Investment Q&A

Q: How can I ascertain from the average Morningstar/others report if a fund is Leveraged ,2x,3x or not at all. for example BLK????
Art

Q: I have access to Morningstar through the broker. Morningstar’s analysis is often useful, but its ratings of companies covered are puzzling. Nuts, actually. A business starts doing better than ever and its shares rise as investors come to appreciate the rising value. Just at that moment, in comes Morningstar with its downgrades. It beats up a company performing very well by downgrading the rating of companies whose results are improving to Hold or Sell. Conversely when a business is stumbling badly and its shares drop, up goes the rating from Morningstar. One understands when analysts downgrade and explain that they still like the company but that they feel they need to go from Buy to Hold on the grounds of valuation . I have not seen Morningstar explain their ratings in a similar manner. If one reads Morningstar’s narrative, is it best to ignore its ratings? This is after all what one tends to with “target prices”. Or, am I missing something important?

Q: I have been investing for a long time, and have always looked carefully at the p/e ratios and other valuation metrics of stocks that I have bought. I've always felt that the valuation of a stock matters. I read 20 or 30 years ago that the ultimate value any stock holds is the long term ability to generate profits and return these to shareholders in the form of dividends. Lately, it seems that a lot of that is being ignored. There are so many well owned, highly regarded stocks that aren't even profitable on a GAAP basis, and p/e ratios are non-existent in many cases because the company is losing money. I like growth stocks, but it just seems to me that there needs to be some kind of reasonable valuation factored in as well. Many of these high flying tech stocks are now trading at multiples of sales instead of non-existent earnings, and many of those at 20, 30 or more times sales. I know that you like a lot of these, so no need to specify any particular stock. I can see that these companies are growing revenues rapidly, but it can't be as simple as that can it? The revenue is going up 40% or 50% or more a year, and it's a good business, without a ton of debt, so it's a buy? Isn't there some kind of limit? Not trying to be critical - I own some of these high priced tech stocks myself. Some of them, I just can't get my head around what looks like astronomical valuations. Thank you for any comments or insight.

Q: Good Morning
Do we get the dividend tax credit from Canadian stocks listed in the New York stock exchange?
Thanks.

Q: I tend to buy on noticeable dips. The momentum crowd often seems to do well so I am curious: are you aware of any study that compares performance between the following approaches:
Buy stocks at or close to 52-week highs, vs.
Buy stocks at or close to 52-week lows.

I have tried to do this analysis myself using commonly available “practice accounts”. My what-if scenarios however lack the rigor that you would see in an academic exercise. Also, a question related to the above: when one is reviewing stock charts available at the better sites, are dividends included in the charts that compare baskets of stocks? I have assumed they would be excluded. If my assumption is correct, does that distort performance comparisons in a significant enough manner as to nullify one’s conclusions?

Q: This is not a question, but a comment. Many years ago I read "One Up on Wall Street" by Peter Lynch. My main takeaway was to look around me. As a shopper I hate Loblaws since there are always bare shelves and they seldom have what I want. If there is a special, they are sold out within hours on the first day. This has gone on for many years. In contrast, Metro always has what I want and sometimes more. Therefore I own Metro and have done well by it.

Q: Hi Peter and Team
Your advice on options, specifically covered calls is very much appreciated. Some time ago you had advised on opportunities in the US market for selling covered calls. As I believe that with the US election done that there may be some return to normal, is this a good time to again consider selling calls and could you advise 3 Canadian and 3 US shares that might offer good premiums ?
Thanks so much for the ongoing advice. Peter

Q: Good morning
there has been several questions at various times regarding parking money for short periods example 3 months or less
most times you suggest GICs or PSA or high interest accounts
would a short term money market fund be appropriate and if so can you suggest some with liquidity on a daily basis
What are the risks of such funds
the intent is to have this money available for purchasing stocks at short notice
If not any other ideas would be welcome
Thanks

Q: I understand that you are generally not in favour of averaging down.
How do you feel about averaging up ?
I am interested in any conflicting similarities of reasoning.

Many Thanks

Q: I own a number of Canadian dividend paying companies (ENB, TD, BCE, CNR, CM, SLF) in a taxable account. Is there a downside to "journaling" these stocks to the US side in order to be paid these dividends in US dollars? It would allow me to reinvest in other US listed companies without having to exchange money.

Q: Hello
I have noticed this with other companies but in the VEEV profile, under Share Information it shows Institutional Holdings at 152.7%. I'm guessing this is due to short positions or Stock options but would appreciate clarification.

Thanks, Greg

Q: I was wondering if a managed portfolio account with one of the "wealth management" departments at a large Canadian bank (RBC, BMO etc.) is charged transactional fees for securities buys and sells in addition to the quarterly % fee?
In other words, if a stock is purchased in such an account is there a "hidden fee" added to the ACB (adjusted cost base) for the transaction?
I've noticed that on the monthly statements the "unit price" for purchasing a Canadian equity usually has 3 decimal points for the unit cost. That leads me to believe that they are including a fee in the unit price which distorts the unit cost. Am I wrong?

Q: Dear 5i
Between my wife and i , we have 3 RRSP and 2 TFSA accounts and 1 unregistered account .
In terms of stock picking for each account how would you go about choosing your stocks based on having 6 different accounts ?
For example i`d like to own 1-2 utility stocks per account and maybe 1 bank stock per account . Would you say that i`d be better picking a different bank / utility stock for each account OR just pick the 1 or 2 of the best stocks per category and have the same "best " stocks in each account ?
Thanks
Bill C

Q: Are you able to provide a 5i model portfolio for US equities only?

Q: Hello 5i team,
In a November 16th answer, you mentioned GSY, PHO, GH and QTRH as potential go private companies. What would make them « ripe » (ready) to be bought? What characteristics (size? Slowing growth?) would help to know that a go private transaction might happen let’s say in the next year? I am surprised you included GSY (starting soon auto financing) and PHO (some new management recently) on your short list as they seem to still have growth avenues and no financing problems.
Thank you for your collaboration, Eric

Q: Is there any advantage/disadvantage to buying a US listed stock in your Canadian RRSP account as opposed to buying US dollars and buying the stock in your US RRSP account?

Thanks for being such a great source of information.

Q: It appears that SJ has been buying back shares in Sept and Oct. Is this normal or usual for SJ? Obviously when a company does this they think the stock is undervalued and it's best use of capital.

Q: Good morning folks, I would like some food for thought regarding a TFSA. Over time my TFSA has morphed into a Tech account which isn't so bad given recent sector performance. I am generally pleased with overall portfolio balance but feel that some diversification in my TFSA would be advisable. Would you please suggest which sectors (ranked if appropriate) are best held within a TFSA with a bit of colour commentary. Thank you so much for your input. I find the Q&A section truly great brain food. Have a wonderful weekend!

Q: One of my portfolios I run a leveraged that is currently about 2.5x leveraged (stocks :equity). More than half of the portfolio are dividend companies (overweighted beaten up real estate) and then tech at 20% with the rest diversified value/blue chip. This is a riskier portfolio than an average RRSP but in the context of my entire net worth and other business/real estate assets it is 5% and so I am okay with the risks.

That being said, after we have had big moves upwards, what might be some of the ways I could hedge or pay some small insurance premium for protection? I could simply sell off some of the portfolio, and also take capital gains but would be losing that longer term leveraged exposure that I see as the economy rights itself and to allow my value stocks to play out.

I know the big hedge funds can use options on CDS but what could a private investor do?

Q: I have a RESP and have both the VGRO and IWO what would be the next best ETF for this account? At what $ value would you start to buy stocks instead of ETF? It has 15 years to grow.

Thanks