Investment Q&A

Q: I was comparing banks and was intrigued by comparison between these 2.
YOY, BNS is about 14% higher than CM, whereas 5 yr return shows both very similar return. Is there a merit in switch from BNS to CM,to take benefit of relative discount on cibc. Over longer term banks have moved in locksteps. thanks

Q: Looking for financial sector allocation suggestions as replacement for HCG/mortgage sector. Already have positions in EFN/ECN/CXI/BNS/SLF...any suggestions? or okay with going to 20% on tech vs current 15% 35 years old, money is all in registered accounts, little debt, and no need for money in next 10-20 years

Q: In view of the effect on the market of the unknowns coming up in the next few months - with US election and its aftermath, and good possibility of US bankrate going up in Dec. I am thinking of going defensive. I have quite a few of the stocks listed in both your Balanced and Income portfolios, could you please list for me which of these stocks you would designate as best 'defensive' - (whatever that means). Thanks again, always look forward to hearing your comments.

Q: I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the effect of a US Fed Rate increase on Canadian Bank stocks.

Thanks,

Peter

Q: Hi- the banks all seem to have done well, partially because loan loss provisions have been reduced. Is that a discretionary situation...in other words, can earnings be boosted by lowering provisions? How does that work?
How does it relate to Tier 1 capital? And what are the banks' Tier 1 Capitals now?
Thanks

Q: Hi Peter Comments on bns
regards Stan

Q: It seems that every time Home Capital starts to move up a little there's another short attack to push it back down. I know you rate it quite highly, but is there really a future upside? I've held it for 2 or 3 years now, and am getting tired of waiting.

Is it better to replace it with another name? I already own FSZ, BNS and TD in financials. Thanks

Q: I have a small amount of CIX in an RSP account. I originally bought it a few years ago for the dividend, a bit of growth and the prospect of the company being purchased. I am not terribly unhappy with it as i've collected the nice dividend over the years and the current price is still over what i paid. But now with the industry moving away from high fee mutual funds it seems as CIX is dead money at best and the only attractive thing is it's dividend. I'd like to sell CIX and move it to another financial that has a bit more of a growth component to it. Would you consider a cdn bank as a good replacement? Or a US bank? An insurer? I'm not interested in DH corp, HCG, or EFN. Thanks for your advice

Q: Peter, could you please recommend 5 Dividend {low volatility} stocks for a long {3-5 years} term hold.

Thanks Valter

Q: Have some monies sitting on sidelines. Can you name me a cheap (excluding energy) sector if any and a couple of recommendations? Thank you. Bill

Q: I am thinking of rebalancing the weighting of my holdings of common stock among the five large Canadian Banks. The banks represent 20% of my stock portfolio, more or less in equal parts, except for TD (of which I hold less). I'm looking for yield and quality, with a bias towards "hold" not "trade". I consider capital growth a bonus not a goal. I'm retired. I spend my investment income but retain capital. Do you have particular preferences? Do you think that a 20% allocation to financial services is in an acceptable range?

Q: BNS.PR.G stock was issued at 25.00. Today it traded about 26.88. Computer says the dividend is 6.63%. This seems to be too good to be true. What am I missing here? I am retired and invest for income. What is your opinion of BNS.PR.G for income & What is you opinion of the reset. Many thanks.

Q: I intend to take some money out of a savings account and put it into 3 or 4 rock solid (what a concept) TSX stocks earning divis
in the 3 - 5% range and looking at a 2 - 3 yr horizon. Would really like to see a list of stocks (with ratings) that you think would meet my requirement. Thanks again.

Q: Hello Peter and team
My daughter holds AQN and BAM'A in her RSP account and has to add one more position. Which of BNS or Telus would you choose to add as a long term hold? Could I have your opinion of this total selection disregarding diversification.
Thanks for your great service.

Q: My question is companies that will benefit from rising interest rates. I was wondering if you could give me a top three that trades in Canada and a top three that trades in the US...May one ETF too if possible. I understand that rates wont go up over night. I just want to start accumulating now for a 5-7 year hold to wait for rates to rise. I would prefer it if they paid a dividend as well.

Thanks so much
Jimmy

Q: I manage the investment accounts for a family member who currently has a very small pension, CPP and OAS with the OAS Supplement. Her Supplement is reduced by 50 cents for every dollar of investment income she makes so she is effectively in a 50% tax bracket. Her capital comes from the recent sale of her house and the money must be available for an assisted living facility in a few years. My problem has been finding stocks to preserve capital and minimize the 50% tax bite which impacts what she has to live on currently. I have used AV.UN which has no impact on her income now and TMC which does but provides a high income. I think capital gains would be better than dividends which are grossed up. Any suggestions for appropriate investments for a 6 figure account?

Q: Hi 5i, I have been slowly adding to my portfolio. So far it is all held in a TFSA with long term in mind. The listed companies are the current holdings (I don't know weighted percents off hand). Can you please recommend maybe 2-3 other companies or funds that would help to round out my portfolio? I plan to make regular contributions for the long term. All available DRIP's are being utilized as well to further growth. Do you see any current major issues with the current holdings?

Thanks 5i! Keep up the great work, you're much appreciated!

Q: How would you rank these 3 for growth for a younger investor over the next few years if you had to choose only one?

Q: Hi Any comments on bns results?
Stan

Q: Would like to add one safe stock with good divi to my portfolio. Have sector room for finance and telecom. Trying to choose between BCE & BNS. BCE has a negative with the CRTC regulators forthcoming ruling on the MTB takeover and also encouraging competition. BNS will no doubt be affected by the Alberta problem. Maybe I should be looking elsewhere? Would really appreciate your insight on this as always.