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: Hello 5i,
I need to increase my U.S. exposure in 1) healthcare 2) consumer discretionary and 3) consumer staples.
Can you please recommend 2 stocks and 1 ETF for each of these sectors for a 3-5yr hold.
Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Trevor on February 08, 2024
Q: My portfolio analytics says I'm low on consumer staples.

I'm considering the above companies but also wondering if the ETFs listed might be the better way to go.

Please comment and rate these companies and ETFs.

Thanks as always for your insight.
Read Answer Asked by Kevin on May 16, 2023
Q: Apparently, there are 11 major sectors in the S&P (Global Industry Classification Standard). Could you please list one ETF to best represent EACH major sector of the S&P? For example, would IUIT best represent the entire Info Tech sector of the S&P? It seems the SPDR funds are much more specific than the 11 GICS sectors:
Information Technology
Health Care
Financials
Consumer Discretionary
Communication Services
Industrials
Consumer Staples
Energy
Utilities
Real Estate
Materials

Thank you very much.
Read Answer Asked by Toge on January 19, 2023
Q: I am a retired income investor. All my income except CPP comes from my investments. Right now I am quite well diversified and I did not go to much cash so far nor do not intend to. However, I am now thinking that I should make some changes to be underweight some sectors and overweight others. Right now I am overweight ENB (I consider it a utility), BEP.UN, T, SLF, the Cdn banks and BCE. I also own a lot of the various BMO covered calls ETFs. Two areas I am light is Consumer Staples which the gurus say will hold up well now and I hold no US stocks. One can argue whether we are now in recession or it is coming but I am sure it is or will be real especially since our government says it does not think about economic policy. I am thinking of reducing the covered calls and increasing my exposure to stocks because I believe the stocks will perform better during and as we come out of this. This will further skew my diversity but these are not normal times.
I would like your thoughts on this and a recommendation for "safe" income producing Consumer Staples and a US ETF.
Many thanks
Read Answer Asked by Don on September 12, 2022
Q: Hi Peter, Ryan, and Team,

To raise our U.S., International, and Consumer Staples sector, please rank these three ETFs . I realize that STPL is the only one of the three that has holdings in countries other than the U.S. This investment would be for our two RRIFs.

Thanks for your insight.
Read Answer Asked by Jerry on February 03, 2022
Q: I have about $100K to invest in the US stock market to bring my portfolio closer to my intended US weighting, and I am looking for some US stock/ETF ideas.

My portfolio is already 25% Technology, and 16.5% Financials. So I don't need suggestions from those sectors. I was considering more VFV, but that has 25% Technology in it already, so maybe an ETF to complement that.

Can you suggest some US stocks that are not in the Technology or Financial sector that you would consider for a US style model portfolio. And also some ETFs holding US stocks that are light in Technology and Financials.

Thanks,
Paul
Read Answer Asked by Paul on October 26, 2021
Q: Hi,
Can you please recommend some companies/Etf to provide consumer cyclical and consumer defensive exposure to US?
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Gurdeep on September 23, 2021
Q: Please kindly suggest a reasonably priced EFTs and stocks in a consumer cyclical and consumer defensive categories for an portfolio. Possibly with a reasonable dividends if such exists.
Read Answer Asked by Miroslaw on August 31, 2021
Q: Greetings,

I am underweight consumer defensive and consumer cyclical and would need to invest about a $100k in each to get the right balance.

I also need more US and international exposure.

Can you suggest your top two individual names in each category that are listed in the US and Canadian markets?

Lastly, is there an ETF or two I should look at?

Keep up the good work… i am up substantially on TOI based on the guidance received here.
Read Answer Asked by Simon on August 27, 2021
Q: Hi,
I assume that you will deduct question points as you see fit.
I am considering simplifying and 'conservatising' my RRIF.My wife andI are in our mid 70's.
Portfolio Analytical has again shown that my account is unbalanced with inadequate foreign content. I also need to increase my weightings in Consumer (discretional and defensive), Industrial and Technology.

Could you please suggest 5 names for conservative longterm holds in non Canadian Stocks or ETF's in the following categories?
a)consumer defensive
b)consumer discretionary
c)Industrials
d)Technology .

With many thanks,
David
Read Answer Asked by david on June 16, 2021
Q: Could you recommend Canadian and US consumer staple ETFs? Are any of the holdings in the model portfolio consumer staples? What percentage of one’s portfolio would you allocate to consumer staples?
Thanks for all your help
Read Answer Asked by Mary on May 27, 2021
Q: Hi, having just sold my TD Balanced Index Fund, I am looking for a suggestion of a few ETFs to cover my under-weightings in the Consumer Cyclicals &/or Consumer Defensive industries, preferably in the US or International Regions as i am overweight in Canadian region. This is for an RRSP with 10+ years holding.

Thanks for this great service!
Read Answer Asked by Christopher on May 25, 2021
Q: How would you suggest getting exposure to consumer discretionary/staples?

Could you please give a good ETF for each sector and a couple good names?

Looking for broad exposure (not just Canada)
Read Answer Asked by Max on April 29, 2021
Q: I had a portfolio review many years ago when you did them individually, personally by human! At the time your suggestions were right on and cleaned up my ETF's. Now I have over ten and according to your metrics it should not be so. Given those above, is there anything that is not required? I am up 25%- 150% on all of them. I am happy with all of them. I have a balanced portfolio in all 11 sectors with 44 stocks all doing quite nicely thank you. Following the income portfolio with some of my own additions from 15 years ago. I do not see any major conflicts.I am s a buy and hold dividend investor with some growth ( lightspeed, Leon's).
Thank you for your million dollar service!
Stanley
Read Answer Asked by STANLEY on April 26, 2021
Q: Looking to add a bit of consumer staples to the portfolio within the US. Not entirely apples to apples but could you please indicate your preference to either one of these listed or a combination?
Thanks, Tom
Read Answer Asked by Tom on January 06, 2021
Q: Hi 5i
Based on my recent review of Portfolio Analytics information, I need to increase my US and International exposure significantly and, also, Consumer Cyclical, Consumer Defensive, Industrials and Tech.
With the thought of killing a number of birds with just a few stones, could you recommend a few ETFs that trade on the TSX that will increase my US and International exposure along with my investment in the listed sectors, while also having the prospect of some reasonable return in the form of either capital appreciation or dividends, or both.
Thanks!
Peter
Read Answer Asked by Peter on November 12, 2020
Q: Morning 5i team,
I'm looking for a few suggestions on an ETF that covers consumer staples in the NAM? Some that came to mind were XST and STPL, but they seem to lack US exposure?
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Phil on August 26, 2020