Thanks,

Jordan

Q: I know in the past you have mentioned that you use Bloomberg Professional. I'm just wondering if you could recommend websites or software that the average person can take advantage of for Canadian market research and portfolio tracking?

Q: I think the U.S. is going into a recession as some have predicted and much of the data supports. Ones overall view of the big picture should be paramount, not the buy the dip mentality which has been pervasive view and correct over the last few years, prior to 2015. Things have changed and the markets are forcasting the change. Cash will be safe but until the change for the better starts to happen, I recommend stay in cash. Not for everyone, but if you invest or trade, you have to sleep at night. just one point of view and this makes a market go up and down. Watch all the data. not good at the moment imhop.

Q: I am interested in some balancing to my overwhelming Canadian holdings.
1. Can you suggest some low MER ETFs to provide US and World (excluding North America)?
2. What do you think of 'fundamental' ETFs compared to those based on 'market cap'? Any suggested names for further research?
The complexity of the expanding ETF field seems self defeating to their intended purpose. Thank you for your guidance.

Q: Short term placement for $150,000 US in todays very volatile market 3 - 6 months. Growth only!
As always, thank you for your expertize.

Q: In response to Derek's question regarding Veresen's 2 DRIP's I just point out that they do not have an OCP (Optional Cash Purchase) component.

So he cannot buy more shares via directly within the plans (for no charge).

I have DRIP'd many companies for over a decade, not referring to the synthetic DRIP's financial institutions offer, and have set up many people in Canada. I know a lot of investors like to send in an OCP regularly or occasionally and find it a component they require.

There are many CDN. companies with DRIP's with and without a 2% - 5% discount on reinvested dividends, but that do not have an OCP component.

ALA still has a 5% discount on reinvested dividends for example, ENB 2% and REI.un 3.1% off the top of my head.

There is a site where people exchange (sell) for no fee to each other to set up DRIP's. Only 1 share usually is required except NA which requires 100 as I recall. Cost is usually stock price + a stamp + $10. As opposed to getting a share certificate from one's brokerage account transferred from Street form into the individual's name and charge $50 to $100 typically.

Hope this is of help to Derek or someone.

Q: The stock price has dropped to what seems to be a very attractive level.

High dividend and several new projects that could increase cash flow.

I would like your comments Thanks

Q: If I may add a follow up to your reply to Michael. I presume people subscribe to your service because they believe, and rightly so, that one can outperform the tsx composite. Accordingly the fact that the TSX composite may or may not have been flat for the past 10 years is not really relevant. I suspect many of your subscribers have handily beat the tsx composite index over the 10 year period.

Q: I have 80 % of my portfolio invested in the NYSE ( 10% Europe not hedged), I want to start moving some of my portfolio back into Canadian stocks but the CAN Dollar keeps weakening as does oil. Any suggestions or indicators I should use to start pulling the trigger? Thanks so much!