Investment Q&A

Q: I have been asked by a 23 year old to provide suggestions for when she initiates her FHSA.

I immediately thought of the banks , which I believe is the premium Canadian sector for long term growth, growing dividends , and safety. I would also recommend a more Canadian diversified security (UMAX ) for her next purchase. Of the above banking securities ( all owned between my cash, tax free, and registered accounts ), which would you start with ? Would you be comfortable with UMAX as second pick ( admittedly hasn’t done much but provides diversification into large cap companies and a good distribution yield). I am only interested in Canadian securities at this point. Should I be comfortable with this approach? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks. Derek .
Any

Q: I have held BNS in my cash account for several years and the stock has been essentially flat. I am looking to replace it with HCAL. There would be minimal capital gains tax and they have essentially the same yield. HCAL has 1.25 leverage to the big Cdn banks. Thinking of the tendency of individual banks reverting to the mean , am I selling BNS at the wrong time as it does seem to be participating in the industry’s strength of late. What do you think of this move ?
Thanks. Derek.

Q: Hello, would like to know for total returns of these ETFs (ZWC, ZWU, CNCC, HCAL, ZSP, VCN, VE, XGRO, VEQT, XBAL) which is your favorite in order for each and in which account type is each best suited for. Also please give me your number 1 top pick of all Canadian listed ETFs for each account type.

Thank you

Q: Looking to add 2 names to this group. Please provide top 5 mid caps that make sense for a 15 year hold. Thanks as always.

Q: I hold these in roughly equal amounts totalling around 30% of my RRIF where income is more important than growth. Should I consolidate these or just leave alone ? Thanks . Derek.

Q: Hi. would like to know in what account (RRSP,TFSA,NON-REGISTERED) would be best suited for these ETFs and your best to less favored in order for each account type please. ZWB, HCAL, ZWK, ZWE, ZPW, UMAX, HYLD, HDIV, HDIF, ENCC. Thank you

Q: For my retirement, I have income coming from several streams. Rental income from property, employment income from an eight-week/year position (that I enjoy immensely), and a small RRSP account that I plan to use to earn 8% per year average and take principal and interest for monthly payments, using it up completely over 9 years, pushing off OAS and CPP until I’m 70 years old, when these benefits have maxed in value and can replace the depleted RRSP funds. Recently, I have been researching high income, 25% leveraged ETFs (I asked a question about them a few days ago, but this question takes the concept a step further), and I had the thought that it might be possible to buy a few ETFs for the RRSP, replacing all equities, and earn an average yield of 13%, which would cover the monthly payments while not depleting capital. I realized the capital may be reduced at the end of the 9 years, but likely not gone as in the original scenario, so any leftover funds would be a bonus. This would also free up time from managing my portfolio the way I do now, giving me more time to enjoy my retirement. Do you see any big holes in my theory? I wondered, for example how variable the dividends can be year over year. If this seems like a solid plan, could you suggest a portfolio of ETF’s (would 5-6 suffice?) that would serve this concept? (Note-I do have other investments, but they are not part of my monthly income streams, more a rainy-day fund.) Thanks!

Q: For a new portfolio would you favour a Canadian bank ETF or investment in individual bank stocks

Q: In your opinion, pls. recommend the best covered call, Cdn. bank ETF.

Thank You

Q: I currently have HCAL in a growth orientated TFSA and I don't think this is a good fit.
Currently, I hold Goog, SHOP, LMN & CLS. Do have a few ideas for a stock that could replace the HCAL ETF?

Q: I have been invested into the two ETF’s: HCAL and HUTS. I understand that this is a leverage play i.e. 25%. What I do not understand is why are the monthly distributions so high? I did the math on both ETF’s added all the yields up added 25% and it should not be yielding at current percentage. This is not a covered call ETF. Is there return on capital? What am I missing here?

Q: I have incorporated these ETF’s into my RRIF with the goal of deferring taking capital from my principal ( mandatory and rising % withdrawal requirements ). They now represent 33% of total portfolio. My TFSA and cash accounts equal my
RRIF and are more growth oriented. The ETF’s give me a high yield, diversified portfolio of solid large cap, primarily low growth companies in Canada and the US. So I ask myself “ Why don’t I have my RRIF be 100% of these 5 ETF’s ? What say you ?

Thanks Derek.

Q: From what I understand from 5i - HCAL should move up much faster than HMAX and ZWU should move up faster than UMAX when the market begins its recovery. Is this a correct analogy? Thx James

Q: On April 23 HCAL will switch from a mean revision model to an equal weight model.
Will this reset the price and how significant would it be ? Thanks. Derek.

Q: I am looking at reconfiguring my newly established RRIF into the above equities with the 3 etf’s being 25% each with the remaining 5 stocks being the remaining 25%. What is your opinion of these stocks and portfolio composition? Am I being too cute ? Thanks. Derek.

Q: Growth investor, high risk tolerance, who enjoys dividends as well. Im currently sitting close to 21% in Financial Services, a combination of long held holdings with big gains; GSY, SLF, newer purchases down slightly; ZEB, HCAl, and the newest and worst performer ECN. Stock positions are close to 5% each, I add or trim accordingly, ETF's are smaller. I wrestle with knowing holding good companies long term is the way to outperform, against opportunity costs of holding underperformers and or overweighting the wrong sectors for the year. If you managed your own $, what % would you hold here, if trimming, what order ? Emotionally it's much easier to trim GSY with big gains than ECN at a loss, but then there is the trimming the winner and holding the looser thing?

Q: Your thoughts on swapping HCAL for ENB.

Thanks

Q: Is there some way to score-board enhanced-yield Canadian bank ETFs/funds that assigns more weight to the factors that make more of a difference? Yes, fees add up, but even over the long term it's hard to see how basis-point fee differences could outweigh percentage-point yield differences. And won't either of these factors be outweighed by distribution tax treatment and, especially, by central bank rate-pivoting?

Further, in side-by-side comparisons, 5i often prefers larger ETFs (recently, for example, when comparing CBNK vs BANK.) But given large-cap banks' similar value-propositions and tendency toward mean-reversion, why should higher AUM matter (other than w/rt second-order effects like trading liquidity)? Put another way: what, if anything, could a new entrant to this sector do to make themselves attractive to 5i?

Please add to the supplied symbol list if other names provide more instructive comparisons.

Q: Do you think these ETF's are worthwhile investments in the Cdn. Bank area?
They both have high yields - are they sustainable
What is difference between the two? Which one is the preferred investment?
If neither are preferred - can you suggest an alternative?
Thanks

Q: I have the above ETF,s in my TFSA in roughly equal weights along with a number of stocks. Is there sugnifcat any over lap here? Where would add first or all equaly? I know your not a fan of covered call ETSs. Any suggested changes or additions?