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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: My stock allocation for Canada and US combined is close to 90 per cent.
I’m very pleased with my portfolio growth and I have your team to thank for the advice and suggestions. In my portfolio analysis, your suggestion is for me to have 30 per cent allocated to international stocks. Since the vast majority of your advice and reports pertain to Canadian and to a lesser extent American stocks, how do I gain the expertise and suggestions having to do with international investing? Is it really a concern or can I accomplish steady growth without the full 30 percent international diversification? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Dennis on September 17, 2025
Q: Emerging Markets, Developed Markets, Europe or Bonds. Which represents a buying opportunity now? Which does one need to wait for a pullpack before buying ETF in these areas?
Read Answer Asked by Neil on June 11, 2025
Q: Would you consider one of these superior to the other? Are there others that you would prefer?
Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Catherine on May 13, 2025
Q: Can you give some suggestions for Euro exposed ETF's that would hold all or near all their largest best companies. The ETF would preferably have a low MER and could be held in registered account for long term hold.

As always thanks for the great service
Read Answer Asked by Kolbi on May 12, 2025
Q: Hi there. with the current economic outlook in the US being very uncertain and the dollar possibly weakening as the US economy struggles would you recommend any of these names? VGK, FEZ, or EZU? The idea being to build up a position of 10% of my portfolio over the next two or three quarters betting on Europe continuing to outperform the US. Thank-you.
Lesley
Read Answer Asked by Lesley on May 09, 2025
Q: I have recently moved $100k into a self-directed RRSP and would like to deploy. Funds are in CAD. Given the current outlook on tariffs and general market sentiment what ETFs and Bonds should I buy for a longer-term growth hold 5-7 year+ that are likely to do well given the recent downturn. Please include a European ETF suggestion and a bond suggestion. Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Mark on May 05, 2025
Q: Please recommend a couple of lower risk ETFs for the European market. Both in Canadian and US$.
thank you
Read Answer Asked by Janice on February 13, 2025
Q: Looking to diversify into more international equities. Trump is not fond of China, Russia is currently uninvestable (no ETFs). Are there certain countries/regions you think look good fundamentally and would likely have a good relationship with Trump? Please name a few international ETFs which you think could perform well over the next 5 years.
Read Answer Asked by Mike on November 12, 2024
Q: Hi Team,
I am looking to invest in Europe for the first time in a few years. I have held XEU and FEZ. The biggest difference between them seems to be that FEZ includes only 50 large stocks (ASML is 10%) and excludes the UK. Over the last 6 months, XEU has begun to outpace FEZ. Which one do you prefer for a new position? Or would you suggest splitting the investment into both?
Read Answer Asked by Ken on March 18, 2024
Q: Good afternoon all;

I have a developing opinion (still sorting it out) that it may be time to increase overseas holdings; I have underrepresented them significantly in the past 5 years. I am particularly looking at the African and SE Asian (ex China) economies. While I understand these may not be questions fully in your wheelhouse, your views would be appreciated.

- Do you concur that, subject to Black Swan events, we could expect overseas economies to outperform Canada in the coming few years?
- What geographic areas would you put focus on?
- Do you have 2 or 3 ETF's that may suit such a strategy? DGS is one that has peaked my curiosity.

Thanks for your assistance as always.
Read Answer Asked by Dave on January 17, 2024
Q: What ETFs would you recommend to use to represent the international portion of a portfolio? What ones would you use for:
1. Europe
2. India
3. Japan
4. South America
I have excluded China because I don’t trust their reporting. How would you divide that 30% up? Is there any other countries/areas that you would view as investable that I am forgetting.

Thanks in advance.
Read Answer Asked by Brendan on September 11, 2023
Q: Hello 5i,

With the rise in the USD and decline in Asian and European stocks and ETF's, is this a good time to purchase ETF's for those zones with the anticipation that the ETF's will increase if the usd declines in value in the next 2-3 years?

If so, can you recommend one ETF for each zone for the cdn and us exchanges?

Thank you.
Debbie and Jerry
Read Answer Asked by Jerry on August 17, 2022
Q: My wife and I treat our individual accounts as a single portfolio. Based on the Portfolio Analytics we are significantly underweight on the US and rest of the world. We have on RRSP representing 12% of the portfolio that will be converted to a RRIF next year that we would like to simplify. We will maintain 40% - 50% in fixed income, but would like to invest the rest in equity ETFs with holdings outside of Canada. Could you please suggest one or two ETF for exposure to each of the US and the rest of the world. Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Richard on May 31, 2022
Q: Do you have some suggestions for ETFs that have the following characteristics, with a very long-term hold in mind:

- do not include Canadian or US stocks
- could be focused on Europe or Latin America
- could be focused on Asia, preferably with little or (better yet) no exposure to Chinese stocks
- could be focused on other geographic areas you think have excellent potential
Read Answer Asked by Doug on November 22, 2021
Q: How would you rank these two groups of ETF’s for future investment returns, where the best is listed first. European ETF’s VE, ZEQ, FEZ, & XEU. Emerging market ETF’s VEE, XIN, and ZDI. In the two groups if there is a better ETF in i5Reseach opinion, please add it to the list. Please correct the list if I have incorrectly categorized an ETF. Also what percentage of a portfolio should be invested outside of North America. Thanks … Cal
Read Answer Asked by cal on July 08, 2021
Q: Hi 5i,

Can you recommend a few Dividend & Growth ETF's for Europe and Asia (non-North American) markets.
Read Answer Asked by Dean on June 23, 2021
Q: Hi!

I've heard a lot of people suggest that Europe's various stock markets are better value than the U.S. market, but that Europe hasn't implemented nearly enough stimilus to help drive growth the way the U.S. has. Do you think Europe is attractively valued and if so would this be a good time to start building a position in an ETF with a European focus? Can you suggest a couple of potential ETFs for exposure to Western Europe?

Thank you!
Jason
Read Answer Asked by Jason on March 11, 2021
Q: I hold HEDJ in a non-registered account. At date of purchase some ten years ago, I thought protecting against weakness in the Euro would be prudent. Would you agree that there is no need at present to hedge as above? It would not be tax efficient for me to sell HEDJ and buy an unhedged version so I would rather add to exposure to Europe.
Question: What ETF of stocks of companies based in developed Europe ex-UK do you favor? Is an unhedged version of HEDJ, in US$ (not C$) available? What other r ETFs , in US$ and not hedged, look attractive to you? I prefer ETFs holding less than, say, 70 large caps, incl'g some multi-nationals, all based out of Europe.
Read Answer Asked by Adam on November 25, 2020
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