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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: I am a very disgruntled customer after seeing my seeing my rrsp account (ETF STOCK NAME REMOVED) go from a gain to a loss due a notional payment/distribution (AKA phantom payment) causing my adjusted cost base to increase by $1.24. If my account wouldn't have shown a loss I wouldn't have picked up on this. After talking to your help line I am even more dissatisfied.
What is a notional payment?
It is a distribution declared by a fund or trust where no cash is paid to unit holders, but is considered taxable at the time it is declared. Notional payments are declared to avoid paying taxes on income earned within a fund or trust, but where the fund manager does not wish to deplete the resources of the fund or trust by paying distributions in cash. Notional distributions, sometimes called “phantom distributions” are taxable in the year declared, and will increase the adjusted cost base (ACB) of the security. You can usually identify a notional payment by looking for a TXPDDV payment, followed by a DRIP debit, for 0 shares.
If I understood what (ETF COMPANY NAME REMOVED) is doing with these so called distributions I would have never bought the etf as it makes such a small interest rate and then my adjusted cost base goes up by $1.24 by this phantom distribution causing a loss in(ETF STOCK NAME REMOVED). I am better off keeping cash in my account than holding (ETF STOCK NAME REMOVED).
This practice of passing on phantom distributions and causing losses to customers seems like a sneaky under handed way to pass on costs to keep your MER lower. I have lost trust in (COMPANY NAME REMOVED) ETF's.


Read Answer Asked by Brian on April 12, 2021
Q: In my observations of your answers to members questions about US stocks, I always note which US stocks the staff has invested in. I'm curious as to how those stocks would be categorized. Would the majority of those stocks be classified as being in a Growth, Equity or Income portfolio, as are the Canadian stocks. Is it safe to assume that several or a majority of the US stocks the staff has invested in would be candidates for inclusion in the i2i Fund?
Read Answer Asked by Edgar on April 12, 2021
Q: Hi,
Looking at Urbana's NAV ($6), it is reported by the company to be roughly twice the stock price ($3). I bought this stock years ago because the NAV was higher than the stock price, but this discrepancy, and my bewilderment, has only grown.
They like exchanges, and have real assets and privately held assets. Am I ok to increase my underweight position in this name?
Read Answer Asked by Darren on April 12, 2021
Q: looking at to buy a stock in auto industry.
your preference re linemar, magna, martinrea, or wd buying a sales of autos co., ie, auto canada be better. your opinion and any other view/suggestion wd be helpful and appreciated
thank u
John
Read Answer Asked by John on April 12, 2021
Q: Hi.
I bought GSY last year March - April when “the baby was being thrown out with the bath water”. My average cost was about $30. I sold at around $100. After I sold , I realized I did the most foolish thing. I didn’t need to sell , so why did I, was the question that kept bugging me. I sometimes can’t fathom why I do foolish things with my stocks. I told myself it’s not the end of the world and I can still buy the stock at around $127.( today’s price-April 9th). This time i Intend to hold for at least 5 years, or even longer. What are your thoughts on GSY over the next 3-5 years?
Thanks ,
Read Answer Asked by ilie on April 12, 2021
Q: Given 92% of the world's leading edge chips are manufactured in Taiwan, and China's accelerating efforts to retake the island, what companies would benefit if the US decides to build capacity in semiconductors?
Any Canadian candidates?
Read Answer Asked by michael on April 12, 2021
Q: How do you determine which Exchange to use? In your latest report, you recommended Magellan Aerospace Corporation, it's on the TSX and the NEO. Is one exchange better to use than the other. Also, Stock like Shopify is on the TSX and the NYSE. I use the TSX because it's Canadian, but the Canadian Exchanges don't show pre market numbers, I like referencing the US exchange. Am I correct to assume if the stock is moving up pre market in the NYSE it will do the same when the Canadian Market opens? Thanks,
Read Answer Asked by Juanita on April 10, 2021
Q: Hello. Looking at buying US cannabis ETF. But, I see this under MSOS Holdings:

BlackRock Liquidity Funds Treasury Trust Institutional TTTXX 43.13%

Seems like a large percentage is invested in US treasuries that would not be growing very fast (dead money?); what are your thoughts on this and the MSOS ETF in general.

Holdings of similar MJ ETF are names I more readily recognize (TLRY, CRON, WEED, APHA,...), so maybe that's the way to go?

Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Paul on April 10, 2021
Q: Which one to go and which one to keep.
AEM,ABX,WEED,CJT,GRN,KEL,QST,REAL,SMT,XBC,YRI
Read Answer Asked by Nizar on April 10, 2021
Q: Hi Peter & 5i,
What do you think is the probability that Rogers forces Shaw to redeem these Preferred shares come June as per the purchase agreement?
I'm thinking it's almost 100%. If Rogers doesn't force the redemption then it would be an indication that Rogers is not sufficiently certain the deal will go through. And it's so early in the whole purchase process that the preferred share redemption almost has to happen?
Your thoughts please.
Read Answer Asked by Dennis on April 10, 2021
Q: They are all high-paying dividend stocks, but I want to know why BCE consistently has a higher dividend. Is it because the market is reflecting that BCE doesn't have good growth prospects or are people missing something. Seems like they have at least similar prospects as Rogers (while I know Telus is doing many things outside of telecom so might deserve a higher valuation and lower dividend.)
Read Answer Asked by Eugene on April 09, 2021
Q: Greetings,

I know 5i isn’t a fan of averaging down and while it is a strategy that has worked well for me in the past, initiating positions / timing hasn’t worked in my favour and I tend to buy the peaks. Hence the DCA strategy working for me I guess in lowering the average share price and eventually seeing some reasonable returns. Of course it tends to lead to overweight positions which I trim back. Examples are BA and vermillion.

Now here I am again in a situation. Holding ABX and BTO and down about 25%. Even so I am VERY comfortable with these 2 companies in my portfolio and I see them as complimentary to each other. I don’t see shifting way from them as I feel comfortable even being down 25%. However I am looking to DCA these 2 and bring my total gold exposure in my portfolio up from 7% to 10%. I have no other precious metals exposure. As I am aware 5i tends to be comfortable with 10% total sector position.

Could you weigh in on the narrative in general, address timing of purchases (as 5i tends to like a company and be “comfortable buying here” and seems indifferent of timing), DCA strategy, and advise of your opinion on these 2 companies, strengths, weaknesses, expectations.

Deduct as needed as my credit burn is quite slow.

Cheers and thanks for all the great advice! You have made a big difference. 🙂
Read Answer Asked by Duane on April 09, 2021
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