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 Peter and Ryan,
We picked up a few shares of BNS on the drop yesterday. After searching for value stocks with a decent dividend we could not find a Utility, Telcom, or Financial stock that was not over-priced with the recent rise. ZUT or VPU also appear to be slightly over-priced for the moment.
If we are looking for value, dividend, and a little down-turn protection which stock is preferred; BCE or CM? Do you have another value stock in any sector that would be preferable to BCE or CM?

Thank you
Debbie and Jerry

Read Answer Asked by Jerry on February 27, 2019
Q: In the bank section, BNS has been a favourite of yours along with TD. Over the past couple of years, TD has been a star while BNS languishes. Their latest earnings this morning disappointed. Are you still keen on BNS? Do you still recommend it? If so, on what basis? I know you say banks tend to revert to the mean performance over time but BNS appears to be proving that wrong.
Read Answer Asked on February 27, 2019
Q: I have $25,000 in my TFSA invested in the above companies, eaqch with a weighing of between 8% - 10%. Looking to add another $10,000. I'm 63. Preference is dividends and some growth. Looking for stability if another December 2018 were to repeat itself.
May I please have your suggestions, in order of preference. Please deduct appropriate credits.

Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Larry on February 26, 2019
Q: I own all of the above in roughly equal weights in my TFSA. I am attempting to replicate your Balanced Equity Portfolio. I am also trying to get more defensive. I think I am overweight in the Info Tech sector. I am looking at a 5 year hold. I have cash to buy another position. What would your advice be - hold the cash or make a purchase. If purchase what would be your recommendation for defensive position?

Thanks for your help.
Read Answer Asked by Ron on February 22, 2019
Q: In my portfolio I have following Canadian equities: AQN (4.9%), BCE (4.78%), BNS (4.64%), WXM (4.5%), SIS (3.8%), BEP (2.68%), MG (2.29%), KXS (2.03%), PBH (1.94%), MX (1.92%), COV (1.87%), TSGI (1.76%).

I have a full positions worth of cash I would like to add to my Canadian content and was wondering on your thoughts as to adding to one new stock (ATD.B, WSP, CCL.B, other suggestion), 2 half positions, or adding to my existing positions.

I have a 20 year time frame and comfortable with some risk.
Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Dave on February 13, 2019
Q: My wife and I are 66 years old. We each have a TFSA which we are trying to maximize. These would be the last two accounts we would ever take money out of. Our children are the beneficiaries so these are long term accounts - hopefully! We each have RRSPs and share a non-registered account we use for income. We don't have any fixed income but do have enough cash to last us 3 years. No pensions, but are quite diversified in a number of blue chip stocks.

Between the two of us we have PHO, SIS, TOY, BNS, TSGI. None of which has been very good lately but we are patient. We have enough money for two more positions, and think it would be prudent to add two, more stable, names. OTEX, BOYD, GC ? Suggestions?
THANK YOU !
Read Answer Asked by Bryan on February 07, 2019
Q: Peter could you suggest 5 can or us stocks that have a div us I have $15000 to invest for each one
I am a conservative investor looking for div income
Thanks for your opinion
Pat
Read Answer Asked by Patrick on February 06, 2019
Q: 2:10 PM 1/29/2019
Hi: I am concerned about deteriorating trade relations between Canada and China. Could you please indicate which of the big 6 Canadian banks and big 3 Insurance have business in China and what percent of their entire business is located there.
Thank you.......... Paul K
Read Answer Asked by Paul on January 29, 2019
Q: I would like some recommendations on some companies or ETF's that you like now and going forward. I'm looking for growth as I have a 20year+ time frame and low aversion to risk. I currently hold in my TFSA: CJR.B (down about 5%, should I hold or sell some/all off? -heaviest weighting of portfolio currently), GS, BNS, CPH, CR, KXS, NIF, SIS. Would like to add more companies to TFSA for some more sector diversification and can add to RRSP as well - possibly a growth ETF with US/International exposure? Would appreciate your input, thanks very much.
Read Answer Asked by Dustin on January 29, 2019
Q: Hello, I am looking at making some adjustments to my portfolio over the next few months as I am concerned about the possibility of the next recession perhaps coming by the end of 2019 or early 2020. I would appreciate your recommendations for some defensive stocks which would weather a recession without too big of a drop. I already hold ENB, FTS, BNS and TD which I intend to keep but am looking to replace some of my other stocks with more defensive names.
thanks for your advice.
Paula
Read Answer Asked by Paula on January 28, 2019
Q: Good morning. I recently read a report that showed that, over the past 30 years, the Canadian banks ( as a group) have outperformed the TSX ( 10.5% vs. 5%). The report then went on to say the Canadian banks have been/are slow to respond to both new technologies and new market entrants/competitors so the past thirty years is not indicative of continued out performance. Rather, the banks will suffer. In your general view consistent with this? I have always been a fan of our banks but am wondering if my faith needs review.Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by alex on January 24, 2019
Q: Hi 5i! I'm a middle-aged subscriber that has picked up some of the 5i researched companies - most recently Kinaxis and BNS. I'm slightly overweight Kinaxis and Shopify since I see them as potential growth engines. KXS, TOY, NVDA, SHOP, FB, and BNS are all in my non-reg account. If I need cash this year for personal projects, which companies might you recommend I start selling? Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Marc on January 18, 2019
Q: With a theoretical projection that a slow-down is nearing, which 5 dividend paying stocks would 5i suggest to your readers that can ride out a market decline and offer a reasonable rate of return on investment?

Thank you
Debbie and Jerry
Read Answer Asked by Jerry on January 17, 2019
Q: I am a senior dividend investor, and try to have holdings in the 5% range for dividends from about 15 to 20 stocks. At the moment I am heavy on the pseudo utilities side (PPL, AQN, ENB, RNW), and do not have any core financial holdings. I am looking at trading my AQN for BNS, on the theory that the dividend is similar, and the current short-term upside for BNS is better with any sort of comeback (just surmising from the 52 week highs of each obtained, not any analysis of Payout Ratio or such). I would appreciate your thoughts.
Read Answer Asked by Paul on January 17, 2019
Q: Hi 5i,

I'm looking to increase my current Financial Sector weighting from 5 to 15%. I currently hold BNS @ 2.2%, SLF @ 1.5%, and GSY @ 1.3%. What would you add too and/or too a new position? I don't like to have more than 5-6% of one holding, of course this would be risk adjusted down according to market cap/safety.

Last part, on sector weightings. I follow your general recommendation and I noticed you changed the following from Oct'18 to Jan'19 as follows:
Consumer disc. 10 up to 15,
Consumer staples 10 down to 5,
InfoTech 20 down to 15, and
Utilities 5 up to 10.

Can you add some commentary behind these sector weight changes?

Thanks, Chris.

Read Answer Asked by Christopher on January 15, 2019
Q: My daughter TFSA contains the above stocks. She can add 1 (full position) or 2 (half position) this year. What would be a good fit for her present holdings? Would you suggest selling Stella Jones &/or Telus and replacing it with something else? She has a long time frame as she will not need the money in the foreseeable future.
Read Answer Asked by jacques on January 14, 2019