skip to content
  1. Home
  2. >
  3. Investment Q&A
You can view 3 more answers this month. Sign up for a free trial for unlimited access.

Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: Hello,
It is OK to have QQQ, VOO and VIG in TFSA accounts ? If not, are there any equivalent Canadian ETFs that are focused on US stocks like them ? Thank you very much.
Read Answer Asked by Yasushi on September 17, 2020
Q: Hi There,
Just curious if I could get your opinion on the following funds MAW130, XSP, XMS and XQQ. I am looking to invest some money outside of Canada with some decent balanced/growth potential.
Could you please list in order of preference with the first being the most favorable.
Thank You,
Read Answer Asked by Kevin on April 21, 2020
Q: I am beginning to swing trade ETFs. Which do feel more closely mirrors the SPY since one cannot buy the SPX? Feel free to mention others I may have excluded but should be considered.
Putting aside any tax implications or type of account (ie: registered vs non-registered)
Considering the state of the C$ and the price of oil, it would seem more logical to go unhedged , what are your thoughts?
Read Answer Asked by Larry on April 06, 2020
Q: Given the current environment, which do you foresee having a good recovery from today's lows. How would you rank these companies listed to purchase today to deploy some cash. Which would you rank this list for risk from high to low. (not considering sector allocation.
Do you have any other recommendations outside of this list that you think might have more potential?
Read Answer Asked by Gigi on March 30, 2020
Q: Considering buying US large caps ETF when things turn more positive.
To hedge or not to hedge with the Cdn$ having fallen so much largely but not only because of the Russia/Saudi war on the price of oil - which will get resoved. I understand under normal circumstances your preference for not hedging.
Thanks for your great service especially during these uncomfortable times.
Read Answer Asked by bill on March 23, 2020
Q: Peter, I hold these S&P hedged ETF's in different portfolios. The total fees for HXS are about twice that of XSP and VSP probably due to the swaps. When I look at the performance of these ETF's, XSP and VSP are almost identical, but HXS sometimes lags and sometimes outperforms the other two. I am not sure why that is, can you comment. Due to the higher fees on HXS, does it makes sense to own this ETF in a registered account?
Read Answer Asked by stephen on February 11, 2020
Q: Hi gang, can you please give me 4-5 large ETF high volume and market cap in Canada.? Thanks.
Alnoor
Read Answer Asked by Alnoor on January 16, 2020
Q: Dear 5i,
In the parts of my portfolio that outside of the 5i Balanced Equity Portfolio, I want to add some US market exposure. I hold precious metals and some TLT in this area as well and was looking at an S&P500 ETF. IVV seems to have the best combination of dividend yield and low management fee followed by the O'Leary Quality S&P500 ETF which aims to own the highest quality companies (by balance sheet and earnings, I believe) in each sector of S&P500.

Is there one or the other of these that I should pick for holding in a TFSA or should I look to the CAD-hedged XSP or something else?
Read Answer Asked by Marc on January 02, 2020
Q: when I put these three on a chart together (Thompson-Reuters feed on webbroker), for a specified period, hxs shows a much greater return than zsp which shows a much greater return than xsp. Five year chart 93%, 77%, and 45% respectively. This charting service does not show total return so some of the difference between hxs and zsp will be the dividend (included in hxs but not zsp). Some of the difference can be explained by hedging of the currency on xsp but not on hxs or zsp. Given the difference in five year returns there must be something else. Suggestions?
Read Answer Asked by Terry on September 27, 2019
Q: Thank you for answering my past questions so clearly.

All the ETF's below mirror the S&P 500.

BMO S&P 500 INDEX CAD UNT ETF Symbol ZSP (not currency-hedged)

VANGUARD S&P 500 Index ETF, Symbol VSP (currency-hedged)

iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF, Symbol XSP (currency-hedged)

Over the last decade, as expected, XSP and VSP have appreciated as much as the S&P 500 has -- a little over 100%.

ZSP has appreciated about 180%. Likely, that is a function of the currency hedging/not hedging.

Please explain.

In your opinion, will ZSP continue to outperform?

Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Milan on September 06, 2019
Q: Context: We're retired and conservative, increasingly risk averse actually. Our portfolio throws off enough for our lifestyle, which comprises 50% GIC's/cash 50%, 15% preferred resets and 35% equities. Our equities are made up of 70% individual stocks (dividend and income) and 30% etf's (SPX and XSP). Though our equity % is much lower than most financial advisors recommend, it's enough for us.
Question 1: You are inclined to some individual stock holdings for a portfolio of our size. Yet, I'm mulling replacing our individual stocks with one or two etf's or funds to more easily get better diversification (mostly because we're presently twice your recommended financial weighting) and also because I'll sleep better if not dependent on ups and downs of our individual stock holdings. Your generic thoughts on the foregoing please?
Question 2: If one were to make this shift, would your generic thoughts be to more SPX and XSP or would you be inclined to another one or two etf's (or funds)?
Thank you!
Read Answer Asked by Bill on August 01, 2019
Q: Greetings 5i team,

For people who invest in a US market index ETF, are there significant differences between IVV, VOO and SPY ?

Are there any other similar US market index ETFs?

Thank you.

Milan
Read Answer Asked by Milan on January 22, 2019
Q: Recently read John Bogle, "Common Sense Investing"

What are my choices for purchasing the s & p 500 index, please compare MER, do all offer a canadian hedge? and what are the pros and cons of buying it hedged to canadian dollar?

thanks

Ernie
Read Answer Asked by Ernest on January 03, 2019
Q: I am holding 5% in XSP. VUN AND ZQQ ETF. I am planning to increase to 10% in each. Plus I hold FTEC and SKYY ETF 2% each. Planning to increase to 5%. DO you think there is overlap and is any ETF holding is to high. If it is too high what percentage do you think is appropriate.

Thanks for the great service
Hector
Read Answer Asked by Hector on November 20, 2018
Looking for more? Sign up for a FREE 14 day trial! No credit card required

We invite you to sign up for a 14 day free trial of 5i Research!
Experience all the benefits and tools we have to offer; stock research, model portfolios, Q&A with our experts, and so much more. Join a community of like-minded investors today!