Investment Q&A

Q: What is your recommended sector allocation within the Canadian Equity market and top pick within each segment today? (Discretionary, Staples, Energy, Financials, Health Care, Industrial, Tech, Materials, Communication, Utilities?)

Thanks! Nick

Q: Hello,
My question is portfolio construction strategies for a RIF. Assume the value allows for sufficient diversification to total 20 positions, as long as a max 5% (say $5,000.00 per investment) weighting is respected in each. Also assume one wants foreign exposure and uses ETFs for that portion with a goal of maintain a minimum 25% (say 5 positions) exposure.

Based on the above, that would mean +/- 15 individual CAD stocks can be purchased. I like the fact individual stocks can provide greater returns and outperform the index and/or its sector. But they can also produce far more portfolio carnage for a variety of reasons? Capital preservation is an important consideration but low volatility is acceptable. Other investments can be drawn on to avoid selling in a market downturn and I am still a few years away from reaching 71. I am assuming the value of the portfolio is stable and the strategy would change if the withdrawals started reducing the portfolio value below an amount where a reasonable diversification could be maintained. I believe it is a useful exercise to have an objective yearend review. It helps to understands risks and plan/structure investments going forward with a vision.

In your opinion, what factors might be prime considerations to simply move the funds entirely into ETFs?

Given some recent questions, I would like your insight into FOREX and Covered Call options on ETFs for my foreign exposure. Other than travel, our living expenses are CAD. Consider foreign bank ETFs ZUB and ZBK as a good example since you have provided responses on them . Would buying a block of each which add up to my desired individual investment weight also give some FOREX exposure but a defensive position thanks to the hedge? Similarly, would a strategy of picking two ETFs one with a covered call and the other full market exposure increase capital appreciation potential while enhancing monthly returns?

Thank you for your insights. Season's greetings!

Mike

Q: What would you consider to be the ideal sector weighting for a Canadian equity portfolio? (Discretionary, Staples, Energy, Financials, Health Care, Industrial, Technology, Materials, Communications, Utilities) And what is your top pick in each space?

Q: What sort of circumstances would a company redeem their preferred shares? Are they more likely to be redeemed if they are trading at a premium (above $25.00)?

Q: Do you use Stop Losses? If so what would be your criteria ?
Thankyou

Q: I realise this is a bit out of your focus area but I have a quadruple in a British company Games Workshop (GAW). I am wondering if I should sell some shares or hold.

Q: Congrats for you terrific job!
I am often wondering when you recommend certain etf over some great money manager (like phn, egdepoint or mawer) for just half a point of management fees and on the other hand, you recommend full active management with your own model portfolio.
I think with all the money flowing into indexing and closet-indexer and quants, we are gonna see some benefits in years ahead for truly and talented active managers.
With respect, your model porfolio have proven their ability to beat the index as some greats money manager (as mentionned above).
Comments please

Q: How is my TFSA doing? Has anyone prepared an analysis like this: assume one started a TFSA when they were first introduced, and added the maximum allowable contribution each year in Jan., and they received an average annualized return of X (pick some decent average)...therefore the total value of TFSA portfolio should be Y.

Q: I have an opportunity to invest in a private enterprise that has developed new technology in the music industry. The technology is both significant and international in scope but the company is still in the early stages. Capital investment seems to me to be high risk, but if the company is successful, there could also be high rewards. With 5i's experience in venture capital over the years, I would appreciate your words of wisdom.

Q: We are quite elderly, have a small pension and, to augment it, invest with BMO in a portfolio of 22 stocks that pays close to $35,000 annually in dividends. I'm looking for relatively stable income with safety and a modest chance of growth. Could I have your comments please, and any suggestions.
It is composed as follows:
Cash - 3%
ALA - 4.36%
AX.UN - 4.23
BCE - 5.10
BIP.UN - 4.58
BMO - 4.79
CM - 4.88
CPX - 3.91
DRG.UN - 4.91
ECI - 3.95
EMA - 4.58
GEI - 4.12
NFI - 4.27
NPI - 4.51
PKI - 5.01
PPI - 4.3
REI.UN - 3.77
RNW - 3.63
RY - 4.84
SJR.UN- 4.11
T - 4.27
TD - 4.44
TRP - 4.26

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Cheers, Edward

Q: Good Morning Peter, Ryan, and Team,
Tax loss selling season is coming to a close for 2017.
In your opinion which company(s), within the Balanced Equity Portfolio, appear to be sold down unnecessarily as a result of tax loss selling ???
To me GUD, WCP, CLS, and GC appear to be candidates. A company outside of the BE Portfolio that has really been thrashed is PEY although the gas market in Canada is brutal right now.
Thank you very much for your sage insights. DL

Q: Canadian companies that pay dividends in U.S. dollars: In your Nov. 29 answer to Patrick, you listed some companies; MG, MX, BEP.UN, AQN, TRI, OTEX, CSU, AGU
Are there any more beyond this list? By the way, it may be good to identify this somewhere on your web site. Thank you.

Q: Today Norman Rothery has a column about Canadian microcap investing where he took microcaps and ranked them by low P/E and then ranked this group by recent momentum. Where can I get a Canadian service that will allow me to do this? Search databases of stocks and then rank them for criteria? Thanks.

Q: I want to boost my income in my RRSP from MLP's would it be better to use an ETF such as AMZA or CEF such as FMO or KYN for 5 year hold or longer. Is theer any holding tax on any of the three?
Thank You
Cec.

Q: Do you know of a software program which will give you a visible pie chart to display your portfolio in terms of asset allocation amongst the various sectors in your portfolio? Thanks!

Q: Hi Peter: A few months ago Yahoo Finance changed its website resulting in a site that is much less useful and now Google Finance has followed suit. Before Yahoo and Google changed their websites these websites were very useful for giving access to financial statements of Canadian and US companies. Are there any other good financial websites that an individual investor can access that would have quarterly and yearly financial statements?

Q: Please relate briefly to:

1. is it time to reduce stocks in a heavily weighted dividend portfolio
2. assuming it is how would you treat the below L- leave R- reduce I- increase S-sell
3. buy other div. stocks that may fair better in a increasing interest rates economy,

ACR.UN (2%
HOT(0.8%
BEP.UN (4.8%
DRG.UN (5.2
DIR.UN (1.3%
HR (0.8%
NWH.UN (6%
AD (1.5%
AQN (1.9%
ZWE 1.4%
BK (6%
CHE.UN (1.0%
CHR.UN (4%
DR(1.2
PVD(4.8%
SOX (4.9%
STB (1%
MBK(1%
ENB (1.5%
RCI ( 1.2%
PPL (1%
IPL (1.5%
ALA (1.2%
PGI.UN (3%

THANKS
PS

YOU CAN CHARGE AS MANY QUESTIONS AS YOU LIKE.

YOU HAVE NOT ADJUSTED THE EXPIRY DATE AFTER MY LAST RENEWAL

Q: Hi Guys
If NAFTA does collapse are there Canadian market sectors that would
benefit?
Many thanks
Wayne

Q: Marijuana and blockchain stocks seem to be soaking up most of the small cap/microcap dollars. As a result, a number of quite cheap stocks not in those sectors are being ignored. Do you think there is anything to this thesis?

Q: I am managing my children's RESP account. Both of them are in university. Every year I am liquidating assets to put in a high daily savings account that is not earning anymore than 1%. It is used to pay for their schooling for the year. I expect my children will still be going to university for another 5 years. I thought an alternative to this strategy is to buy a basket of rate reset preferred share with guaranteed rates? Could you give me a list of 5 rate reset preferred shares with guaranteed minimum rates? Also what do you think of this strategy?