Investment Q&A

Q: Last year, I purchased a number of ETFs to reduce risk. With the recent stock turmoil, they are all in significant loss positions. If possible, I would like to crystallize my losses now for tax purposes. However, I am comfortable longer-term with my portfolio's geographic and sectoral allocations, and do not want to change my set-up.

Am I allowed by the CRA to claim a tax loss in a non-registered account if I sell an index ETF (e.g. VSP - Vanguard S&P 500 index hedged) and immediately purchase an ETF from another company which represents the same index (e.g. ZUE - BMO's equivalent S&P 500 hedged index ETF), or is this considered a superficial tax loss?

Thanks again for all of your excellent advice and insights.

Q: Looking for a 2nd opinion.
My wife has stayed out of the stock market for quite some time. I think now's a great time to get in.
We've got about $75K in her RRSP/LIRA My strategy for her is as follows:
XBB 20%
VCN 15%
XUS 40%
XAW 25%
The plan is to buy in in installments over the next 3 months.
Are there alternate ETFs that may be better than the allocation above?
Does this strike you as reasonable ?

Q: I was reading your answer to Dennis about fixed income bonds from banks. I know very little about CBO and Bank bonds but asssume they are near risk free. Do you think there is an arbitrage opportunity in borrowing on a secured line of credit to buy a bank bond? Any particular bond that you can suggest and can they be bought on online self directed brokerage accounts with Canadian banks?
Regards

Q: At what point do the banks become a screaming buy? If TD Waterhouse has correct numbers, several are now trading below book value. I have only seen this a couple of ties in my life and it has always worked out okay in the long run. Have I missed anything?

Q: Boy these companies' stock prices took a hit. I appreciate many mid-size PNG companies will likely go bankrupt with the drop in oil prices. But I always liked these companies as I understood they had lower costs of production than many of their competitors.
1. Is that assumption correct?
2. How would you assess the strength of their balance sheet?
3. Do you see these 2 companies as ones that are at high risk of going bankrupt in the near future?

Q: I'm looking at AD's listed dividend of over 20% with an exdiv date of March 30. Do you think they will pay out? I'm interested in buying even if they cut the dividend by 50%; do you think they would be an ok investment in that scenario?

Q: Do you have any information on this company? Thanks, Phil

Q: Could I have your assessment of Hasbro? How well will it survive this downturn. Is it a slow buy? Cashflow, debt, etc.

Thanks

Q: Hello 5i Team

Northveiw REIT issued a press release Monday stating the "go shop" period has expired with no potential buyers offering a better offer than Starlight / KingSett Capital offer of $36.25.

Does this mean that the deal now has a higher probability (>90%) of going ahead once all the customary approvals (special meeting, Court of Queens bench, CHMC/lender etc.) have been met.

I also noted that now Starlight / KingSett can increase their holdings of Northvew from 13% to 19.9 % of Northview by purchasing shares on the open market. Do Starlight / KingSett have to issue "Early Warning Reports" each time they purchase shares?

Q: Sometime in the last 6 years a question was asked about a short list of Canadian companies that survived the 2008 financial crisis. I believe HCG was one of them although it has had its troubles since. I cannot find it in the search of all questions. Can you give a current list?
Thank you.

Q: Retired dividend-income investor. I currently own ZLB (in RRSP, max'd out, love it) ZRE (Cash account, purchase for LT hold-distributions, plan to add to it over time) and ZWC (Cash account, purchased for LT hold-dividends).

I have a sizeable capital loss in ZWC....2 choices. #1 = Keep it, top it up over the next several months. #2 = Sell it, save the capital losses for future years (don't need them for 2020) and replace with either CDZ or XDV. I flushed XDV right away due to the very skewed asset allocation (to financials & utilities).

So that left the comparison between ZWC and CDZ. Their metrics are, for the most part, similar (beta, P/E, P/CF, ROE, MER).

ZWC is down 39% YTD, pays a current yield of 11%, has a reasonable asset allocation (the 22% energy allocation initially may seem high but might be good for the eventual rebound). However, I don't have the knowledge on how the Covered Call part of ZWC may impact the comparison with CDZ.

CDZ is down 43% YTD, pays a current yield of 6%, but has a slightly more diverse asset allocation and has performed better than ZWC over a 3 year period, but has a higher Beta.

I entered the comparison exercise believing I would conclude to sell ZWC. Now however I might just periodically top it up. Your thoughts please?

Thanks....Steve

Q: I have approached my stop losses in these investments, should I sell to try to preserve capital to re-enter the market later after a bottom is more likely?? Say when the VIX is below 40? I kronor you can't give personal advice, just wondering what you would do, I'm 68 and retired, thank you.

Q: Is there a US dollar equivalent?

Q: I managed to do well during this down market. I got out early and have put 83% in DOG, 15% in cash and have 2% in TSLA with and avg price of 189.

I am going to slowly start selling some DOG and deploying some cash. Can you recommend 3 to 5 stocks that I can start small positions in. I have a high risk tolerance and a time frame of 10 years or longer.

Thanks in advance.

Q: Thanks for your great insight as we move through these uncertain times. U.S. Banks will be under pressure with the current virus and oil crisis taking it's toll. Some (or all) may need a bailout. What is your opinion on the risk going forward for U. S. banks, and are there U.S. Bank ETF's that trade in Cdn. $$'s on the TSX, that you feel are reasonably stable longer term, and offer the best way to play this sector at some point going forward. Thanks. Warren

Q: David Rosenburg said on BNN: "I think that in short order we have all gone from talking about a recession to a steep recession, and now I think that we are talking about some form of Economic Depression, which might not have a formal definition, but it is a steep plunge in economic activity over a period of time, and then coupled with a very abnormally weak recovery."
The market is very spooked. Can I get your reaction/opinion, please.

Carl

Q: Hello 5i,
I am still up $5000 on PEP and $1000 on other great stocks bought at a great price long ago. I do not need the money. Should I take the profit while I can or just wait it out and collect in 10 years.
thanx
Stanley

Q: Hi
Do you like XEI?
Is there anything you don't like about it?
I'm looking for monthly dividend income from the different sectors.
It seems to hold most of the "usual suspects" with a pretty low MER (0.22%).
Thanks

Q: Lots has happened since your March 9 special report. Which ones are now your favorites?
Any other names you find interesting or sectors to avoid at the present time?
Thank you,

Q: I have asked a question today and here is another question that is related and comes with the same caveat that i do not know much about bonds/debt/fixed income; beyond the basics.
From what i saw on TV, the selloff in equities would force pensions to sell debt.That should depress the corporate debt prices? The central banks would buy mortgage backed securities. Who would purchase corporate debt, specially high yield? Would that also make the fixed income bonds issued by canadian banks more attractive(cheaper)? Would it also indicate that equity selloff is near bottom or reached bottom?
Would you prefer to buy bonds/debt or equity when there is a little stability? And could you please suggest some?
Thanks.