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Investment Q&A

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

Q: Hi 5i team, I know that you are not promoting market timing but I was just wondering what your thoughts are on the following; I am a young retired person with most of my financial needs met with my defined benefit pension. My investments are 100% in equities as I consider my pension to be the fixed income portion. Where the market has been so strong lately and with no recent correction do you think it would be wise for a conservative retired income investor to take approximately 25-50% of his investments and purchase good quality rate reset preferred shares with the belief that during a period of extreme volatility and market correction that these instruments would be affected far less than common shares? The only preferred shares I hold currently is ECN.PR.C. Please tell me if you believe my logic is flawed and if it is not could you recommend a few other good yielding preferreds or other instruments you believe would hold up well during volatile markets. Thanks again for all you do. Mario.
Read Answer Asked by Mario on October 25, 2017
Q: This morning I ask a question about fix income and recommended bshort duration bond ladders. You indicated that CLF or CBO would be your recommended choices. What is the difference?

Can you also recommend a short term bond ladder, corporate bond and preferred share ETF to hold USD in?

Thanks again!

DON
Read Answer Asked by Donald on October 17, 2017
Q: Would CPD be classified as 'fixed income'? What would be a recommended short duration ladder bond fund that you would recommend for diversification?
Read Answer Asked by Donald on October 17, 2017
Q: Hi, since the end of Sept. TD.PF.B price has risen by 5% & RY.PR.H by 7%. When purchased TD.PF.B interest rate was 3.8% & RY.PR.H was 3.9%. Their 5 year interest re-calculation date is 2019. During that same period ENB.PF.E price has risen by only 2.5%. At purchase ENB.PF.E interest rate was 4.4% & it’s 5 year interest re-calculation date is 2020. The present dividend yield of ENB.PF.E is 1% greater than the two bank preferred shares. My question is, do you have insight as to why the bank preferred shares have performed much better than the Enbridge preferred shares since the end of Sept. Thanks … Cal
Read Answer Asked by cal on October 16, 2017
Q: I am retired, living on dividend income and looking for more yield to supplement my income. Thanks to 5i, I recently became familiarized with covered calls and chose ZWU yielding 6.5%.
Now I am interested in Debentures. I recently read in 5i Q&A a question on CSU.db debentures that guarantees 6.5% plus inflation rate to yield 7.5-8%, and your response was that it's a quality security.
Regarding Debentures, are they simply traded like a regular stock with scheduled dividends paid that can be bought and sold as I see fit without penalty?
Debentures seem like a low risk way to get a higher yield as the price hardly seems to fluctuate. Is this an accurate assumption?
Would you recommend for an income investor to invest 5-10% of portfolio into 1-2 debentures for higher yield? If so, can you recommend 1-2 that look most attractive for a 1-2 year hold?
Read Answer Asked by Curtis on October 13, 2017
Q: i own two prefs...gwo.pr.T bmo.pr B...great life has dropped in price and bmo is steady..the yield on gwo is attractive..
has the say 5 yr bond spread or the pref yield spread between lifeco's vs banks widened? also your thoughts on gwo thanks as always..
Read Answer Asked by adam on October 04, 2017
Q: I recently read a recommendation to sell rate reset preferreds because "the 5 year GOC has moved too far too fast from 0.40% one year ago to 1.80%+ now." They further worried that upside is limited from here, and downside is huge if there are no buyers.

I thought that we seemed to be in a period of rising rates and that a laddered portfolio of rate reset preferreds was a healthy option for part of one's portfolio, given a desire for some income. I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
Read Answer Asked by Bill on October 02, 2017
Q: I am 85-years old, locking for a safe income investment. Like to have your advise on ENC.Pr.c Min Rate reset, FFH.PR.k 5-year rate reset, BMO.Pr.s 5-yr R.Rest Preferreds. How safe are they in a rising Int. rate rise? I would also appreciate you expert advise of your chaises. Many thanks, J.A.P. Burlington
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on September 29, 2017
Q: I am becoming more interested in debentures as part of the fixed income portion of a portfolio.

1) Doing the math on CSU.db it would not pay to buy them if they are called in 2020. What things do you look at to forecast whether or not a company would ever call them. Is calling them a rare or regular occurrence? I realize each company has different needs.
2) Are debentures normally fully explained on the company's web sites re terms and conditions?
3) Are there any other websites, publications etc you would recommend so I can learn more.

Thanks

Paul
Read Answer Asked by paul on September 25, 2017
Q: This is comment on your answer to Brian's question. For the record the merger has been approved during the July 11th meeting. It is important to know that instruction on options have to be submitted by tomorrow. Otherwise the default is receiving PPL shares subject to proration.
Read Answer Asked by Saad on September 18, 2017
Q: I am 70 years old, been retired for 14 years, and can't risk losing capital. Thus my portfolio is currently 100% in fixed income.... 65% in laddered 1-5 year GIC's, 10% in bond ETF's (CBO, CLF, XBB), 5% in preferred shares, and 20% in cash. In the preferred share category, I currently hold CPD, HPR, and ZPR equally. Given a steadily increasing interest rate environment, would you recommend selling CPD and adding to HPR and ZPR, due to their leanings towards rate re-sets? Is a 5% total weighting for preferreds appropriate for this fixed income portfolio? What do you recommend for the remaining cash, given my mandate for "safe" investments? Should I stick with additional GIC's or expand the bond allocation? Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Paul W on September 18, 2017
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