Investment Q&A

Q: Two questions. I was looking at a stock on a stock website and clicked to level II for shares bought/sold data. I see it occur frequently, where a security company (for example 007 TD Securities) is both the seller and buyer of a stock. I have assumed simply the company was satisfying different clients while obtaining commission on both sides. Is that a good assumption?
In this case the security co. was clearly selling off many thousands of its shares ($9.70/share)over several days and to several different buyers. But its first and by far largest sale was to itself - both seller and buyer of one block of 11,000 shares. It just seemed a bit odd to me that a non-bank security co. would have a client who wanted, at full price and at least fair value, 11,000 shares of a stock the firm was selling off. Aside from a large shareholder selling off should a transaction such as this raise any other concern? Perhaps this is a way to maintain the share price for the further sales...
Thanks so much for your patience, hope you guys do take some time off for the holidays.

Q: Hi I currently own CSU, GIB.a and SYZ in IT sector. Recently I have started positions in KXS and DSG. DSG has been acting very well recently and its share price is at 52 week high. KXS appears have settled around $45, after touching a high of $49, few weeks ago. There has also been fairly large buying in KXS, perhaps due to its inclusion in S&P/TSX 60 index. Most analysts are bullish on Kinaxis and believe that its early days for the company with huge growth potential in years to come. After strong quarterly results, analysts hiked their price targets on the stock between $50 to $54. Kinaxis also appears to have huge support from their present customers and high interest noted from prospects in company's recent conference. In your recent comments, you mentioned stock being expensive. I would appreciate your opinion, if both KXS and DSG are strong candidates to add to my present position at current levels. Thanks for your insight.

Q: Looks like Monday is going to be another bad day,law firm Goldberg releases a statement saying they are "investigating" Intertain,don't know what these slimballs are investigating,but the bozos in management better release a more forthcoming statement.First PHM,then GXI,now IT.Starting to cost me a lot of money!!!

Q: Peter their is a up date on DGC sent yesterday can you and your team give your opinion on this .
Jim.

Q: Just a note I recall reading approx. 1.5 years ago about SJ that came from SJ themselves.

SJ who makes hydro/telephone poles & railway ties out of wood said that the ~25 year life span of these items (my bad memory, but I think it was 25 years or it could have been a little longer) would need replacing starting in the next year or so, N.A. wide in general. This represented millions of pieces.

Since SJ is a major player in this industry SJ predicted , as could almost anyone who was aware of this scenario, that SJ would have increased volume and profits as a result for the next few years, which typically grows their stock price as we have started to see.

Ya, SJ.

Have a great day.

Also Loving the volatility of many stocks these last few days. Easy to make 5% to 15% in a few days with some extra cash based on technicals, for now rather safely.

Q: Just my simple macro.opinion.Investors must have confidence in co.management,who has attributes like honesty,"put the stakeholders first",delvery &/or overdelivery results,etc.Of course,financial metrics are also important. Investors do not like the excessive executives compensation of IT.When the short attack came,it is SELL,& ask questions later.As we are all awared that this is a nerveous market & a important event like short attack,quarterly results acquistions etc can cause substantial fluctuations either way.Recently there are companies that investors lost no confidence in the management resulting in big drop

Q: If a person thinks that the Cdn dollar is near the bottom and wants to buy an etf of the S&P would it be wise to buy the un-hedged version? This is in registered account[s].

Q: I realize the damage is done to the share price but does the company's pretty pathetic rebuttal, so far, lead you to believe there might be some credibility to the short argument? I've read the short report and found it hard to follow but the jist I got was that earnings are being manipulated, management "appears" checkered, sales are slowing and debt is high.

Q: A bit confusing, prior to short seller situation, there
were several buy recommendations with 12 MO $24 tgts,
so outside of short seller manipulation, (I see that failed
on BYD. un), what has really changed?
Thanks

Q: could you explain the performance gap between XSP and ZSP
for one year time frame.
Both ETF are designed to replicate, to the extent possible ,the performance of the S&P 500 Index.
Thank you so much.

Q: I am looking for some holiday reading regarding investment strategy, finance or economics and would like to know what you would suggest? I have read many of the classics and would like something more resent although I realize some strategies and theories are timeless so don't be afraid to suggest something that must be read from the past.

Thanks very much for the great advice as always.

Q: Sorry for another IT question, but in the last one you mention their debt. Can you please provide more information about that and how much risk it represents? The info I have shows 32% debt/cap rate, which doesn't seem too bad.

Thank you.

Michael

Q: Hello Peter,
If I may extend the discussion w.r.t the question on Tucows by Rick yesterday .
The markets are volatile combined with tax loss selling and perhaps retail investors putting fresh money into registered accounts early 2016, there are going to be opportunities. It is also likely quite a few investors would look at the 5i portfolios to make new investments or add to positions. Perhaps you could guide the investor where the opportunities are based on valuations and fundamentals or even just qualitatively.
So here is my suggestion. When you email/post the month end performance report for the 5i portfolios; is it possible to include a column that ranks them on investible attractiveness as of that date? Now I would not be expecting 5i to have done extensive research before providing a rank. It could be a combination of your current existing knowledge, news that you may be aware of or just your opinion; quite similar to the opinion you provide on Market Call, except it would be for the stocks in the 5i portfolios.
It would help me and probably a lot of the subscribers in deciding on where to put fresh money – to start a new position, trim or increase existing ones ; based on our individual portfolios.
Regards

Q: Thinking that Oil was forming a bottom at $40. I took a position in a number of oil & gas stocks. Of course I was early and am now down on all positions. I am a long term investor needing income to supliment my pension income.
My positions were originally each 2% of my Cdn Equity portfolio and am down 20% in WCP, PSK, PEY; down 5% in CPG and flat on PKI.
I'm thinking of selling one of the positions for a tax loss and reallocating proceeds back into the remaining positions to bring back to a 2% weight.
Your thoughts? Good plan? Which one to sell?

Q: Prizm Medical had a nice little pop today. Any reason?

Q: What is your opinion on AGF at these price levels. Any chance of a turn around for this company.

Q: Does this latest short attack present an opportunity? Down 40% in two days. What would the P/E be now? Thanks,

Wes.

Q: Hello 5i team

Could you give me your opinion on the BMO ultra short bond ETF, ZST. The bonds held all mature in less than a year and yet its distribution yield is 3.96 % It has been distributing at about this rate since it was formed in 2011. I looked at the holdings and I couldn't imagine that these companies would run into trouble in the short period they hold the bonds. ( Of course they will have to be constantly changing their holdings because if the short term nature) It seemed very safe to me but am I missing something? I am 76 years old with a portfolio of about 2.5 M and I am trying to hold enough cash to cover 3+ years of the rent for my wife who has gone into longterm care. I would like to get a little interest for this money and I wonder whether this would be a good candidate for some of these funds.

Ross

Q: Good morning,

With the increase in the interest rate by a .25% today and with a plan to increase by the same amount in each of every quarter in 2016, will this affect BCE and Telus since they are companies that are, usually, negatively affected by an high interest environment? I own both of them, BCE 5% and Telus 4.4%. I own them for their safety and increases of their dividends. Should continue to hold them?
Thank you

Paul

Q: Hi Peter & Team!
Thanks for all the great information and objective opinions. What do you think about Corus Entertainment (CJR.B), it has been so beaten up that the dividend itself makes it an attractive buy. So is the dividend safe and is there a chance the stock could recover (it's happened before!!). Thanks.