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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: Please rate the above for the following criteria (best first):
Safety, valuation, dividend sustainability,long term strength,
thanks
Read Answer Asked by JOSEPH on July 17, 2020
Q: Thank you for your answer; between those companies, which one are your favorite for holding in the long run and would it be relatively safe to invest in them ? I only know personally fiera and keyera.
Read Answer Asked by jean on July 13, 2020
Q: Granted that these companies differ in dividend (only with AD), size (DOO largest, AD smallest) and type of business (sports equipment, fashion products, and equity financing to private companies), how would you rank these four stocks for future growth runway today (highest to lowest) if sector was not a consideration? Thanks for your valued input!
Read Answer Asked by David C. on July 07, 2020
Q: Have held 1000 units of NWH.UN in non-RSP account since 2015 and the ROC is now about 1/3 of what I paid for it. Confused about ROC and how it helps me but I do understand the lowering of the cost base when units are disposed of. Faithfully track all ROC’s for all units held including SPB. I don’t depend on the income from the portfolio but I am in a 43 % marginal tax bracket as a retiree. So when do I dispose of NWH.UN?
Your Q&A database says that NWH.UN is small, has wide geo distribution and not much growth, the distribution is safe but amount is only so so. However, there is a lot of ROC. In this down market, my 2 other similar amount of REs are down also (CSH.UN and SIA, 35 and 44% respectively). Also, have similar amount of AD that is down 52%. I am about “even” on my gains and tax loss sales so far for 2020 taken early in January but could use some carry-back for last year’s gains. Thinking of a trade of selling NWH and AD and perhaps CSH and SIA, waiting the 30 days before buying AD back unless you could suggest a suitable alternative proxy for the interim (or just buy CAR.UN instead all in non-RSP). Or would best option be to let it simmer and revisit during tax loss season to see if any of these have sufficiently rebounded? Have I missed something? Maybe the best decisions taken are those decisions that did not have to be taken.
Read Answer Asked by William Ross on May 26, 2020
Q: I currently own AD and I'm down about 50%. Would you recommend selling AD and switch to BPY.UN?

If BPY.UN keeps its dividend rate, my total dividend yield would improve slightly. So I have a slight advantage on yield (if BPY.UN does not cut it yield).

Yet BPY.UN has more potential to bounce back up from the $12 level than AD from the $9+ level. The growth part is seemingly more in favour of BPY.UN. Would you recommend such a switch? Your opinion is much appreciated. Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Victor on May 25, 2020
Q: I am coming up on the 30 day mark where I can repurchase shares that I sold to harvest some tax loses. Granted the market has been strong of late but I purchased some proxies on your recommendation and they have performed well. Which would you refer at this point AD or EIF and similarly PPL vs ENB?
Thank you for your continued support and guidance
Read Answer Asked by Marty on May 11, 2020
Q: Greetings 5i Team,
on 24 Mar, I SOLD these 4 companies for tax loss capture and am considering buying them back now. I note that FSZ and EIF have recovered more quickly than AD and NFI. Also, they are all still selling below what I had originally paid.
In what order would you buy these back? Is there a company(s) among them that you would not buy back at this time?

Thank you for this excellent service.
Steve
Read Answer Asked by Steve on May 04, 2020
Q: Good Morning
I currently have 37 positions spread over 3 accounts(RRSP,TFSA,INVEST). Most if not all are or at one time been in 5i’s model portfolios. Many of these are currently at 1.5% or less and although I believe they all have varying levels of potential their current weighting in my overall portfolio will have little impact unless they all go up. I believe I should consolidate the listed group, do you agree and if so which ones would you keep? Proceeds would be added to the remaining names.
Thank you for your continued advice and guidance.
As a side note you advice regarding non action in turbulent times is proof positive. Aside from harvesting some tax losses and buying proxies for a handful of names, my portfolio is now bordering on even for the year.
Publish if you wish
Read Answer Asked by Marty on May 04, 2020
Q: Hi Peter: When I sit back and take a look at the big picture and review how my portfolio performed during COVID-19 (so far), I try to see what lessons I can learn, then turn to how to apply those lessons to make my portfolio stronger.

I am a retired, dividend-income investor. I am a huge believer in asset allocation and have designed a portfolio, in my opinion, to be reasonably well diversified, although heavy to Canada. It WAS roughly 70% equities (including 32% foreign content) and 30% fixed income (roughly 15% insured annuities, 15% Fisgard Capital...both averaging in the 5-6% pre-tax range and minor cash). My equities are mostly blue chip, dividend payers, as you can see above. The 3 mutual funds are a very minor part of my portfolio, especially Eric's Energy Fund (<2%). I also receive a company pension and CPP-OAS which, when included, drops my equities to roughly 32%.

I use various metrics to monitor my portfolio, such as P/E, P/BV, P/CF, P/S, Beta, ROE, Div growth, Payout%, technical indicators like 200 mda. I am normally a buy-and-hold investor who trims/adds around a core position.

Periodically I measure how "at risk" my portfolio is relative to the overall market. I do this by prorating my portfolio using Beta. Based on equities only, I averaged 0.68 and for my entire portfolio I averaged 0.44. So, one would think that if the overall market (TSX) was to drop 30%, then I would have thought my portfolio would drop 44% to 68% of that, being in the range of 13% (overall) to 20% (equities only).

In actual fact, my entire portfolio dropped 27% from peak to trough vs the expected 13%...over double! I understand that EVERYTHING was sold off...almost no exceptions. So what do we learn from this and what changes should we consider? Do we accept that "sxxt happens" once in a while...you can't predict every event, accept it and move on? Should we consider increasing the cash component as a buffer? Or...is there something else to be learned here?

Thanks for you help...much appreciated...Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on May 04, 2020
Q: Retired dividend-income investor. I've held Alaris for years, dating back to 2012. I have trimmed and topped up around a core position and it has worked very well over the years. I believe in the management team and acknowledge that Alaris is a higher risk income stock.

I'm just wondering about the recent price action over the last couple of days (today is Apr 7/20). Is it as simple as 1) the stock has fallen so far and is now rebounding, and/or 2) we are currently in a risk-on environment?

What are your current thoughts on Alaris and it's stock price movements? Anything new on your dividend crystal ball gazing?

Thanks for your insight...Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on April 08, 2020
Q: Gordon Pape suggesting selling marginal companies in this environment and claim the loss. Which of the above if any would you consider marginal?
Thanks
Jeff
Read Answer Asked by JEFF on March 24, 2020