Investment Q&A

Q: I've owned IQLT for a few years now. I've noticed that the VEA top holdings are quite similar to IQLT, but at a significantly reduced MER. Is it really worth paying that much more to continue to hold IQLT? Maybe you have better insight on the differences between the two than I do (?)

Q: Hi 5i,

Currently hold shares of INTC at a loss and have held the stock for a few years.

Purchased the stock on the thesis that Pat Gelsinger would potentially execute his his plan to build additional foundry's in North America as an alternate to TSMC. Tailwinds of "on shoring" government incentives and the growing "AI boom" market lead me to believe that this was feasible.

Given Pat Gelsinger is now retiring and INTC execution issues I no longer believe that will be the case. I have held on to the stock for now due to the low valuation and the potential that it would be broken up and sold off.

Would appreciate you thoughts on whether or not it makes sense to hold onto.

Would also appreciate your thoughts on potentially switching from INTC to ASML.

Thank you,

Greg C.

Q: I have some cash that I would like to put to work and I have small positions that I would like to reduce. My main objective is growth with a bias towards low beta equities at this time in my work life. I am about 4 years away from my planned retirement.

These are most of my held equities along with weightings. NVDA 13.3% CSU 6.4% BN 6.4% SAN 5.4% SHOP 4.8% CRWD 4.3% TOI 3.8% VRT 3.4% ENB 3.2% BIP-UN 2.6% BEP-UN 2.3%. The following are 1-2% positions 13.5% as group; COST TD ATZ BNS AMZN TTD PANW PRL BRK.B. The rest are< 1%/each approx 10% as group BCE ASML HPS-A TMDX ISRG TMO GSY ASPN DELL SNOW NXT.

I plan on continuing to hold most of these positions including the smaller positions (<2% positions). I would like to reduce the number of these smaller holdings.
Could you please rank these smaller positions with the keepers at one end of the spectrum to goers at the the opposite end of the spectrum.

Thanks for this.

Q: ASML seems to be on sale if one has faith in a long term view. Do you?

It is a cyclical stock but surely the demand will rise again.

Q: What are the unloved companies that have strong businesses - ones that are poor short-term but good long term? I'm planning on buying a few t5ax-loss candidates.
John

Q: Any idea as to why 15%, [ $11.15 ] sell off in the last 5 trading sessions? Down 10%

Any Co news? Concerns?

Q: Would you buy the dip? How compelling is it at this price compared to other large cap tech? Please rate it, 1 being total disdain of the stock, 10 being a strong endorsement.

Thank you!

Q: I'm down 21% after the drop on ASML today - does the news today mean a valuation change, and would you consider it a sell? Thanks.

Q: For a growth investor with a 20+ year time frame, please rank these as potential buys at today’s prices. Thank you.

Q: As a senior, I found the AI revolution quite confusing with so many companies involved. I wanted to understand their roles better before investing more. The explanations I found on Google were too technical and didn’t give me a clear picture. Then I discovered Bing and Meta AI, which were very helpful. I asked them to explain each company’s work using everyday analogies. Meta AI used the construction of a vehicle to illustrate each company’s role, and I found it much easier to understand. It was so interesting that I wanted to share it. Thanks!

Here's an analogy using the construction of a vehicle to explain the work of the above AI companies:

1. _NVDA (NVIDIA)_: Engine manufacturer (GPUs) - Provides the powerful engine (compute power) that drives the vehicle (AI system).

2. _AVGO (Broadcom)_: Electrical system supplier - Ensures seamless connectivity and communication between various vehicle components (devices and systems).

3. _SMCI (Super Micro)_: Chassis manufacturer - Builds the strong foundation (servers) that supports the vehicle's (AI system's) components.

4. _ARM (Arm Holdings)_: Vehicle architect - Designs the efficient and powerful blueprint (chip architectures) for the vehicle's engine and other components.

5. _PLTR (Palantir)_: Data analyst - Helps the vehicle's (organization's) mechanics understand and optimize performance by analyzing complex data.

6. _ASML (ASML Holding)_: Precision toolmaker - Creates ultra-accurate machinery (lithography machines) that crafts tiny, precise components (chips) for the vehicle.

7. _TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor)_: Chip manufacturer - Builds the intricate silicon components (chips) that power various vehicle systems.

8. _VRT (Vertiv)_: Power and cooling specialist - Ensures the vehicle's (AI system's) engine and components receive reliable power and cooling, preventing overheating and damage.

In this analogy, each company plays a vital role in constructing and optimizing the vehicle (AI system), from designing and building components to ensuring efficient performance and maintenance

Q: I have TER in my portfolio for many yrs and doing very well. I would like to take 1/2 position in an other semi. Could you comment on the four company mentioned above

Q: Greetings 5i,

Despite beating analysts expecations, AMSL is dropping like a rock today on fears of the US Govt imposing restrictions on trade to China. How serious do you view this? Trying to decide on whether it's time to get out. Thanks.

Q: Hello wonderful 5i folks,

This is a follow up to a question asked by Connie on June 14th where your recommendation for an optimal distribution would be: 50% US, 35% Canada, 15% rest of world.

Can you please provide your best recommendations for the 15% rest of world with commentary around the suggestions?

Thank you as always!

Q: I presently have $66,000 to invest and am looking at these stocks to buy. Please place them in order of preference . Best choices first and if there is some you would not buy at present prices ? I could have an extra $5,000 available if I sold my DDOG. Is it a hold or sell ? Thanks for your help !

Q: Greetings 5i,

LRCX reported recently. What are your thoughts on these numbers and the company in general? Who are thier main competitors? What will be the main drivers of growth for the next few quarters and are they positioned correctly to take advantage of any tailwinds from global AI demand expansion.

Cheers!

Q: Are these companies worth buying on their pullbacks? Realize that they are not in your North American coverage but aren't they borderline monopolies in the global semiconductor industry and perhaps a lower risk way to play the boom in AI? Thinking of the picks and shovel companies during the gold rush.

Q: I have a ~1% position in ERF (Enerplus), in an RSP, which looks to be taken over by Chord (CHRD). Most of the ERF proceeds would be in CHRD shares (a company I don't know much about), with only a relatively small amount of cash received. Meantime, my portfolio is currently ~8.5% oil & gas (SU, CVE, TOU, IMO, CPG, etc.) but only ~3% "chips" exposed (CHPS.to, MSFT). From your perspective, what do you think of selling some (or all) ERF now, so as to buy something like ASML?

Ted

Q: 1. Please let me know your thoughts on the best choices of Semi Conductor and Related Companies to own going forward...

2. What would be the Core Holdings going into this Ai moment +

3. Please Rate companies I have listed as Must Own 1, to 5 as Worst...

4. How do you feel about the Valuations and Stock Price of the Current companies listed...

5. Awaiting your answers..., Do You think it is best to wait for a pull back on certain stocks in the list, That may be core holdings for future...

Thanks in advance,
M

Q: I know you continue to like Nvidia and other Semiconductor names, but don't you think the SemiConductor space is getting a bit Pricey. Given that this space is considered somewhat cyclical, would you wait for some of these stocks to cool down or would you buy Nvidia for example, based on continued momentum.

Thanks
Tim

Q: Good Day,

Big wins on a lot of your recent answers to my previous questions, thanks.

Obviously there's a tonne of hype on the Semiconductor market/AI/Data Center space right now, and after picking up SMCI, VRT, etc, I came across CDNS and by proxy, SNPS as well.

It appears they have the market corners on the design software side of this market. Logically, however, this wouldn't appear to be a space that grows in the number of customers in it very readily.

Is this similar to ASMLs type of monopoly (albeit a duopoly), with growth coming from advantageous pricing conditions and the relative difficulty of a new player popping up?

Do you see these companies gaining significant share price appreciation over time? Which company is better and why? I really liked a recent question that asked where they were relative to a baseball game. For each could you relate their lifecycle to what inning in a game they are, as well as an out of 10 for risk and growth potential.

The prices of these have climbed for sure, but definitely don't seem to have exploded like the rest of the segment. Are there any other companies with this same type of competitive advantage in the semiconductor/AI space?

Thanks!