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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: Hi,
I have taken up a few half positions in stocks with the following details in my portfolio:
Full position = 4% of total portfolio = $6400
Half position = 2% of total portfolio = $3200
Transaction fee = $9.97

For full positions, my strategy as been to consider trimming them if they get $2000 or more above a full position. I will consider adding to them if they drop at least $1500 to $2000 below a full position. This keeps my transaction fee at about 0.5% to 0.75%

This same strategy with half positions will cost me more on a percentage basis. Should I ignore this and just be happy I'm diversified, or would you employ a different strategy? My current half positions are HCG, CXI, GUD, and PHM.
Read Answer Asked by Mike on April 26, 2016
Q: Followup to recent Q. on BEP.UN. Distributions can be taken in US or C$, default is US, so if held in a C$ account broker will convert at their exchange rate. To receive in C$ you must instruct broker you want this option, I estimate it's worth at least 1% of the distributions received, not much, but better in my pocket than broker's.

The above comment was posted and I am confused by it. What exactly would I tell my discount broker? Would it be better to get the distribution in US$? Would I need to move my shares to the US listing in order to get the distribution in $US or can I just request to be paid in $US even though the stock holding is on the TSX? Would this be a good way to increase US$ over time?

Thanks
Dolores
Read Answer Asked on April 26, 2016
Q: Having bought some at much higher prices ($18) and given your recent comments around it's low valuation and that IT is trading at significant discount to it's peers would this be a good price to pick up some more and lower my ACB? I know if the company is sold it unlikely to be at a price that's a double from here. IT is an insignificant part of my portfolio but is in my tfsa so i can't use the loss.
Read Answer Asked by Richard on April 26, 2016
Q: Good Morning
I hold 4 Canadian banks CM, TD, RY and BNS in an unregistered account. The bank stocks comprise just under 20% of my portfolio and each has approximately a 50% capital gain. My only other financial stock is a 2.5% position in PWF. Capital gains in my account this year will likely be taxed at 15%. I am considering selling one of the bank stocks (perhaps CM) and investing the proceeds in SLF. I have chosen SLF for it's relatively low valuation and secure dividend.
Is reducing the allocation to Canadian banks appropriate, or does the tax which has to be paid cancel the benefit?
Which bank would you sell?
Is SLF a suitable alternative or is there another company that you would prefer. I already have full positions in CNR and BAM.A.
Thanks
David
Read Answer Asked by David on April 25, 2016
Q: The week, Great-West declined to exercise their call option on their US$300mm fixed-to-floating hybrid bond securities, thus allowing this bond to not mature for another 30 years. Apparently the bond market was shook up a bit over this move and it was not expected. It is my understanding that it has been generally customary to exercise the call option at this point (10 years in this case), but GWL has broken with this tradition/practice. I have read that the market for these types of bonds is about C$45bln.
Do you think that this could real negative impact on the bond market?

Thanks,
Mike
Read Answer Asked by Michael on April 25, 2016
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