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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: Hello 5i,
I’ve held Toy for a few years. When Toysrus hit last year many of us wrote in expressing concerns about the impact on the company questioning the growth prospects for spinmaster. It seems that management underestimated the impact because it keeps coming up in conference calls. As much as I’d rather not ask this question: should we question the skill of management to manage through this shift in landscape?

I held on to Ebix. Can you comment on earnings and offer an opinion in relative risk between it and CRM( on watch list but no position yet). For a long term hold which would be a better hold throug a market correction?

I’m underwater on sq and want to average down. Should I wait for a better opportunity to bring weighting to 2%? I know 5i is not thrilled at timing questions but how do tech stocks perform over the summer?

Please deduct three questions.
Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Kat on May 13, 2019
Q: Is it time to bail on NFI or are the worst of the operating issues behind them? I have owned it since 2015 and saw the shares rise from $17 to $60 a year ago, only to half the amount today.
The Q1 results are not encouraging. Operating cash flow is a deficit of $7 million, earnings were down 46% or 56% adjusted. Gross profit margins declined Q/Q by 240 bps to just 16%. There have been substantial investments in new products (with learning curve troubles), a new zero emission bus, facility upgrades, a new parts facility (with start up problems and cost overruns), IT harmonization project, oh and they lost the Setra distribution rights in the motor coach division.

Concerningly, on capital allocation, they have increased the dividend with lower earnings and have a substantial debt funded share buy back. Annual interest is now about $25 million. This looks like brave policy unless the business really is about to turn the corner and shares return towards their $60 level.

What do you think?




Read Answer Asked by Keith on May 13, 2019
Q: I have decided to only keep a few stocks and follow the Growth ETF Portfolio. Of the 10 stocks I have mentioned above 9 are listed in your BE Portfolio with the exception SHOP. All have done very well for me SHOP up 568%, CCL,B up 180% ,SIS up 159%,MG up 112% and the rest all up between 11 and 42%.So my question is do I keep them all? Sell some ? Any suggestions appreciated.Paul
Read Answer Asked by Paul on May 13, 2019
Q: what are your thoughts on conv debs as fixed income. The yields are
quite attractive but some consider them equity like. "they are not
bonds and will get hurt in a recession" What are the risks and are they
legitimately fixed income ? Companies like AG Growth, CargoJet, etc.
Read Answer Asked by Scott on May 13, 2019
Q: Hi team,

What do you think of Colliers recent investment in Harrison Street? When I see the words 'transformational" in a headline, it gets my attention. ;)
What will it add to the top and bottom line...if anything?
It has dropped around 10% in the last few months and is about 25% off its highs.
Time to step in for a 1/3 position?

Cheers,
Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on May 13, 2019
Q: According to analytics I am underweight in communication services. I currently own TELUS. Please suggest a few names to look at here.

I am overweight in Financial Services. I currently own: BNS,ZEB,GSY,GWO,HSBC,SLF. Please suggest some names to take away here.

Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Darrin on May 13, 2019
Q: Hi. Im currently overweight in consumer cyclicals and looking to diversify by adding some utilities and tele comm. Recommendations in those sectors? Some growth would be great but ultimately want good companies with strong fundamentals. Buying to hold long term.
Read Answer Asked by Ryan on May 13, 2019
Q: Hello, here are questions related to a Non-Registed portfolio only. Please deduct credits as required.
1) How are capital gains on US stocks taxed?
2) I want to buy Google. Should I use the GOOGL symbol or the GOOG symbol? Does that make any difference in the context of a Non-Registed portfolio?
3) What are the advantage(s) of having a covered call ETF such as ZWU in a diversified portfolio? Regards, Gervais
Read Answer Asked by Gervais on May 13, 2019
Q: ENB had decent results,but market response was muted.Any reason? & is this a good time to start a position? KXS missed on eps,but beat on many metrics.Initially it jumped to $82.14 then closed much lower @ $74.62. Any reason? Is it ok to start a position here?
Read Answer Asked by Peter on May 13, 2019
Q: Peter, please:
I have a portfolio of dividend paying stocks (50% cdn, 25% us, 25% Int'l, built steadily over nearly 30yrs of middle and now upper middle class paychecks, using synthetic drips for the last half of that time up to now. I had always planned to keep dripping until my company pension kicks in. I will be eligible for an excellent full company pension in 5-6yrs. I could theoretically quit my extremely stressful job now but have been determined all along to hang in, currently for the last 5-6yrs now left. I have a situation now where I am finding my tax burden extremely onerous to say the least. I'm digging deep into my line of credit each april to pay revcan. In my situation would you remove the drip program that I have established. I'm extremely reluctant to do so since dripping has contributed in a big way to my success over the years, because it has forced me to utilize my regular paycheck to pay revcan and buy stocks while additional shares accumulate thru drips. However, gradually, and most notably this year the tax bite has become very nearly unmanageable even with my line of credit to access to pay revcan. Your valued thoughts please. Would you remove the drips and use dividend cash along with paycheques to help pay taxes from here on out. I have an accountant and I've been told there is nothing further to be done to lessen the tax bite due to my salary and dividends. //Also, at what point would you endorse walking away from a pension and taking a one time payout instead, and living off dividends . The point of my starting investing years ago was to become financially independent. Fast forward a few decades later, my portfolio looks incredible on paper but I'm stressed each tax season over finding funds to pay tax and also unsure if quitting my job would lessen my tax bite (I realize earned income is treated differently than investment income) along with my stress level. If I had to do things over I would have invested in cdn div stocks to the point where one pays no tax, and walked away from work years ago.
Read Answer Asked by Vicki L on May 10, 2019