skip to content
  1. Home
  2. >
  3. Investment Q&A
You can view 3 more answers this month. Sign up for a free trial for unlimited access.

Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: We have been divesting ATL1880 but it still is 1.7% of our portfolio (was 20%). One reason is because I realized that its return is mostly ROC and it has a high turnover rate.
I feel that the turnover is churn to the benefit of management company. I have recently read that receiving ROC is not necessarily a bad thing. Would like your opinion in general and in relation to this fund. This is our last mutual fund holding and its fees are also higher then I think reasonable. As we need income I want to replace with something that would provide equal income so would appreciate any suggestions you may have.
Read Answer Asked by Betty on May 08, 2019
Q: Looking for ETF that is ex Canada and US for international exposure. Any opinion on DWM or could you suggest other alternatives? Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Betty on May 07, 2019
Q: Open Text has performed well in the Growth Portfolio, and seems to have solid fundamentals with a 13.7 Forward P/E. I was surprised to see James Hodgins of Curvature Hedge Strategies (Arrow Capital) is shorting it. To paraphrase, he said: 'They have 2x debt-to-EBITDA. It's pretty expensive, and their access to capital will decline since we are late in the cycle.'

I should point out that many analysts love the stock, including you guys. I'd like to know your opinion because once in a while the shorts (depending on who they are) offer a valuable perspective.

Thanks! Elliott
Read Answer Asked by Elliott on May 07, 2019
Q: Hey 5i,
I am a new investor and member of 5i. Upon review of your Reports and Portfolios I have decided that my portfolio will be a mix of Income and Growth. My question is as to the number of stocks to purchase to balance my Portfolio. If stock A is valued at $100 and Stock B is $25, should I purchase 4 of A ($400) and B ($100) , or 1 of A ($100) and 4 of B($100)?
Read Answer Asked by Matthew on May 07, 2019
Q: This is a strategy question that has to do with using margin debt. I am wondering what you think of buying on margin. Last year for the first time, I bought on margin, roughly from fifty to one hundred thousand at various times throughout the year. This is a small percentage of my portfolio and thus not too dangerous. In doing my taxes I see that I paid $2480 in interest. The government gave me back $1187 of that as carrying charges. That means there was $1280 left. I bought all high dividend paying stocks and so expect that I recuperated or surpassed that amount in dividends. Then I get the capital gains for nothing. ( Or, the capital loss, also.).

So, I suppose I am asking you whether it is worth the trouble? Especially when I have 20 or 30 percent fixed income. Perhaps I should use that if i want to try to leverage things a bit? I am thinking that it may be a good stragegy when one feels that stocks are really low. But, the rest of the time it is hard to make any money. But, i am more interested in your thoughts on the strategy.
thanks
Read Answer Asked by joseph on May 07, 2019
Q: In response to Cam's comments about Stella Jones and concrete ties and poles taking their market share.... A couple months ago across the street from me a line of concrete poles was being replaced with wood. I chatted to one of the guys and he said the wood poles last way longer and that there is more maintenance required with concrete poles (cracking, rusting metal hardware were two of his examples). Judging by the trucks and team of people present there I would speculate the labor to maintain and replace a pole would be much higher then the pole itself. Cheers
Read Answer Asked by Dennis on May 07, 2019