skip to content
  1. Home
  2. >
  3. Investment Q&A
You can view 3 more answers this month. Sign up for a free trial for unlimited access.

Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: A number of analysts, such as Patricia Mohr and Don Coxe, see oil going down further over the next few months. (Don Coxe has an interesting analysis: Saudi Arabia wants to starve its enemies, the Shia states and ISIS of oil revenues.) What is your opinion on playing the decline in the oil price by investing in HOD for a few months? Thank you for your excellent service.
Read Answer Asked by Kurt W on November 30, 2014
Q: Given the recent downturn in oil prices, I am looking for bottom-feeding opportunities. I would like to initiate a full position in the sector in a new investment account with a long term horizon (> 5 years). i'm thinking about a 1/3 position in each of oil sands, nat gas, and oil/gas services. What are you thoughts on this allocation, and what top name(s) would you suggest for each? Many thanks for a great service!!
Read Answer Asked by Arvind on November 30, 2014
Q: Peter & Crew I'd like your advice on wja,trz.b, considering lower cost fuel costs. Thanks
Read Answer Asked by John on November 30, 2014
Q: Kelso is involved in the manufacture of components for rail cars related to dangerous products i.e oil and byproducts. Do you forsee any affect from the oil debacle? As ever thanks for the advice.
Read Answer Asked by michael on November 30, 2014
Q: My question is why are you recommending stocks in the oil and gas space and infrastructure space to your members when the chart on oil has been going from the upper left to lower right, i understand you give the cavaet that these stocks could go lower still and there is carnage in this space, but why not just tell your membership to stand back. Isn't it always better to buy stocks on the way up rather than the way down.personally i sold all my oil and infrastructure stocks 6 weeks ago took a loss on all of them, bought companies in other spaces and made it all back plus plus. I just do not get it. Dave
Read Answer Asked by david on November 30, 2014
Q: Hi Folks:
I was a fairly large stake holder in Oil Exco (oil) which I followed down to nothing (thanks largely to Bank of Scotland's failure). For quite some time I have ceased believing the commodity story, as I watched the old adage "nothing cures high prices like high prices" and human ingenuity at work. Consequently the only Canadian Energy company I now own is Vermilion (about 7% weight). Do you feel this company and other mid tiers have the financial power needed to survive and prosper with $50-$60 oil (or lower) as this price looks in the cards for some time, or should one move into a more stable sector. I am a long term holder of (CVX) Chevron (similar portfolio weighting). Thank you so much for your service....it is worth far more than you charge!!!
brian
Read Answer Asked by Brian on November 30, 2014
Q: Peter, I am in Div. Paying oil and gas and will stay. Question, Canadian dollar down 20 percent, Oil down 30 percent. Can one assume, or what is the correlation between the two. It would seem Div. cuts are not as sure as they were if the Canadian dollar was a dollar? The low dollar should very much help exporting industries???? Thanks Ken
Read Answer Asked by Ken on November 30, 2014
Q: Hello 5i team

I am surprised there isn't more discussion on PRW after a whopping 15% fall on Friday.

I realize the news on oil in general is not that great and PRWs quarter wasn't over the moon. But it wasn't that bad was it

Anything you can see that explains the big drop

Thanks for all you do

Gord
Read Answer Asked by Gord on November 30, 2014
Q: Hi Peter and team, what are your thoughts on BDI? How much of an impact would drop in oil prices have on BDI and how would you interpret the recent decline of almost 15%.
Thanks,
Read Answer Asked by Yi on November 30, 2014
Q: Hi I have positions in both PRW and CWC…and I want to drop one of them and take the loss. Which is safer to hold in case energy stays down for 10 months? which has greater upside when oil/gas recovers? Thanks. Helen
Read Answer Asked by Helen on November 30, 2014
Q: Yet another query/ clarification. In your reply to Dan's question re oversold oil and gas stocks you listed some of my favourites such as PEY, SGY, WCP and TOU.
The first 3 pay decent dividends and I am looking at adding to my position. However in another O &G answer you mentioned the likelihood of a flood of dividend cuts in the fairly near future if oil prices do not rebound. Such dividend cuts would likely drive share prices down even more.
Would you consider the stocks above (not TOU - no dividend) to be less likely to reduce their dividend? Case in point: SGY is now showing an 11.8% yield - enough to make a wounded investor salivate! Could you justify doing some buying right now.

Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Donald on November 28, 2014
Q: I have been very happy with your recommendation on Surge Energy. My game plan was to make sure I had a long term hold of a stock in Oil especially as the projection of CAD is to continue lower. In fact it is a wonderful relationship between the price of oil and CAD. It would appear, as the price of oil falls, so does CAD, implying a cushion for Surge. Not only does the falling Can Dollar help, but a lower price of oil in a growing econmy like the USA would suggest greater consumption on the horizon. I do understand there is a suggestion that the USA has a surplus of oil but was that not contributed by the refineries being off line for a time. In 2010 USA consummed 19.18 Mill B/per day. In 2012 they were producing only 11.11 Mill B/per day. There is no question in my mind that I want to invest more in an oil company, the real question I have here is "Can Surge survive to capitalize, or should a long term investor in oil look to another company?"
Read Answer Asked by Phil on November 28, 2014
Q: With the low oil prices and demand being what they are, will the rail companies see a slow down?
Read Answer Asked by Joel on November 28, 2014
Q: Hello Peter, Could you give me your thoughts on Freehold compared to Pairiesky? Do you prefer one over the other? Is the decline in their price due to the panic selling or is due to oil price decline?
Read Answer Asked by pietro on November 28, 2014
Q: I fortuitously sold Suncor back in June but am now wanting to buy back into oil and gas in my wife's TFSA account. I have badger (bad) and Superior Propane (spb) in another rsp account but this would be more of a direct investment in the beleagured oil and gas industry. I have 10 000 dollars of room to invest with a long term window and was wondering which two of sgy,su,spe,or su you would recommend. Do I go back into the rock solid dependable Suncor or seek more growth with the likes of a Surge or Spartan or ???? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Dennis on November 28, 2014
Q: Do you think a lot of these companies will be adjusting their 2015 budget ? These dividends such as TBE at 15 percent and 1.20 price would seem much at risk.
Read Answer Asked by terrance on November 28, 2014
Q: Greeting, Peter & Co.
I fund and administer RDSPs for three young girls on the autism spectrum. Although I still have a 10 year time horizon I fortunately have no energy exposure in these portfolios. I am considering a small position in High Arctic Energy (HWO) as well as a position in a, yet to be determined, large cap energy company. My rationale is:
HWO has operations in Papua New Guinea (PNG) (74%) and Alberta (26%). Although HWO is not a typical Canadian energy services company its 6 month share price decline is identical to that of Calfrac and slightly less than some of the other Canadian companies in this sector. The PNG operations include services and equipment rentals to natural gas companies that provide natural gas to a new LNG plant that has very long-term supply contracts. The Alberta operations, in my opinion, containing more risk than PNG, are similar to those of other Canadian energy service companies.
HWO had a good Q3 and the balance sheet is solid. There is enough cash on hand to cover the CAPEX for the additional rigs that will be delivered in 2015. The dividend was recently increased by 10% to 5.3% at the current share price of $3.73 leaving a very low payout ratio.
Please advise me of any errors in my numbers or logic and your assessment of HWO.
With great appreciation for your most valuable service.
Ed
Read Answer Asked by Ed on November 28, 2014
Q: I hold ALA, IPL, TRP, ENB, KEY, EMA & FTS. They are done with oil. I am thinking of selling some or all (in light of oil) and purchasing Blue Chip US Equities. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you as always.
Read Answer Asked by Craig on November 28, 2014