Investment Q&A

Q: Hello 5i
I’d be interested in your comments on this years January “bounce”. Do you feel it is just a bounce due to tax loss selling or are we likely to move higher after January. I realize this is a market call which is a guess at best but I stil value your opinion and insight.
Thank you
Dave

Q: Hi.

How many times do you think the BoC will raise the interest rate in the next two years ? Im asking this because we're renewing our mortgage soon. Im still leaning to take variable which we are in right now. but a bit hesitant due to continuing rise of int rate.Appreciate if you can give me your input on this.

Q: I’m looking for suggested asset allocation percentages by region. I currently use Canada/US/Foreign/and Emerging Markets
Thank you

Q: I have noticed recently that Aapl, Amzn, Brk, Googl and V that the daily share volume has been about 70 % of the 10 day volume and Shop and Sq have been at or higher than the 10 day volume ( the stocks mentioned are some companies in my portfolio). To me this means that the rise in share price does not have wide support and could fall soon.
Appreciate your comments on the support of the rally and are people hiding money in short term instruments until they can verify one way or the other the next direction of the market.
Clayton

Q: Following up on your recent response that you would limit investment in Canadian equities to 25-40% of one's portfolio, in what country (US) or countries/regions would you recommend investing the balance...and in what proportions? Thank you.

Q: My question is about global debt as a potential factor affecting markets going forward. According to a report in the Washington Post today global debt is now about 318 percent of world gross domestic product.

The breakdown is reported like this: Government debt has tripled from $20 trillion in 2000 to $65 trillion in 2018, rising as a share of GDP from 55 percent to 87 percent. Household debt has increased over the same years, from $17 trillion to $46 trillion (from 44 percent to 60 percent of GDP). Finally, nonfinancial corporate debt rose from $24 trillion to $73 trillion (71 percent of GDP to 92 percent).

Do you think growing global indebtedness is a serious risk factor investors should be aware of?

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/with-booming-global-debt-were-entering-unexplored-territory/2019/01/16/8896c5e2-19bb-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html?utm_term=.f9c7f2e8f264

Thank you. Michael

Q: Hi there, in your opinion is the rally we are having in the markets sustainable or is it a dead cat bounce? I've read that in many cases, there is usually a double bottom, before the rally usually beings again (assuming a rally will occur). What are your thoughts? Thanks!

Q: David Rosenberg today indicated that the recent rally in the TSX is very similar to the December rally of 1931 and further said that this is not an investors' rally but a trader's rally. Is the current rally a sucker's rally?
I will greatly appreciate your comments.
Thanks
Terry

Q: Hi. 35 years old, currently sitting on 100% cash in TFSA and in RRSP. Looking to get back in with a long term outlook.

Planning on the following: TFSA: 40% modeled after your Balanced Equity Portfolio (or potentially Growth Portfolio), 50% in a mix of a few broad ranged ETFs, and 10% cash for now. RRSP: 20% in BTSX, 20% Dogs of DOW (USD), 20% Growth Portfolio (or BE), 20% mix of ETFs (will diverse geographically), 10% bonds, and 10% cash.

1. Comments to the overall strategy?
2. Any recommendations?
3. I know you can't time the market, but does it make sense to just buy in all at one time?

Appreciate the help!

Q: What sector or sectors do you think will be the most profitable for 2019. And in that or those sectors which stocks would you pick
Thanks

Q: Good morning,
I'm 70 years old and with yet a new year upon us and a review of the holdings in my non reg equity portfolio, I'm concerned that my $650K non reg equity portfolio has slowly grown into a "hodge podge" of miscellaneous holdings that need to be trimmed, better concentrated (minimum 5% per holding) along with the addition of a few additional names in sectors that are not currently represented. My current holdings are as follows:
AQN (3.3%),BCE (11.6%)BAM.A(3.8%),CU (4.5%),DIV(2.8%),EMA (2.4%),KEY(2.2%),XIU(5.2%),XIC (33.2%),XDV(18.4%),SLF(3.6%),T(2.9%),T(2.9%),MAW120(3.1%)MAW102(3%).
I would very much appreciate your suggestions on how to best to adjust my current non reg equity portfolio to make it easier to manage and follow. I'm open to adding an appropriate mix of ETFs or Mawer equity funds as need be. My RRSP and TFSA are pretty much all populated with a mix of relatively low MER Mawer equity funds which have performed well over the years. I thank you in advance and look forward to hearing your sage advice and recommendations.
Francesco

Q: Good morning and HNY
My wife and I have several investment accounts ( two individual, one joint, one RIF, one RRSP, one LIRA, two TFSA). We recently retired and transferred from an advisor to self managing. My first question is how to allocate both sector and type of investment ( equity, prefs, bonds etc) given the different types of accounts. Should we look at the aggregates or each account individually. Second question. We have roughly 20% of our total worth in GIC’s, largely held in our RRSP/RIF/LIRA. Safe, for sure, but it seems we are just parking our money which is galling in retrospect as our advisor charged his normal fee for said parking. Are we better off with pref shares versus GIC’s. Our prefs have suffered recently with the interest rate increases and they are more “risky” than GIC’s, but having so much money parked is concerning. I would appreciate your suggestions. BTW, we have followed your service for the past year to gain confidence as has our neighbour.Thanks for providing an integrous platform.

Q: Hi Group - assuming this market stays choppy and unpredictable it appears the the tech sector may be a good start to generating some cash (I have profits in CSU + DSG + a loss in FB - My question is do I sell now hoping to buy back later a lower price - presently I only have 5% cash in a portfolio worth $1.2 million and am feeling very vulnerable to losing more (presently I am down 18% overall. Is it too late to preserve cash or?

Q: Happy New Year!
Q: Please tell me what is the correct sector allocation for a Canadian Investor in 2019?
Thank you.

Q: Hi,
You responded to Kevin yesterday that the TSX Total Return was -8.9%. I found in TMXMONEY symbol ^15NT which they are calling the total return. Using the daily chart I calculate the 2018 return to be -9.6%. Do you know why there would be a difference?
Regardless of the source, would it be possible to include this on your company pages so your readers can easily compare their total returns?

Thanks
Ian

Q: Hello Team. It seems the level of negative sentiment in the sector has not diminished since Dec although it has only been two days. Every day there is some new big issue to fret about like Apple today and U.S. growth yesterday. Does the VIX adequately reflect this negative sentiment? Are we still waiting for the "spike"? Would your advice be that, rather than try to adjust equity holdings to conditions, just sit tight and wait it out ?
Clarence

Q: Hi There,
Can you tell me what the total return for the TSX was for 2018?
Thank You

Q: It feels like the end of 2018 was simply a perfect storm of conditions suited to create an impressive (and painful) but not overly unusual pull back on the TSX. Yet there is talk of recession and looming bear markets (I suppose there always is).

What's your take on this? Would you be buying the many apparent opportunities (like mx, cnr, ctc.a) or would you be cautious still?

Q: Earlier this Fall, ahead of the recent correction, I moved 12% of my portfolio to cash (I was fully invested in equities). My thought is to hold the cash until we hit the top of the ongoing interest rate increases the deploy the cash into corporate bonds, BBB or higher, spread over 2-6 years maturity. Recent reports have maybe another 2 rate increases in 2019. Given this has been signalled to the market do you think bond yields are already accounting for this?

Q: Now that tax losses over would be wise to hold the stocks even though most of them are in loss
specially TSE stocks mentioned in our portfolios.
Some how it apears to me that TSE stocks are much lower comparatively to US stocks. possibly better return,your opinion?