Investment Q&A

Q: i trade shares on a platform that charges no commissions .how do they make their living?

Q: I am considering ETF’s VFV & VSP.

Could you give me your assessment of these two ETF’s.

Would you prefer U.S. or CDN hedge versions? Would there be any tax considerations for either of them?

Would there be other ETF’s that you prefer other than VFV and VSP?

Thank you

Q: I have a full position in CM and am up 58% in a taxable account. With CM tied more to the Canadian economy and with this economy on the verge of recession, would it make sense to take profits in CM, pay the tax and reinvest the money in RY or TD which have a larger stake in the US economy? CM has a larget dividend than RY but a lower one thanTD, although TD is affected by growth restrictions in the US. Or would you just ride CM?

Q: I sold zfl for a tax loss. Can you tell me if can would be considered a suitable proxy by CRA? Also, how do the durations compare?
Thanks

Q: Happy New Year to everyone at 5i

I recently read a recent article in the Financial Post:
“The S&P 500’s performance in 2024 made investing look easy. Why bother with strategy?”

Since the ‘Magnificent 7’ stocks dominate ETFs such as VFV, I’m concerned that the S&P 500 represents a very lop-sided weighting of its constituent stocks. We do hold VFV in several of our combined accounts, but am considering selling 25% of VFV and using the proceeds to purchase some EQL.U, an ETF that has never had a question on 5i. I’m aware that an equal weighting strategy results in a tilt towards mid-cap stocks (a good thing?), has a higher expense ratio (not so good) and has higher volatility (again, not so good).

Do the benefits of equal weighting in the S&P 500 outweigh the disadvantages? What is your take on this strategy? Are there similar ETFs to EQL.U that we could consider? Would RSP be one of them?

Thanks as always for your insight.

Q: I understand CRM, a software company, is getting into AI via software. Does 5iR know any other S&P 500 software companies doing the same thing???.....Happy New Year ......Tom

Q: I pulled the chute in the summer of '24 when they had their outage issue. The stock peaked at $390 USD last year and is now back to $360. Is the coast clear? Your views for 2025?

Q: What are your favourite cybersecurity stocks these days? Thank you!

Q: Please estimate 1-2 year performance rank for these five stocks currently on my watch list. Thanks!

Q: What is your take on the possibility that Quebecor might try to purchase Corus Entertainment, considering the massive debt that has caused most analysts to rate Corus as a strong sell and an under-perform rating. For example, National Bank views its real share price as one cent - yikes! If Quebecor could buy Corus at a 'bargain-basement' price, could this act as a tailwind for Quebecor? Thanks as always for your insight.

Q: Hi Folks,
TFSA time - I am thinking of starting a new position in NVDA or adding to my position in CSU.
May I have your opinion?
Thanks

Q: Happy New Year to all at 5i and fellow members as well,

For this year's 7K TFSA contribution, I'm considering adding Alphabet. Due to the decline in both BCE and T, we are very underweight in this sector. Also, we're underweight in USA holdings as well. Would you endorse this strategy? Thanks as always for your insight.

Q: Both TOU and ARX have access to LNG producers through contracts already in place. Do you see these contracts as any kind of hedge or insurance against possible US tariffs on natural gas?

I'm a big believer in the future of natural gas, and therefore hold these companies as my second and fourth largest holdings. Do you like any other Canadian gas producers better than these two?

Q: Hi, I sold CSU and DSG in RESP and withdrew all money out of RESP account to trading account distributed between myself and kids. Kids will be paying tax on EAP ( growth ) amount. Can i /kids buy CSU and DSG again without waiting for 30 day period?

Thanks

Q: Are SPDR ETFs as reliable and well established to build a portfolio as Vanguard or Blackrock ETFs ?

Q: Which would you prefer and why?

VST or VRT, EQT or CTRA

Thanks!

Q: Happy New Year !
What are a handful of top picks please for this year's TFSA and RRSP contributions? Max long term growth is the goal here.
Thanks very much.

Q: I have too many stocks and am doing a downsizing exercise to reduce the count. Using only growth prospects as a criteria, how would you rank these holdings. I need to consolidate these 4 into 2.

Carl

Q: Thoughts on ZRE currently?

Q: Hi There Happy New Year!

Can you give me a recommendation of 5 best overall High Yield Covered Call ETFs for Income and capital protection? Thanks!