Investment Q&A

Q: Greetings

First, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all the staff at 5i.

In the last couple of days I have noticed that my Mawer 104 & Mawer 105 have dropped significantly. The overall markets, at least in Canada and the US, have been healthy.

Can you help me understand why this is occurring?

Thanks.

Q: Comments Please

Q: Hello 5i
Have allowed MAW150 to become a heavy weighting in Portfolio.
Are you able to comment on potential sources for its lack of performance through 2016? I am a little surprised to be down on the year.
A recent article on MAWER indicated they have likely run out of good investment ideas and their previous choices have run out of juice.(Top award winners in Mutual Funds regressing to moderate performance)

Would you just let them do what they are paid to do (MER= 1.74%) or would you choose to reduce (MAW150: 74% International allocation-Oct 31) by shifting capital to US oriented ETF - XMC?

Portfolio Geographic allocation for International vs USA are about equal currently.

If something else comes to mind as you consider this questions please feel free to add.

Thanks
Dave

Q: Overnight it would appear that this fund has lost 7.73% of its value.
Would this be as a result of a special dividend paid but not credited or has its net asset value dropped significantly and abruptly?
Dave

Q: I have owned this fund SPR006 for 10 years of ups and downs. Is currently just above water and would like your opinion in the current environment, Hold ? Sell ? replace with what ? possibly at lower carrying costs. Appreciate your advice.
John

Q: A follow up to my yesterday's question, you have suggested "better alternatives". Would appreciate you name some of them. Many thanks, J.A.P. Burlington

Q: A friend asked me to look at a mutual fund that lists the Mgmt/ MER @ 2.00% & 2.78 %. Does this mean the fee's for the fund are 4.78 % Why do they bother to separate the two percentages ??

Q: Fund managed by J. Zechner & Assoc. - looking for a comment on the timing/safety of purchasing some units along with coupon rate reliability. Thanks

Q: can you give me your valued opinion on the barometer global macro fund.can i get your view on this fund and your risk assessment of it.also is it a good long term hold for 3-5 years as 25% of my retirement fund.i am 52 years old and retire in 10 years with fingers crossed haha

Q: Can you give me your opinion on Barometer Tactical Balanced fund as a RSP holding for the next 3-5 years.

Q: I hold both Blue Ribbon Income Fund ( 6.4% dividend) and Canoe EIT income fund (10.2% dividend ) Blue Ribbon is 6% of my total portfolio and Canoe is 1% of portfolio. Would appreciate your thoughts on both of these and would you suggest selling and if so what would you purchase.
Second question, a little out of the box but if you wanted to start a risk portfolio, maybe 2 stocks, which ones would you recommend. By risk I mean potential to lose but with a potential upside to make a big profit in the next year or two. You might call this a speculation portfolio that has the money you can afford to lose.

Regards

Wayne
I just joined in July and do enjoy the information you put forth.

Q: I have some money in the Steadyhand Small Cap Fund, which recently changed managers, now Joe Sirdevan from Galibier. Do you know him and his track record at Jarislowsky, where he was previously? Would you recommend him as a money manager?

Thanks.

Q: NOT TO HAPPY WITH THIS FUND. SHOULD I SELL ALL NOW OR WAIT FOR DISTRIBUTIONS TO BE PAID THIS MONTH? WOULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE A BETTER PLAY FOR FIXED PORTION OF PORTFOLIO. WE ARE IN OUR EARLY 70'S AND RETIRED WITH 60% EQUITIES, 25% CASH, 15% IN GGF31222. WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN DEPLOYING CASH IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS FOR SANTA RALLY. YOUR THOUGHTS PLEASE.

Q: I am currently trying to diversify my portfolio with US and international exposure.I know you or i do not like fees but i have no experience in this area and you do not provide a US model so i am asking your opinion on investing in a hedge fund or looking at funds like Cambridge in particular provides but at a 2.45 mer.Please help me in my goal to diversify my RRSP

Q: I have very little US exposure in my portfolio. What would be a good Canadian US equity growth fund or ETF that would allow me to participate in the New America under the Trump regime?

Thanks

Peter

Q: I currently hold MAW102 Mawer Int'l Equity in my RRSP and am contemplating a switch to ZDI which has a distribution yield of
4.9%.My purpose is to generate more cash within the RSP.Your thoughts are appreciated. Joe

Q: Hi there
Thanks for the info what is ticker for the manulife monthly high income fund
I can't find it .
Also is there a mutual fund in Canadian dollars that would play the rising u.s. Dollar
And the u.s. Economy , in my rrsp account I can't buy etf's unfortunately
Sam

Q: Hi 5i
I ask this question yesterday and you usually answer so quickly,I'm thinking it got lost
In shipping.
In My r.r.s.p. Account I can only use mutual funds unfortunately .so my question is ,
A fund that would benefit from a raising interest rates in the u.s.
and a drop the corporate tax ?
Of course this is the promise from mr. Trump
Thanks for all the help
Sam

Q: Hi 5i
In my rrsp account I have 4 mutual funds
Rbc u.s. - rbf557 (11%)
Pimco cl adv - pmo006 (21%)
Ci bond - cig 837 (10%)
Sig hgh - cig686 (57%)
I haven't been very happy with the returns and looking at some adjustments
What do you think of selling 2/3 of sig686 and adding some to Rbc u.s.
And adding edg 3801 mutual fund,
Selling the bond portion and looking to your thoughts some suggestions for a replacement
Thank for the help
Sam

Q: Growth stocks
I am retired and using the investment income from my high-dividend stocks. I have a few clunkers which are going nowhere fast. I am thinking of substituting these (a modest amount) in Canadian growth stock, which I interpret as small/mid cap. Not wanting to make a choice myself or, or that matter, betting on one horse, I am thinking of the Pender Value Fund or a growth ETF. Comments on above?

Also, as I would buy this through my full-service broker (with whom I have a flexible arrangement), is there a transparent information source for the sales and management fees applicable to the various classes of mutual fund products - class A, class F etc?