Investment Q&A

Q: Why have bank rate-reset preferred come off so much in the past two months after holding up well with rising rates prior to October? I hold HPR which is off about 15% since the beginning of October and holds mostly bank rate-reset preferred which I would have thought would hold up much better in the current environment.

Q: God Morning
I would appreciate your thoughts on the 3rd qtr results of NWC. They look exceptionally good at first glance but income includes a $17million insurance settlement partly for business interruption. When that is reversed out and the comparative periods adjusted, how does the quarter look to you and what do you think of the company going forward?
Many thanks for your insight.
Ian

Q: What are your thoughts on ABT? Is this a stock that I can buy and hold? Thanks!

Q: Looking for a reit with more that a 5% yield and a chance of dividend growth with some capital appreciation . What's your best idea??

Q: Cipher, is hosting an investor webcast today, I am hoping you can report and summarize this event. The question for me regarding this co. is are they growing and I am looking for proof of traction not only in revs but also profits.

Q: From a technical perspective is it time to sell GSY. It seems to have broken resistance to the downside, the next stop could be 10% lower. Your thoughts?

Q: Charge as many credits as you see fit...at least 4...got lots. Annually, I follow the O'Shaughnessy system and go through the tedious process of ranking over 90 stocks into deciles. I am screening for stocks that are good value, less volatile and have a good + growing dividend. For value, I use P/E, P/B, P/CF, P/S. For volatility, I use Beta. For dividends, this year I have added 5 year growth % into the process. The resultant summary number is the cumulative of the 7 metrics, with roughly 60% value, 15% volatility and 25% dividend weighting. I then marry this up with a technical screening, using charts with a 200 mda, looking for a rising vs rangebound vs declining chart.

Question 1 = your thoughts on my screening system? I thought of adding in other metrics, but I wanted to keep it relatively simple. Factors such as payout % and ROE can always be a looked at in the next phase. Should I drop any of the metrics if they are redundant?

Most of the stocks screened as expected. However, 3 stocks didn't screen well at all and I am trying to figure out why. It may be that my population of stocks is skewed to value stocks, so if any of the other 3 stocks had growth or REIT characteristics, then they might be seen as outliers.

Question 2 = CSH's fundamentals screened horribly = 10th decile. Could it be that REITs may screen out differently, due to their very nature?

Question 3 =Both PBH and WSP screened poorly = 8th decile. Could it be their fundamental metrics exhibit more growth characteristics?

Question 4 = Reading past 5iR questions on these 3 stocks leads me to believe you are still strongly in favor of all 3. Please confirm.

Thanks...Steve

Q: Could you please recommend 1 or 2 growth stock for a new born’s RESP account. We would consider to hold or add to these stocks over next 10 to 12 years. The initial investment this year is about $ 2500.

Thanks very much !!

Q: Hi, I have some capital losses from sale of shares earlier on this year. Looking to book some gains, by selling partial position in certain holdings which have appreciated considerably from my cost, but presently trading 10-25% off their highs for the year. Q1:Should I liquidate at current prices (before year end) or wait until market sentiment improves and valuations are better ? Q2: Either way (2018 or later), in order of preference, which ones will you let go first ? These stocks and weightings as follows : CSU (12%), SYZ (6.5%), BYD.un(5.3%), SHOP (5.2%), CGI(4%), KXS (3.3%) and CCL.b (4.5%). Thanks

Q: Considering debt, growth and yield which one would you pick between these two companies and why? Appreciate your comments.

Thanks.

Q: With the recent volatility, several companies on my watchlist have seen their multiples fall to more reasonable levels compared to the last 2-3 years. In the current climate, I find low debt, strong management and overall quality to be more important than ever.

Considering these criteria, RCH, ADW.A and SJ are starting to stand out. The main issue I have is, growth might not be as high/steady as it was in previous years, so in the end they might not be that much of a bargain; maybe they are just more fairly valued, not "mispriced".

What would be your take on this? Is a 15-16 forward P\E for 8-10 % EPS growth and overall quality a reasonable price to pay? Or is this a case by case basis? What are the main points of reference, aside from industry, competition, company history, etc.?

I understand there are many other factors, but still, am trying to get my head around valuation. Thank you!

Q: Good Morning. Diana Shipping is offering to buy back shares for $3.60. This is slightly ahove the current share price and slightly below what I paid for my shares. I know this is a US company, but any advice. My inclination is to retain the shares. Thanks, Don

Q: Most trading days this year Intrinsyc Technologies has been a buyer of it own stock (up to the allowable max). Though as of late in addition, they have purchased large blocks, yesterday 165,000 shares and 225,000 just 2 weeks ago (combined 2% of the float). What should investors read into this given the Company has had a string of strong quarterly results? I guess the obvious is the positive impact on EPS going forward.

Q: Your comments on Q3 results would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Q: I have a small position in FDX which has broken support levels-should I sell or accumulate more
Thanks
Lakis

Q: What is happening to Sun Life , is interest rate uncertainty causing the last four months decline? thanks, Jean

Q: Hello 5i Team,

I have done really well with CGI and am thinking of swapping it for KXS. This move is purely for growth, I am comfortable with risk and have a long time frame (3 to 5 years).
Conversely, I am significantly down on both MAXR and HCG, and am thinking of selling one to add to the other. Which one would you recommend keeping and why?
Please deduct credits as you see fit.

Thank you for spreading the wisdom.

BK

Q: Alta Gas is down about .50% from around $30.00 to around $15.00. Some financial experts recommend Alta Gas all the way down. What did they do wrong? Other financial experts recommend avoid and a few sell--kudos to them. What are your thoughts now?

Q: This is a comment more than a question. I often go to their stores. I noticed that they have dropped prices on certain items lately ( eg chocolate bars) and if this is the trend then their margins have to be getting compressed. As well, their stores do not seem as busy as usual. In contrast, I also frequent Walmart and they seem just as busy. I think Walmart may be eating into DOL's business. I don't see any turnaround in DOL's share price anytime soon, although I think if it drops even more than it may get bought out or taken private. They seem have the dollar store market to themselves, just as Shoppers Drug Mart had in their category ( and they were bought out).

Q: Are there any Canadian public-trade companies specialized in managing the farmlands in western Canada or Canada? I think it is good long term investment due to climate change.