Investment Q&A

Q: Your thoughts please on the quarter?Thx

Q: Good morning 5i
I have held sis for quite awhile, hopeful that its emphasis on the demographic situation would pay off. It does seem to be getting better but as a small cap it doesn’t have the umph that i was hoping for. I have lately been reconsidering my portfolio, anyway and wondering whether i should abandon that hope sell sis and buy something like wsp global or adt, which is down. That way i am leaving behind the risk of a small cap stock, getting possibly more stability in my portfolio and with these two stocks, the possibility of a decent gain. I have a well balanced portfolio, so difference in sector is not a problem
Thanks for your great service for us all

Q: Hi,
Could you please recommend 10 (5 US / 5 CAN) high-quality defensive companies with strong balance sheets, low debt levels, and robust cash flows that YOU believe they can weather economic stress, inflation, or stagflation and they relatively hold up their stock prices during such times? If their current stock prices are overvalued, please suggest your recommended entry prices.

Also please recommend ETFs that mainly invest in companies with the above criteria?

Thank you

Q: Are you surprised of the performance of the stock since announcing they were no longer pursuing the takeover of Seven & I? There was a sharp uptick in the stock on the first day, but since drafted back to the $70 range again. Is this a continued buying opportunity?

Q: If you had a pretty well diversified portfolio of Canadian stocks and didn't own any of these 10, how would you rank them in order of desirability to add to the portfolio for long term growth? Which ones would you definitely add?

Q: Would U buy/add today the above 3 stocks.Good Entry prices for each. Txs for U usual great services & views.

Q: Hi, now that ATD has formally dropped the proposed take over of 7-Eleven, where do you see the stock price reverting to? Low-mid 70's ...until they announce their next deal.?
I have owned (and trimmed) over the last 10+ years so have done well but I don't think I will get the same returns as I have previously. Can you please suggest a replacement?

Thank you!
Steve

Q: Good morning

What is ATD's average Historical P/E ratio, say for the past 5 or 10 years?

What is the High and Low Historical P/E ratio, the range, during that time period?

Dividing ATD's current stock price of $69 by their reported net income per share of $2.72 yields a Historical P/E ratio of 25.4.

Am I doing what seems like a simple calculation correctly?

I ask because I am seeing a Future P/E ratio for ATD in the financial press of 17.3, which implies a large increase in net income compared with their last fiscal year, a decline in stock price, or some combination of the two,

How should one interpret this dramatic change in Future vs Historical P/E for ATD?

And finally, what is 5i's view on how expensive ATD's price is currently, compared with past history? Does 5i support accumulating ATD shares at this point?

Thank you.

Edward

Q: Good morning. I have a half position in ATD in my RRIF that is the only under performer. I would like to sell it and open a position in gold. I'm not sure whether to buy a producer, a streamer or an ETF. I could add funds and buy 1 full position, or buy 2 of the above categories. Your thoughts and suggestions for tickers would be welcome. Thanks in advance. David

Q: Sir: What 2 US and Canadian stocks or ETFs do you see most unfairly punished now, and most likely to reward , down the road. Also could you suggest one non US value ETF or stock that cheers you a lot? Thanks-JP

Q: Good morning, As a retired investor who can handle moderate risk I'm looking to add to my consumer staples holdings in an RRSP, for both growth and a dividend. My only current holding in this sector is Proctor & Gamble (PG). What would be your top 3 picks in Canada and top 3 picks in the US, ranked please, for a new consumer staples holding?

Q: How would the acquisition of GETGO CAFE+ MARKET affect ATD earning ? Thanks a million.

Q: Feel free to answer following the conference call.
Would you initiate a position here, I am light in this sector.

Of course this stock has been quite stagnant for sometime. Is it getting harder for acquisitions? Is it also hunting for a big one that would move the needle, ie 7/11.

Thank you for this amazing service.

Q: Thoughts please on the quarter? Thx

Q: BN is sitting at 7.5%, AXON - BKNG are 5% and the rest are 3% positions totaling approx. 83% of my stock assets. I have some 1-2% positions in my cash account (GSY, ATZ, PRL, CLBT, HPS.a, BNS,SU, TMDX, TVK and CNQ. I'm heavy tech, financials and industrials going into H2 2025. Would you add to, remove or change anything is this was your account (assuming you're 52 and plan to retire in 8 years). Not looking for a person allocation but rather if it was you, what might you be looking to adjust, if anything. Note I have no utilities currently. Thanks and have a great weekend.

Q: What are the chances that a deal can be made with 7/11 at this point?

I read recently that 7/11 is pursuing a dual-track : exploring a possible sale to ATD or going it alone as a more focused business. As part of plans to remain independent, it is selling underperforming supermarkets and has announced plans to list a portion of its U.S. retail operation to fund a massive stock buyback.

I also understand that if the deal goes through with ATD, there will be a lot of debt for awhile.

Is this a good time to buy ATD? If yes, what would be an appropriate price to acquire it? (5+ year time frame)

I am looking for a stock with some sort of dividend, along with a good chance of high appreciation in share price over time. The chart history of ATD over the last 10 years is impressive. If there are other well-managed Canadian companies with reasonable debt that fit this profile better, please suggest them (with a entry price).

They do not have to be in the same sector as ATD. However, I am already heavy in financials. Thank you for your valuable input.

Q: Long term holder of ATD and starting to rethink my investment based on their company size. I feel the company may now be too large to emulate their previous track record. When compared to the smaller Casey's in the US, ATD has vastly underperformed it's smaller peer recently. Also, they seem to be missing forecasts more frequently the last couple of years which may explain their all in pursuit of 7-11. If the takeover doesn't occur, are there other growth levers the company can pursue to resume growing their top & bottom lines consistently again? Thx

Q: If ATD were to complete a purchase of Seven & I at a decent price, I believe 5i's assumption is that we would see a pop in share price. If ATD were to walk away from a deal, would the share price also increase (due to less dilution, debt, etc)?

In other words, is this a situation where the primary risk for ATD is overpaying for Seven & I?

Q: Hi, I'm considering adding a Canadian bank. I only hold TD. Which bank would you consider to be the best to add at this time for a longtime core holding? I'm thinking of doing a quarter position at this time and build that position over time. Also I started a quarter position in ATD recently and I'm watching it at the moment. Would you consider ATD to be fairly safe at these levels and an attractive stock to increase that position at the current price or wait to see if it's still in the bottoming process. Thank you as always for your expert advice!

Q: Hit "enter" to fast on my last question. Looking for some ideas with the understanding you can't offer direct recommendations. I have 40 K to add to my non-reg account. I have full positions in all the pipelines, OLY, GWO, BNS, CU, NPI, BIR, PEY, TPZ, CNQ, PRL and BMO. I have no need for any income for at least five years, not opposed to going overweight if necessary, have lots of higher yielders so would perhaps benefit from some choices with capital gain and dividend growth potential versus just high yield.