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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: Hi Peter and 5iResearch Team,
What is your opinion of Horizon S&P/TSX60? Or, do you prefer another ETF for Cdn. large caps.
Thank you.
Linda
Read Answer Asked by Linda on December 05, 2013
Q: Dear 5i team,
What are you thoughts on the Canadian dollar, short term and long term?
Read Answer Asked by Arvind on December 05, 2013
Q: Would you consider splitting the income and dividend category into two or more categories to distinguish between mainly slow growth income only stocks vs. higher growth dividend stocks. Thanks, Gary

Read Answer Asked by Gary on December 05, 2013
Q: Good morning Peter and Team,

Is there a "rule of thumb" regarding re-balancing a portfolio? With the great performance of stocks like STN and BAD, as an example, are their weightings perhaps getting too high? OTOH, as another example, I'm reluctant at this time to add to Goldcorp,which is down substantially. Your advice, as always, is greatly valued.
Read Answer Asked by Jerry on December 04, 2013
Q: Potentially weird question - Do institutional investors participate in tax loss selling differently than individuals approach it? Maybe the same question could be posed for realizing profits too. I mean in the last few weeks I have observed some pretty big swings and odd volumes on stocks that have been typically stable throughout the year. Do institutional portfolio managers use now as a major time to rearrange their funds in anticipation of their big 2 month sell period to future investors (RRSP season)? Just trying to understand if there is an opportunity as an individual investor I should be looking to potentially capitalize on. - Cheers.
Read Answer Asked by Philip on December 04, 2013
Q: A trading question: G/ Goldcorp as an example and in the context of your model portfolio, would you buy more, sell or hold, and why?

A suggestion: I am having a difficult time properly identifying the correct sector for many stocks in my portfolio in order to be properly diversified. Is there room on the form you use for individual stock reports to indicate the sector you would assign to each stock? Or have I missed this somewhere else?

Feedback: I recently renewed and added Moneysense as well - and would happily subscribe for an additional 2 years now. 5i has done an amazing and superb job of satisfying a large and obviously diverse market. Thank you.
Hopefully you are not being overwhelmed with suggestions for changes, and dont tinker too much - "if it aint broke don't fix it".

A grateful and very happy 5i member ! :)
Read Answer Asked by Donald on December 04, 2013
Q: I found your answer to Andrew's question yesterday re selling to be most interesting. As I took quite a bath in '08 and '09, I have educated myself on technical analysis but my results in market timing have been somewhat less than satisfactory. But I am afraid of another loss like that of '08 and '09.

My question is, do you ever foresee the day when you might consider going to 100% cash in your model portfolio?
Read Answer Asked by Fred on December 04, 2013
Q: Regarding your price increase notice in the Dec 2nd issue
I joined in April 5, 2013. I think I read in your notice that I do not have to do anything about renewal at the old price until April 2014.
Is that correct ???

Keep up the good work

Read Answer Asked by Ernest on December 04, 2013
Q: Hi Peter & 5i: Just a comment regarding Andrew’s question (12/3/13) about switching between VUS and VUN and the possibility of not triggering a capital gain. I agree with you that his contemplated switch would crystallize a taxable gain, if executed, but I think he may have had something else in mind when mentioning what he had heard about. I think in some cases mutual fund companies are able to allow investor’s holdings to be switched between their various funds “in house,” without creating a taxable transaction for the investor. That may have been the idea. As you point out though, it doesn’t work with ETFs, even if the ETFs are both products of the same investment company.
Read Answer Asked by Lance on December 04, 2013
Q: Comment on the acr.un questions. The reason for them today might be BNN

JF Tardiff was on headline last night on Howard Green's show and mentioned that this was the largest position in his fund--sees both growth and safe distribution.

On another unrelated matter.
In Edit Profile section there is no way to change your email address which I can find--how do I do it?
Read Answer Asked by Bryon on December 04, 2013
Q: Hello:
I am thinking about selling VUS and buying VUN to take advantage of the weakening CAD.
I have a capital gain on VUS of 15000. If I buy VUN immediately will I have to pay capital gains tax on the sale of VUS? I have heard that if you are selling a fund to immediately buy a similar fund you don't get hit with the capital gains tax.
Thanks for the awesome service
Read Answer Asked by Andrew on December 03, 2013
Q: Hey guys, at any point will you guys suggest, due to market conditions, that equities might not be the place to be? I've been scaling back big time the past little bit with the thinking that this market is very unstable. One bad wind from the central bank can turn the lights out on this party. I guess what I am asking is how would protect yourself if you felt that the coming year was not going to be so pleasant?
Read Answer Asked by Seamus on December 03, 2013
Q: hello, 5I
A copy /paste from zero hedge just in case it would interest anyone:
“The correlation between stock prices and margin debt continues to rise (to new records of exuberant “Fed’s got our backs” hope) as NYSE member margin balances surge to new record highs. Relative to the NYSE Composite,this is the most “leveraged’ investors have been since the absolute peak in Feb 2000. What is more worrisome, or perhaps not, is the ongoing collapse in investor net worth - defined as total free credit in margin accounts less total margin debt – which has hit what appears to be all-time lows (i.e. there’s less left than ever before) which as we noted previously raised a “red flag” with Deutsche Bank. Relative to the ‘economy’ margin debt has only been higher at the very peak in 2000 and 2007 and was never sustained at this level for more than 2 months.”
No comments, although, yours would be most appreciated.
Thanks and as usual, publish only if it represent any interest for the community.
Read Answer Asked by claude on December 03, 2013
Q: You just responded to another user on BIF.UN. I am unable get a quotation for this through my discount broker. Is it available via some other symbol? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Vineet on December 03, 2013
Q: Hi Peter, If you were putting together a list of 5-10 stocks to invest in starting now, and primarily your reported companies, what would it look like? Market balance is not important.
Thanks Tom
Read Answer Asked by Tom on December 03, 2013
Q: I have the sensibility that the falling dollar will provide some stimulus to our export oriented manufacturing base. Additionally , takeover activity will pick up as American companies go bargain shopping north of the 49th. I am unclear as to potential winners/losers with the EU free trade proposition.

Which industries/companies would you recommend as ~5 year holds for growth given a 90 cent dollar for the next few years.

Kind Regards
Rod

Read Answer Asked by Roderic on December 03, 2013
Q: Peter I notice in your model portfolio you 100%equities .
I have 26% fixed I classify callable preferred 2015-16 fixed along with my bonds and 7% cash.77% is equities and perpetual preferred.Any comments
Stan
Read Answer Asked by Stan on December 03, 2013
Q: Have your monthly portfolio reports been published yet?
I don't see them and I'm hoping it isn't my computer.

Thank you as always.
Craig
Read Answer Asked by Craig on December 03, 2013
Q: Hello Peter,
I am looking for income generating ideas. What are the best Canadian & US sectors (for dividends) that are currently undervalued or fairly valued? Are the Canadian and US markets overvalued at this time? Should I wait for the next six to eight months to see the direction of these markets? Should I look at ADRs (Europe and Latin America)? What are your takes on individual and ETF preferred shares and corporate bonds?
I know I am asking a lot of questions. These are questions I think most of us here are thinking of as we look forward to 2014 and beyond.
Thank you and have a great day.
Read Answer Asked by Lucas on December 03, 2013
Q: Hello all:
My US and EAFE ETFs are way up on the year some as much as 30%.

Is now a good time to take profits on these or do you feel the US and Europe still have a ways to go?

Do you have a rule of thumb for when you take the profit from a stock or ETF?

Thanks for the great service
Read Answer Asked by Andrew on December 03, 2013