Investment Q&A

Q: Hi 5i:
I have too many finance stocks in my RIF account and would appreciate your advice on how to reduce. I want to maintain some US banking exposure, but otherwise I am open to your suggestions I have: RY; SLF; JPM; BAC; V. Thanks Roland

Q: I have some money in an RRSP and I feel that my diversification is broad enough. My preference is in consistent reliable dividends (nearing retirement) and honestly some potential in a market increase. Which of these would you pick? Also, I would like you to give me a better idea about Centurylink. At what stock price level would you consider to be a purchase point? ( or would you stay away period).

Q: How significant do you think Visa's new sensory tech will be on momentum? I am trying to add to my financial sector. I have Royal Bank and Square. Any thoughts?

Q: Hello,
I am quite new to the investing world and just looking to get much more involved. I currently have some mutual funds through a balanced portfolio in a TFSA that I have discussed with my financial planner. I have a TFSA open through Manulife and RBC. I am looking and hoping to get into some index funds and passive investing as well. Looking to just get average returns with low fees. Any suggestions on the best way to start this and go about this on my own? Recommendations on which ones I should start with through the TFSA accounts I have? I seen some through RBC, but just find it tough to get answers from financial advisors as I always feel pushed toward active investments (which I am open to down the road as well).

Thanks from a early and trying to learn investor,

Matt

Q: In financials I own about 2.5% of my overall portfolio in both TD and RY with about 1% in ECN (total of 6%). What would be your recommendation if adding more to the financial sector. Stay with Canadian banks (add to TD or RY or possibly BNS) or add something like SLF OR MFC? Any other suggestions?
Thanks.
Brian

Q: Hi,

I've owned 15% in CDN banks for the last couple years and they're dong well. Do you expect banks or lifeco's will do better in the next couple years?
Can you pick your top two choices of the the insurance cos and banks for the next couple years?

Q: Looking to purchase some individual rate reset preferred shares. Looking for relatively early reset dates. Would you be comfortable with: BCE.PR.Q, MFC.PR.J, RY.PR.H, TRP.PR.G ?
Regards,
Robert

Q: Good afternoon. What are the possibilities that this stock splits in the near future?

Q: If you were to add 3 positions to a well diversified Portfolio, which of these 10 would you choose.


Thanks Valter

Q: Regarding asset allocation, I need to do some trimming and adding. I need to trim RY and use the proceeds to add to ZWE. In a perfect world, I'd like to nail both dividends, so I wanted to bounce the plan past you.

The ex-div date for RY is Oct 25 and the ex-div date for ZWE is Oct 27. So that means I would get the RY dividend if I sell on or after Oct 25. I would get the ZWE dividend if I buy on or before Oct 26. Did I get this right? Thanks, Steve

Q: I am a retired, conservative dividend-income investor with a company pension, CPP, annuities, Fisgard Capital and the following equities:
1. 17% Mutual funds (RBC Cdn Equity Income, Sentry Cdn Income, Sentry REIT)
2. 10% ETFs (ZLB, XIT, ZWE)
3. 41% stocks (listed above)
4. 32% fixed income (annuities, Fisgard, but not including my pension nor CPP).

I plan to reduce my Sentry Cdn Income holding from 9% to 5% and purchase ZWC. The benefits would be a) saving $1k in hidden MER fees, b) receiving an extra $1k in dividends and c) a better asset allocation. I like the covered call strategy that ZWC provides, as well as the 30 companies inside the ETF.

Question = is this the right ETF product? Are there other Canadian Covered Call ETF choices that offer this diversified asset mix that I should consider? Are their other ETFs that have slightly less financials, less utilities, and more industrials that would result in a better asset allocation for me?

Thanks for your help...Steve

Q: Hi team,
My Royal Bank Prefer RY.PR.B got redeem today, and like to put the money into similar prefer share. Any suggestion is highly appreciated.
Thanks as always,
Regards,
Tak

Q: 12:32 PM 9/11/2017
Hello 5i
Thank you for your answer to my question this morning about selecting companies with the highest probability of reliable long term income and dividend growth.

Just to follow up, if I am reading between the lines correctly I infer you would clearly choose banks if we didn't already own some. But since we do your suggestion is to buy CSH.UN and NWC.

I am fine with your suggestion but did you make it basically just to provide "diversification" at the cost of buying much much smaller and possibly less stable companies or would it be just as safe to simply overweight on Canadian banks.

Do you really think CSH.UN and NWC are as "safe" as RY and TD? After all if banks go down, so goes everything else. Just how "dangerous" is it to have a 20+% position in the big 5 banks?

Thank you............. Paul K

Q: 9:57 AM 9/10/2017
Hello Peter :
My wife and I are in our 70's and require additional steady dividend income to complement our pensions and bond income. We wish to choose companies that we never need to consider selling and that have reliable dividend growth and little chance of dividend cuts.
We have a 4.5% cash position we want to invest.
We need to decide between two options:
1. Invest the whole 4.5% in RY or TD, [we already own 10% split between BNS and CM], or
2. Add to 2 or more of these existing positions : CSH.UN [3.2%], SIA [3.9%], NWC [2.2%], CSW.A [3.1%], RPI.UN [1.0%], or invest part in new positions in one or more of ET, ZCL, ABT, or ADN.
What choice or choices would you advise us to make for the highest probability of reliable long term income and dividend growth?
Thank you............. Paul K

Q: I have BNS, RY, SLF and FSZ in equal amounts in my "Financial" basket and need to add another name to get my financials weighting to 15%. Can you suggest a new stock and/or a etf (CDN or US stock / etf) to compliment my current holdings OR would you just add to the 4 stocks that I have? Thanks

Q: Do you think negative short term trend will continue?

Q: I am considering the following: selling Royal Bank, BCE and CGI which are in my TFSA plan and then repurchase them in my RRSP plan and at the same time, sell my Amazon and Google which are in my RRSP and repurchase them in my TFSA. The basic reason is having the growth stocks in the TFSA. Does this make sense or are there any consequences?

Thanks,

Bob

Q: Hi Peter and Company,

I currently have a position on RY, TD and BNS and I am thinking of moving some money from Canadian banks to US banks. So of the three aforementioned banks that I currently hold, which one would you take off the table and is there a U.S. bank that you can recommend?
Cheers,
Harry

Q: I'm looking to free up some cash and among other things own the 5 big banks. They comprise 20.5% of my total portfolio, as follows: BMO 6%, RY 4.4%, BNS 3.7%, CM 3.3% and TD 3.1%. Should I focus on reducing my BMO exposure?

Q: The article you shared about the Canadian banks was an interesting read. I'm curious if you would buy any of the banks today, and if so which one and why? Its interesting to hear your thought process around whether you would go for the higher dividend payer that is more undervalued but limited short term growth, or the more US exposed fair valued, or international fair valued, or other reasons.