Investment Q&A

Q: Hello;

I am wondering what your thoughts are on TA preferred shares. Most of them are well below par but offer a nice yield at these lower values. So, is there any chance they could return to par, rate re-set is in 2016 or this a value trap in light of company conditions of late?
Thanks for your opinion and great service!
Jerry

Q: Is there a way of telling just when that huge reversal of SYZ's fall happened? At one point very close to end of day it was showing down over 8%. Then suddenly it rocketed up to finish the day even. The weird thing is I was looking at it on my TD screen. I wasn't going to sell that low but it suddenly showed SYZ as being back up to 10.95. I sold some at that point, for this stock has gotten way too volatile for me, but when I checked it turned out I sold at the low of the day somehow.

Q: Greetings
Regarding Contrans (again) is there an unusually large 'liquiity event' in place for management if the buy out from Transforce is successful? I am trying to rationalize their motivation for being so keen to see this complete. My understanding is that management shopped the company around looking for a buyer and now the threat of a dividend suspension is looming as the deal is dragging on.
Your thoughts are appreciated
Tim

Q: Hi Peter
Rock Energy is down almost 30% since its top in August and crossed already MA 200 it looks very familiar to situation from April 2011 when Rock Energy plummeted from $6.16 to $0.86. Do you think is time to sell or there is something else going on with Rock Energy.
Thanks Andrew B.

Q: Hello Peter et al,
Avigilon recently announced they had received patent approval.
Earlier I recall Mr. Fernandes stating that they didn't want to apply for patents because they would have to reveal the details of their unique technology.
Is this a change of direction?
Thanks Dave

Q: peter, I see in one of your answers to a question on the markets you said and I quote riding it out is the best course of action, I agree. but I thought that maybe a general statement on the markets to your membership would be a good thing after the hammering of the last few weeks. dave

Q: Aston Hill Financial Inc AHF:TSX reported Third Quarter Assets Under Management.Total AUM is declining but mutual funds are showing excellent growth. Is this a good thing? Appreciate your advice.
Thanks John

Q: What is the Short Term outlook for AOL.
Have you or anyone else ever considered
making ETFs patterned after your two model portfolio

Q: Today the price of gold rose by more than 1%. However, despite this, almost all the gold miner stocks fell very significantly. Can you explain this?
Thanks!

Q: Are global growth concerns significant enough to derail this market. Should we sit tight or lighten up. Thanks.

Q: I have primarily a Canadian investment portfolio (with large caps and many of the 5i stocks) but have some money in a US dollar account that needs to be invested. Is there a US sector or stock(s) that you would suggest for investment? Thanks!

Q: CPG has been on a steady decline for the last two weeks. Right now it is sitting at $37.28, which is at the 52 week low.

I know you do not have CPG in your portfolio, but I am wondering if you can shed some light? Is CPG reflecting the movement withing the sector, or is this a sign of other more alarming issues?

Q: I may not be the first to ask (hopefully) but do you have any idea on what is going on with DHX. I own it in two portfolios and both show no values for this stock as at 3:15 today.
GUY R

Q: Just an observation on the selling of these shares. I noted that HLP.UN buyout is set to occur in the new year. I liked this as it puts capital gains tax off for a full year. Considering that late date for shareholder approval on CFN (Nov.3 I think?) this might likewise happen in new year. Considering the dividend on these stocks I have allowed myself to borrow against future sale to buy stocks I like today.

Q: Is Kinross K.TO going for bankruptcy ? It drops twice as much as the other miners on a daily basis, not only today. Unfortunately, I have a position in it for 3 yrs now. How do you see K.TO 2 yrs from now ? Do they have enough cash to sustain their operations ?

Q: I am interesting in your recommendations for a good dividend paying stock in the Canadian Bank sector and in the pipeline sector? I am looking for steady growth of the dividend.

Q: Another AVO

I bailed out wen it hit $14, unfortunately the bottom. I am used to these type of drops because I have had drug stocks that do that on a regular basis when they do not get to phase 2. Sino forest, which I held a few years ago, I rode all the way down to 0. I've learned over time, the market knows best if a stock is under performing. People closest to it know it best and they are selling it. I will cut my losses if it gets 10% below my purchase fee or if it has risen a lot and starts to lose momentum. What is your opinion?
Dennis

Q: You recently touted United Technologies (UTX) as having good growth potential. I currently own General Electric (GE) and have long wondered which of the two has the best long term growth potential. UTX has come down a lot more than GE in the past few months. Is this a time to swap companies? I don't require either stock for income.

Thanks for the insight.

Paul F.

Q: Hi Peter & Ryan
Just reread Peter's piece on how to evaluate an individual stock correction such as we have recently seen in AVO.

Can you tell me where a retail investor (with no Bloomberg Terminal) can access info on Block trades. I see Volumes for individual ticks on various exchanges on TMX Money Quotes. It is not clear to me that any given large volume is a block trade as distinct from an aggregation of smaller trades.

Your handholding on AVO has been rational & soothing. We need a lot of that it seems.

With thanks
Ernie

Q: In response to some recent questions on Contrans, you mentioned that we should know in the next 12 days if they will declare /pay the regular dividend. The following is a quote taken from the Globe article 2 days ago:

“In a telephone interview, TransForce CEO Alain Bedard confirmed that the dividend (Bloomberg estimates it at $0.15 a share) that would have been declared in mid-October won’t be paid. “There are no more dividends for Contrans’ shareholders.””

My first question is what gives the right to the Transforce CEO to confirm anything with respect to what Contrans will or won’t do? And my second question is that given his statement (if we take it to be correct) what makes you believe that it is still possible that Contrans might actually pay the regular dividend.
Steven