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Investment Q&A

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

Q: I have a small position in GWO, more in MFC and most in SLF. I would like to either own one or two of these. Which do you feel has the most potential? With the cash from the sale what would you recommend in the health sector?
Thank you,
V.
Read Answer Asked by V on August 14, 2018
Q: I now have roughly equal positions in IAG, SLF and MFC, with the total somewhere between 8 and 9 % of portfolio. I bought these primarily for the dividends. However, MFC has lost value relative to SLF - and IAG has lost even more. Why are MFC and IAG underperforming SLF to such a degree? Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Gordon on August 02, 2018
Q: For the past two years the so-called experts have been saying that rising interest rates will benefit the banks and insurance companies through a more favourable rate spread. Yet, every time the BOC raises rates share prices have gone down. Now the same experts are raising concerns that higher rates will hurt the banks as the rates will negatively affect the credit-stretched consumer. Seems like the experts are playing roulette and betting both black and red at the same time. Your thoughts?
Read Answer Asked by Brian on July 12, 2018
Q: I have a 7% position in MFC. Normally this security would benefit from rising rates. My thoughts on this has changed. Borrowing short term and lending long term doesn’t look that attractive to me at this time as the yield curve is flattering. I’m an income oriented investor are there better opportunities elsewhere.. I’m down about 5%. What are your thoughts on my thesis? Should I sell and move on, reduce my position or hang on? I also have a smal positio in FLI.
Read Answer Asked by Roy on July 09, 2018
Q: Trimming the herd to pay off the mortgage. Any compelling reason not to sell the above names. I have a few others on the maybe trim list if you make a compelling case to keep any of the above. Balanced growth follower.

I am heavy financial ( thus ditching rbc and mfc), wjx is one of my dogs ( offsets some of my gain on financials) and rus- tpk -wpm have gone sideways so no gain-loss on them. Gets me out pretty cap gain neutral and cleans out a bit of dead weight not in your balanced portfolio
Read Answer Asked by Tom on June 18, 2018
Q: I am heavy financials at about 20%, I should probably trim the herd....All but CHW will generate a large capital gain as I have held most for a long time. I hate to sell CHW as it pays a crazy div right now at almost 8%.

I am leaning towards holding all but taking the dividends and putting into other sectors (stock from the your balance portfolio following your balanced equity portfolio) and not adding any new financials to my holding.

Can you provide a compelling argument for selling 1 or 2 of the above for the sole purpose pf rebalancing out of financial. Or is my slow but steady approach with lower tax implications a reasonable compromise knowing I will be heavy financial for several years.
Read Answer Asked by Tom on April 12, 2018
Q: I've been coasting along with Manulife for a little over a year and am thinking about bailing. Other than higher interest rates (which haven't helped so far), do you see any catalyst in the next year that should move the stock higher? What other financial would you replace it with if you were to sell (the only Canadian bank I currently own is TD for 2.6% of portfolio).

Thanks
Peter
Read Answer Asked by Peter on April 06, 2018
Q: I am doing a bit of spring clean up on my portfolio. My question relates to insurance companies. I have a 3/4 position in Sun Life and 1/2 positions in Manulife and Power Financial. Manulife was purchased for its Asian exposure and Power Financial for its European exposure and its dividend. What insurer would you eliminate and is there a reason to keep more than one Canadian insurer?
Read Answer Asked by eric on April 03, 2018
Q: i have roughly more than 100 thousand investment room in rrsp resp and TFSA. i am thinking buy some reit or stock?

pls help me>

appreciate.
Read Answer Asked by liang on March 05, 2018
Q: Hi 5i,
I have a pretty balanced RRSP with these stocks and FUND. I am only up with the FUND and BEP.UN. I have about $10, 000 to add to the mix. Should I buy in to any of the losing stocks, add a new one or wait and see . Possibly ranking the "losers" might help me.
Many thanks. I enjoy the Q & A daily.
Great coverage.
Cheers
Paul
Read Answer Asked by Paul on March 02, 2018
Q: Over the past few years, we regularly heard that insurance companies' share prices could not perform well in a "low-rate" environment, or more particularly in an environment where the difference between long-term and short-term government bond rates is small. However, over the past year, rates have markedly increased, and the difference between the 10yr and 1mo rates is now at or near a multi-year high.
Quite logically, I expected my Canadian insurance holdings to show a significant increase in share price. However, this did not happen (or, at best, only very weakly). Why?
Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Gregory on February 28, 2018
Q: IAG stock has recently taken more of a hit than I believe can be explained by interest rate sensitivity alone. There was news last week of a potential liability for IAG and MFC re predecessor companies and investments in "side accounts". Why then has IAG stock been hit so much harder than MFC? I hold SLF as well and it remains solid. Unfortunately I hold IAG, MFC and SLF in a ratio of 2:2:1 with the total of all three making up about 7% of total investment portfolio. Would you recommend any adjustments here?
Read Answer Asked by Gordon on February 27, 2018
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