Investment Q&A

Q: Hi Team,
I'm thinking of selling my BEP.UN and BIP.UN to a more diversified Utilities/Infrastructure ETF like HUTS, UMVP or ZUT since I already have a 8% weight in BN and BAM. What do you think of that move?

Thanks

Benoit

Q: Hi Peter and Team,

If you needed to increase holdings in the Utility Sector, please rank the following stocks in order of highest conviction: BEP.UN; BIP.UN; CPX; and NPI.

Realizing the inherent differences of stocks versus ETFs, if one wanted a higher yield, and is willing to accept the the rather large MER of 0.71%, what is your take on ZWU? I’m also aware that it holds energy stocks as well, and has significant US holdings.

NPI has a large project off the coast of Taiwan. Has the geopolitical risk been accounted for in its current valuation metrics? (China has always wanted Tawain and may now be further emboldened due to the US “taking” Venezuela)

Thanks in advance for your assistance, and please suggest other available options.

Q: There is increasing media coverage of the fact that data centres are gobbling up huge amounts of water and electricity. Communities in the US are now banning their construction fearing water shortages and higher power rates.
I assume industry is starting to look at these issues. I know it is very early in this game but are there companies dealing with these matters that one could start to review and analyze ? Thanks. Derek.

Q: In my TFSA I've been hit by the drop in CSU, DSG, TOI, LMN, and SHOP. Offset a bit by gains in TD, ENB, and SIS.

I have 12% in cash and am looking to rebalance and make some changes. I maintain 20% to 25% of the account in WXM. I like to follow stocks in the portfolios, mostly balanced, and those that you have reports on. I let things get a bit heavy on the software stocks, so looking for 5 or 6 idea's outside of that sector.

Can you make some suggestions? Thanks very much.

Q: Currently BEPC trades at approximately 10% premium above BEP.UN.
From my understanding they are basically the same company but structured differently. BEPC is mostly eligible dividends and I think BEP.UN could be fully taxed as other income but the math doesn't make sense to me. What do you believe the spread should be if you just looked at the math? Can you explain other considerations that may be adding to the premium.

Q: Given that even with yesterday's loss in BEPC a substantial premium still remains for the BEPC vs BEP.un, do you advise selling BEPC while the premium still exists?

Are either BIP.un or BEP.un buys at current prices and if not what would you recommend as entry prices?

Do you think the selloff in CPX was overdone and if so, what price would you consider to buy?

Thank you

Q: I recently initiated positions in both BEPC and BIPC. I was confronted with the decision to invest in the LP or the corporations. In the end, I decided to invest in the corps as it was in a taxable account, and I wanted to keep thing simple from a tax perspective. Now I find out today that the company is profiting (at my expense) by running an arbitrate strategy between the two classes of shares. How is this in my best interest as a shareholder of the corporations (vs LPs)? Does this open the company up to liability in the sense they are treating each class of shares differently? Can't help feeling both betrayed and regret that I should have bought the LPs. Should I do the same and sell the corps to buy the LP’s or just let it play out?

Q: I have BEP.UN at 1% of my total portfolio, H at 3%, EMA at 3% and FTS at 4.5%. I feel If one is to be sold to reduce holdings, I feel EMA offers the least growth potential / stability. Your thoughts are very much appreciated

Q: Our current Utilities holdings are BEP.UN, BIP.UN, CPX and FTS. We are overweight on each (compared to our other holdings). I'm comfortable with these companies and had been comfortable with the weightings, however we recently added BAM to our Financials for diversification (by trimming our CDN Bank exposure).

I'm currently thinking of adding another Utility, in part to reduce our overall Brookfield Exposure and to bring each of our utility holdings closer to "equal weight".

I'm not looking to add a covered call position or utility etf. (We already have full positions in PPL & ENB). We are retired and can be characterized as income investors.

Based on current market conditions, and our other utility holdings, which 2-3 companies (other than BIP, BEP, CPX and FTS) would you recommend for income and modest growth and why? Is there any one Utility company that you feel is currently the most attractive?

Q: I wish to reduce my number of holdings in my portfolio. Feeling what I have has some overlapping. Which ones of my list would you recommend to keep? I do plan to hold the rest for growth and stability for more than 5 years.
BN, BAM,BIP.UN, BIP-C, BEP.UN, BEP-C
Many thanks,

Q: Hi 5i
I am tempted to sell BEP.UN to buy more BN. BEP.UN is about 1% of port., BN about 1.7%. BEP.UN is at 52 week high and often pulls back to under 40 from here. BN is well off its high so going forward, I see it with better total return potential. Have held both for many years. I am starting to hear rumblings of private equity/private credit/mark to market problems, which make me a little hesitant on BN. Also the BEPC/BEP.UN discrepancy has narrowed somewhat so I'm not sure how this factors in. I look forward to your thoughts.
Thanks, Greg

Q: Four oil companies make up 30 percent of my portfolio. Purchased during covid and have had big gains in all four. The yield on cardinal based on cost base is 22 percent. This is stupid I know but if not for these four my portfolio is a disaster. It’s basically kept me flat while the tech sector has taken a dive. Should I start to exit some of the oil positions and where do you go if the majority of the 5i favourites are all ready owned ?

Q: Could you comment on the recent weakness in these units/stock and whether or not any are nearing what you would consider good entry points?

Thanks

Q: Hi,
I saw a Morningstar article in January about BEP, mentioning this:

Big picture: Management announced plans to address the widening relative premium of BEPC to BEP shares. The firm launched an at-the-market equity program for BEPC shares, which it plans to use to repurchase shares of BEP, given the outsize relative premium.

YTD both BEP.UN and BIP.UN ouperformed their counterparts, BEPC and BIPC. Would it be the reason?

Do you have any knowledge of this Brookfield’ plan. Thanks.

Q: I hold the above dividend stocks and looking at adding one more with some cash I have, (GSY was my other holding). I would like at least a 5+% dividend. Can you give me a few options of your favourite holdings you would suggest? Thanks.

Q: Which has better growth (share appreciation) potential in your opinion?

Q: Of Canadian Utility companies, which have the most intriguing growth potential? CPX seems to stand out, but what do you think? Or is an ETF (ZWU/ZUT) the best way to go.

Q: I'm in the process of using RIF withdrawals to augment a TFSA.
I have BIP, BEP and DIR as possible candidates to switch.

I'd appreciate your view on which stock has the most upside potential?

Q: Good morning.

Please provide your thoughts on BEP.UN latest earnings reports and do you think this is a buy at this time?

Q: Do you have a sense of the liability potential for EIX with regard to California wildfires? EIX share price has recovered significantly from Jun of last year and I am within 1.5% of breakeven. What would you recommend to the 'income investors' in the group? Buy, sell, hold? If "sell", what would you replace it with?