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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: Hi Team,
I have holdings of 800 SU and 1000 CNQ at a deep loss and would like to sell them to realize the capital losses and buy them back after 30 days. Using the sold proceeds to buy canadian energy ETF to stay in the sector. Upon 30 days later sell the ETF and buy back the SU and CNQ. Do you see this is workable and since the commision is only $7.00 per trade, so it is nothing to consider.
Your suggestion of the canadian energy ETF is appreciated !!
Thanks as always,
Tak
Read Answer Asked by Tak on May 04, 2020
Q: I carry these stocks in my RIF account with different level of loss. They do not seems to respond to any positive move in the market. I am loosing patience. Should I sell.
What replacements would you recommend that could recover faster in this type of market.
I value as usual your opinion
Raouf
Read Answer Asked by Raoul on April 15, 2020
Q: Considering a 5 year time frame, what would be your allocation toward cdn oil (xeg), cdn ag (ntr), utilities (zwu), fixed income (hfr) and US (zwa & xqq). Above average risk tolerance seeking yield and capital gain. Are there any other suggestions....LSPD would also be a holding. thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Curtis on April 09, 2020
Q: I have a general question on the Energy sector. To state the obvious this has been a very weak sector to invest. More recently, we had Jim Cramer come out and say investing in energy stocks is no longer attractive and fund flows are coming out of them as it does not "look good" to have these stocks in a fund. The extreme opposite is a well known Canadian manager who touts 2020 is the start of a new bull market in energy. However, when looking at performance of this fund it has a negative compound over 10 years and since inception.

I like taking a contrarian view, and can be patient, however, I am going back and forth on this but continue to side more with the view of Cramer as you can almost "feel" the shift in sentiment away from energy.

What are your views, and is it worthwhile to have any exposure here?
Read Answer Asked by David on February 11, 2020
Q: hi there, currently own Dollarama and CSH.UN in my TFSA and was thinking of switching out and purchasing XEG for some energy exposure and HMMJ as both ETF's seem to be exhibiting some upside after a down year. What are your thoughts on this switch (based on your examination of where DOL and CSH.UN seem to be going from here)? Note, this only effects approximately 1.5% of my total portfolio so neither will represent a significant weighting. Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Patrick on January 20, 2020
Q: 8 months ago, most people I know owned something in the cannabis sector
and those who didn't told me they missed a generational opportunity. Since then, the sector fell 65%. Many were wrong, including the management of Constellation,
who bought 38% of Canopy. Could market participants be just as wrong with energy right now? Aren't sector bottoms supposed to "feel" like this? In your answer, could you tell us if there has ever been a sector on the Toronto stock exchange that got destroyed similar to the current energy sector, and whether or not fund managers were also selling? A sector that later returned close to its previous highs? (ps: I wish I could find videos showing what was said close to bottoms back in 2001 and 2009).
Read Answer Asked by Matt on November 20, 2019
Q: If we are headed to zero / negative interest rates, I am thinking of playing this thesis by purchasing XLB to capture the capital gain on the interest rate reduction and XGD should do well in a low / negative rate environment. The balance of the portfolio is VBAL and XEG. What do you think? Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Richard on August 22, 2019
Q: First year of my subscription. I am single, rent, retired and am 66 years old. Besides CPP and OAS (fully clawed back) have a DB pension which covers my daily living needs so I treat it as my bond portfolio. Have a non-registered account from the proceeds of my house sale and collapsing my RRSP. Account objective is dividend/growth and not to lose money.
Looking at my Oil & Gas holdings I have HSE and XEG, the latter underwater by 20%.
Other energy-related holdings are ALA, BEP.un, ENB, FTS, H, IPL, SPB, and RNW all of which are underwater from -2 to -53% in this market.
I have owned a TFSA since 2009 and made full contributions every year mostly from savings from pension income. It holds AQN and IPL in the energy related sector.
Thinking of switching XEG for OIL or ZEO today in non-reg and booking the tax loss against previous 2015 capital gains. Is it a reasonable switch and are there any tax implications; i.e. trx not subject to 30 day rule?
Bill
Read Answer Asked by William Ross on November 29, 2018
Q: I hold both TOU and VET in a taxable account. I would like to sell both to harvest the tax loss and rebuy after 30 days. I would prefer to keep the investment in the sector until repurchase. Can you suggest an appropriate alternative holding.
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Les on October 25, 2018
Q: What five ETF’s would be suitable to hold in an RRSP? I am interested in technology, healthcare, financials, energy and industrials. I am a moderately conservative investor, am looking at about a 15 year timeline and am interested in Canadian, US, global and emerging markets. Many thanks for your insights.
Read Answer Asked by Heather on October 01, 2018
Q: I hold mid 236 series f active energy income fund in my son's RDSP. I have purchase this fund when it was closed end and last year it was changed to open ended. Sponsor middlefield has said it would reduce portfolio management to 1%. My broker quote shows MER of 2.2% and yield of 5% is the same except distribution is by way of shares instead of cash. Would you endorse this fund for purchase.
Best Regards,
Harold
Read Answer Asked by Harold on August 13, 2018
Q: Hello, I am looking to increase by Energy sector exposure from 2% to 5%. I was looking at XEG and HEE as possible options. I realize these are Canadian specific ETF's. I would prefer more of a balance between US and Canada. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks for all your great advice.
Read Answer Asked by Mauro on June 25, 2018