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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 currently have full positions in BEP.UN, AQN and NPI in a non-reg account. I'm thinking of selling one to buy either BCE or BIPC.

This is a portfolio move. I don't currently own BCE or T so this might be a good time to add. I actually prefer BIPC for the more global exposure. I'm retired and looking for reliable dividends with a side of growth. I think owning all three utilities may be too much (I also own ALA in my RRSP) but selling any of the three would result in a taxable event.
forgot to mention that selling any of AQN, NPI or BEP.UN would result in a taxable gain. I also intended to ask which of the three would you sell?

Do think this would be a worthwhile move? If so, which would to buy, BCE or BIPC?

Thanks as always.
Peter
Read Answer Asked by Peter on April 28, 2020
Q: Hello, you say that in a RRSP or RIF both BIP.UN and BIPC are economically equivalent. When one looks at the company profile of both, only BIP.UN shows a dividend yield of 5.1%. The company profile of BIPC does not show any dividend. Is it because BIPC is a new company that has just been listed? Will the dividend of BIPC be the exact same of BIP.UN? Regards, Gervais
Read Answer Asked by Gervais on April 20, 2020
Q: After the BIP.UN spinoff I now own shares of both of these. For simplicity, I only want to hold one. Selling BIP.UN and buying BIPC in non-registered account will have tax consequences so, on the surface, it seems I should sell BIPC and buy more BIP.UN. Do you see any reason in a long term hold to own one vs the other?
Read Answer Asked by Ross on April 17, 2020
Q: Good day, 5i. I was given a small # of shares of BIPC by their spinoff; also have shares of BIP.UN. If I consolidate these shares in a Canadian RIF, which way should I go - all BIPC or all BIP.UN? Are their any advantages either way?
Read Answer Asked by Donna on April 16, 2020
Q: I talked to a RBC adviser and he told me that I can exchange new BIPC shares into BIP.UN but don't have any information on exchanging of BIP.UN units into BIPC shares. Do you have any information whether BIP.UN units can be exchanged into BIPC shares?
Read Answer Asked by Dev on April 15, 2020
Q: I am a Canadian citizen/resident. I use my non-registered investment accounts to hold dividend-paying Canadian companies as well as U.S. companies that pay no/small dividends. I use RSPs for U.S. companies that pay larger dividends. I use TFSAs to hold securities such as Canadian REITs and companies with unusual dividends such as BEP.UN and BIP.UN. My understanding is that BIPC is essentially “equivalent” to BIP.UN, but that BIPC will pay fully eligible dividends for which T5s will be issued (not sure if the BIPC distribution will be paid in CA$ or US$). Here are my questions: (a) given the above considerations, would it make sense for me to sell BIP.UN/BIPC within my TFSA, using the cash to acquire more of Canadian REITS and/or similar types of securities (with unusual dividends), and to reacquire the same value (of BIP.UN/BIPC shares sold) through purchase of shares of BIPC in a non-registered account? And (b) do you know whether it is known yet in which currency the future BIPC distributions will be paid?

Ted
Read Answer Asked by Ted on April 08, 2020
Q: While Brookfields’s limited partnership companies such as BIP and BIP.UN “declare” their dividends in US dollars these are actually paid to Canadian brokers such as Scotia iTrade in the Canadian dollar equivalent as of the record date.
If an investor holds those units in the US dollar side of their brokerage account, they can be charged a conversion fee by the brokerage to convert back to USD. In the case of Scotia iTrade this has been in excess of 2% in the past.
Do you know if this will be the situation with future dividends paid by BIPC?
Thank you for all your due diligence on our behalf.
Read Answer Asked by Derek on April 07, 2020
Q: I have a little Brookfield Infrastrucure, and was thinking of buying more. I'm concerned, though, about short and medium-term risk given they have holdings such as timber (the demand for which has fallen), gas transmission lines (the value of which rises and falls with price), toll roads (which aren't getting much use), and rail lines that require coal demand. Do you think their next quarterly report will show a drastic downturn beyond what most people are expecting?
Read Answer Asked by John on April 07, 2020
Q: Hi 5i,

All other things being equal, wouldn't BIPC be superior over BIP.UN because of tax implications and greater accessibility by a wider range of investors?

I ask because I noticed over the last few trading days, BIP.UN has traded at a slight premium over BIPC. I would think it would be the opposite. Maybe some investors are doing portfolio clean up after the split and selling the small amounts of BIPC they have?

Personally I think BIPC is the better one to own?

TIA!
Wayne

Read Answer Asked by Wayne on April 07, 2020
Q: From my previous question on owing BIPC in a TFSA you state that it's better to own BIPC in a non registered account because of the dividend tax credit (that I understand)...but is that dividend tax credit really applicable or needed for a TFSA? I currently hold BIP.UN in my TFSA and I'm still trying to find the reason for switching to BIPC. Would it be withholding taxes?
Read Answer Asked by Gary on April 07, 2020
Q: Not a question - a clarification as I don't think the distribution/dividend level has been fully explained. Before the split I was in contact with BIP.UN IR to clarify the distribution level and was informed that the distribution level would be identical for both BIP.UN and BIPC but will be at 90% of the BIP.UN distribution rate prior to the split. This ensures that the total distribution for the 2 holdings are equivalent to the pre-split amount. Here is the wording from the prospectus.

"Further, immediately following completion of the special distribution, the
distribution level on the units will be reduced to nine-tenths (9/10ths) of the pre-closing distribution level as a result of the one (1) for nine (9) special distribution, and the dividend level on the class A shares will be identical to the post-closing unit distribution level, with the result that the aggregate distribution received by a holder on its units and class A shares will be the same as it would have received if the special distribution had not been made."

Hope this is useful for everyone out there who now holds BIP.UN and BIPC.
Read Answer Asked by Gary on April 06, 2020
Q: Further to my earlier question today- just realised I still have the original BIP shares (duh!). Hard to tell with this volatility but is the BIPC a "bonus" or is BIP value offset by the same amount? Will BIPC be paying a dividend and what is the rate? Thanks and sorry for the confusion.
Read Answer Asked by David on April 06, 2020
Q: Hello 5i
BIPC has been placed in my American unregistered account. Also my wife has the same but in her TFSA account. Should I leave everything as is or put BIPC into a Canadian account? I am retired with a good pension. TD just has the stock as BIPC not BIPC.CA or BIPC.W, though it is in a U.S. account.
Stanley
Stanley
Read Answer Asked by STANLEY on April 06, 2020