Investment Q&A

Q: Hi, Peter and Team,
Could you please comments on HCG's Q3 and outlook. Is HCG worth hold? Thanks

Q: I am a little confused by your answer to Richard's question yesterday about HCG. On the one hand, you still consider HCG a good long term investment, while on the other hand, you said that you took it out of the Balanced Portfolio on short term prospects. I had thought that your advice was based on long term investing, not short term trading. I would appreciate your clarification.

Thanks,

Q: Interesting comments from David Baskin yesterday on why he still holds HCG. Only 8% of their portfolio is insured, so new mortgage rules should have a limited impact, and estimated earnings are $4.00 so very cheap at current price. As a longterm holder I'm considering averaging down. Appreciate your advice.

Q: Hi Peter and team,my holdings down 10~20%,should I hold or sell ?any chance of bounce back in the next 6 months ?

Q: Looking for financial sector allocation suggestions as replacement for HCG/mortgage sector. Already have positions in EFN/ECN/CXI/BNS/SLF...any suggestions? or okay with going to 20% on tech vs current 15% 35 years old, money is all in registered accounts, little debt, and no need for money in next 10-20 years

Q: I sold not only HomeCapital but EQB, because Cohodes, our nemesis, is now shorting it as well. Now I'm left with First National. As much as I'd like to think I'm a long-term investor, my gut tells me once retail investors read about the news on alternative lenders this weekend, the stock sell-off will accelerate. Some insiders are also selling, even the CEO of HomeCapital who sold a massive amount of shares at 34.50 right after that buyback announcement? Another insider sold over 400k at 27.50 less than two weeks ago? For me, the last nail in the coffin was Sherry Cooper's interview yesterday on BNN (Dominion Lending). Most surprising, the CEO of First National came on Bloomberg basically saying: "It's bad for us and banks will take 20% of our market". Question: Would you sell First National and replace it with Surge Energy, which is back in an uptrend? Thanks.

Q: Hi, I own some of Home Capital's May 2017 and Dec 2018 bonds. Would you continue to hold these or would you sell them? I want my bond portfolio to be as secure and stress free as possible.

Q: 5i,

Thanks for getting rid of Home Capital. I can finally take it off my radar. I've bought and sold this stock so many times due to the fact that I thought it was a "blue chip" that was just being unfairly treated in the market.

Hope you consider ECN as a replacement in your portfolio! I can see the stock being at around $6 a year from now and $9 a year after that. But it's probably too soon for a new company like that even if it is being run by Steve Hudson!

Thanks, Shane

Q: Morning, I have held HCG for years, and XTC for about a year, have been waiting for a turn to positive on both. Is either expected to improve or are there better names in these areas? Thanks, Lavern

Q: Is it too early to evaluate the potential impact of the new mortgage rules on HCG's insured mortgage business? I realize this is low margin business, but I think it is still important. Would appreciate your views.
Thanks

Q: Sorry for bringing up yet another question on this company but you recently answered a question about State Street Capital and in that answer, you seemed to suggest that the alternative mortgage market is not an area that you suggest for investment. First, is HCG considered to be an alternative lender and second, was your answer in response to making a specific new investment in State Street or should companies in this sector be abandoned altogether?

Appreciate your insight.

Paul F.

Q: What are the new mortgage rules 5i is talking about???

Q: I have losses and 2% positions in each of these companies in a well diversified portfolio. Do you suggest moving on and selling any of these, especially after the gov't mortgage rule changes. What replacements might you suggest. I already own TD, BNS and SLF at 3% each.

Q: I'm down considerably on HCG. Do you think it's a good strategy to sell it, get the tax loss on it and buy MIC instead? Are they comparable quality companies?

Thanks
M

Q: WOULD YOU BUY HCG TODAY? THANKS

Q: Banks will now have more "skin in the game" and possibly will offer lower mortgages. What are the chances that this will mean HCG and other non-bank mortgage insurers will have the benefit of having more demand for their product, with more favourable underwriting conditions?
John

Q: About Patrick's question on HomeCapital... in case it helps members, I couldn't help but share my experience with investing in GoEasy. It was a wild ride after buying it about a year ago. When the shares hit 17, I sold 1/2. I thought "5i said it's cheap and growing but there must be a problem with the company!". Then, GoEasy, broke-out and shares hit 25.00, a 45% increase from my sell point. It's harder than expected to hold-on to positions that we buy with the *intention* of holding for a long time. However, much more painful than holding a weak stock is to see it recover massively after selling. Since this is not a growth by acquisition story like CXR and VRX, and unlike those, HCG has a 10 years+ history, a non-trader will probably do best by no longer watching the daily ticker/news. Don't do what I did with GoEasy. Wait a year. The 5% buyback should help.

Q: I believe I am done with this stock. For whatever reason, warranted or not, it goes nowhere. Can you provide an alternative that performs. Thx

Q: Greetings,

Your thoughts on the latest short-attack article would be appreciated.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/4009041-family-affair-home-capital-group-re-charge-just-open-pandoras-box

Thanks.

Q: Over the past year HCG is down ~ 15% while FN is up ~ 45%. FN has an attractive yield and low PE ratio ~ 13 according to TMX. I hold most stocks in your balanced portfolio so wonder if it would be time to sell HCG and replace with FN.
Appreciate your comments on this trade. Thanks to your recommendations in BE portfolio I own many profitable stocksI would not have bought otherwise.
Steve