Investment Q&A

Q: Am I correct in concluding from my calculations that investors place a lower value on GS shares than they do on firms like MS and JPM? If yes, is GS’ share price discounted because GS carries a higher risk than its peers ? For GS my calculations have ROE at 16%, and PEG at 1.25. I cannot work out ROCI— I come up with a bizarre number. What are your ratios for all these please?

Other than a high debt level, would you have concerns about GS that amateurs would not see? Is GS a reasonably good investment based on both its own projections, its actual history, and projections by the more insightful “Mike Mayo type” analysts? (I don't have access to Mayo’s research) .

I am fully allocated to financials, but that seems to be one of the few sectors that possibly has some value. Correct? I find worrying about “diversification” and “allocations” rather tiresome. Do you find time spent on “proper” allocation worth while on your own PERSONAL accounts ? Really?

Q: Hey Team,

Thoughts on industries or specific companies to target after the federal budget announcement?
Thanks,
Harrison

Q: Thanks to Moez for a nice article/stock screener today. I was surprised to see so many companies from the Metals sector.

IF he were to apply one more criterion to the 22 companies that made the list, i.e. debt load, which companies would come up on the top?
( the companies with the least debt load to the most)
Thanks.

Q: The CAPE ratio (Cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio) of the S&P 500 presently rests over 36X compared to its historical average which is much, much lower. What future influences can you see to affect its measure going forward other than a market pullback?

Q: I would like to invest a portion of my RRSP funds in the balanced portfolio I've seen here. I have a 15-year time span until I'd possibly need to begin relying on these funds. I understand that we are all in unique circumstances and that you don't wish to provide specific advice but could you give me some overall guidance on how one should be integrating the portfolio into an investment account? More specifically, should I purchase a position in all stocks at the same time or slowly adding one stock at a half/ full position per month or if they seem to be retracting in price. I thought of adding a new holding on a regular basis but I was concerned that I would not have the complete industry exposure until all were purchased. Is there a more prudent way of doing things in your experience. Thanks in advance.

Q: On each of your 3 portfolio pages you have a section for "Annualized Returns" . Could you define and explain how they are calculated - I am stumped as to how to do this calculation for my own results.
Thank you

Q: Can you help me regarding how to determine fees/yields for ETFs?
I'm presently looking at is HMMJ

What is the "total" management fee?
Their website has manage fee of 0.75% plus tax and a MER of 0.85%

I don't know where Google finance comes up with a dividend yield of 7.47%? Horizon's website has the following:
Most Recent Distribution per Unit : 0.03433
Estimated Annualized Yield : 1.16%
12-Month Trailing Yield: 2.83%
Distribution Frequency : Quarterly

Also, for the most recent distribution, would you multiply the stock price at time of distribution by 0.03433
For example using stock price $10.65. 10.65 times 0.03433 or 36.6 cents for most recent quarter times number of stocks held?

thanks for all your help?
Paul

Q: Generally speaking what percentage of one's portfolio do you believe should be allocated to US dollar investments for diversification?

Thanks,

Joe

Q: Constellation reports in approx. 3 weeks - TD WebBroker shows an estimate of $10.13 on 4 analysts, down from 7 last year, whereas 5i (using Bloomberg?) shows $12.82 on 2 analysts, if I read and interpret correctly.

How do the analyst numbers normally work - as the date approaches more of them weigh in and the different services come closer to dovetailing the actual earnings or...? Please explain the present discrepancy with TD & 5i. Evidently TD casts its net wider in the analyst poll so would you say 5i uses analysts with a better proven track record?

Q: How do big block trades work?

You mentioned yesterday LSPD's SP dropped almost 6% likely due to a 3 million share+ block trade, while Friday's total volume traded was only 1.3 million shares. If so, can we expect another sell down on Monday until that 3 million share+ block is totally "consumed"? It seems the large portfolio managers are manipulating SPs, at the expense of the retails, to get their privately negotiated deals done (by suppressing SP to the deal's level). Where is the regulatory agency's protection for all investors in this regard. My "paper loss" was about 17% on LSPD from yesterday. Please help me in understanding this process better. Just frustrated. Thanks.

Q: Hello 5i gang.
I have a general question that I'm hoping you can shed some light on.
I find it difficult to get my head around some of the market cap. vs revenue etc of some of these high flyers discussed here on a regular basis.
Can you give me a general sense of how a company that is currently at 20m in revenue with a market cap of 1.3b would grow into this valuation? Are we talking multiple years of several hundred % growth compounding? Or am I looking at this all through the incorrect lens?
I assume at some point fundamentals will matter and if said growth does not materialize, the stock price will come back to the "correct" valuation?

Thanks for your help.

Q: Hi Peter & Gang,
I have a question regarding the price of lumber vs WFG and leverage.

If the price of lumber goes up 20-50% should the price of WFG stock go up equally or is there any leverage. For instance if you have an industry that is low margin but high volume producers, one would expect to get more torque the stock.

Thanks

Q: Peter: Juanitas question and reply confuses me a bit- when I enter an order with BMO there is no place to designate the exchange to use. Doesn’t this occur by a program selecting the best market to use? Thanks
Rod

Q: How does the financing work for NPI's purchase ?

Q: I have been told that investment counselling and portfolio management firms in Canada are not required by regulation to report security holdings like US institutions.
How much faith can we put in the amount of institutional ownership reported in the Company Profile?
Is there anyway to determine what institution owns stock in Canada or at least how much stock is held by institutions?

Q: Hi team,
You get many questions regarding resource companies, and it seems to me like a lot of subscribers, myself included, would probably get a lot of value from a 5i model resource portfolio. I realize the model portfolios already contain some resource companies, but would 5i ever consider creating its purely resource portfolio?

Q: I read the questions and sometimes I get the impression you view volatile stocks as risky. For example, TSU could be at $17.00 and three days later it is $24.00 and the next day it is $16.00. This happens with other stocks as well. Is this as a result of people dumping when these stocks go up a few dollars in a few days or is it computerized selling. What is your opinion on why this type of volatility happens with some stocks. I have read that this DMYD is going to act like that but produce big gains. Thank you. I await your good information.

Q: Hi,

Please explain a scenario where an investor participates in a PP where warrants are attached to the shares. In most cases there is a 4 month hold on the shares. I follow a blog site where it seems the blogger gets in on the PP and aggressively promotes the stock on various media. Once the 4 month hold period expires, he seeks his shares at a profit or small loss. Does he retain the rights to the warrants? If so, this seems to be a risk free investment as long as he recoups his initial investment. Doesn’t seem fair unless you are an accredited investor and can take advantage of these offerings.

Q: Can you discuss how subscription receipts work in particular with this GSY deal ?

Thanks
Mark

Q: I have a TFSA with RBC and another with TD. If I switch the RBC to TD will RBC charge a fee for the change and if so how heavy a levy?
Are there any other consequences re such a change as far as the tax free nature of the investment is concerned?