Investment Q&A

Q: Please provide comments on results of these companies.

Q: Hi 5i,

Thanks for the quality work. Buy and hold forever. 1-3 and why? Insight appreciated. Maybe one thats better or missing?

Thanks again!

Q: Hi Peter: When I sit back and take a look at the big picture and review how my portfolio performed during COVID-19 (so far), I try to see what lessons I can learn, then turn to how to apply those lessons to make my portfolio stronger.

I am a retired, dividend-income investor. I am a huge believer in asset allocation and have designed a portfolio, in my opinion, to be reasonably well diversified, although heavy to Canada. It WAS roughly 70% equities (including 32% foreign content) and 30% fixed income (roughly 15% insured annuities, 15% Fisgard Capital...both averaging in the 5-6% pre-tax range and minor cash). My equities are mostly blue chip, dividend payers, as you can see above. The 3 mutual funds are a very minor part of my portfolio, especially Eric's Energy Fund (<2%). I also receive a company pension and CPP-OAS which, when included, drops my equities to roughly 32%.

I use various metrics to monitor my portfolio, such as P/E, P/BV, P/CF, P/S, Beta, ROE, Div growth, Payout%, technical indicators like 200 mda. I am normally a buy-and-hold investor who trims/adds around a core position.

Periodically I measure how "at risk" my portfolio is relative to the overall market. I do this by prorating my portfolio using Beta. Based on equities only, I averaged 0.68 and for my entire portfolio I averaged 0.44. So, one would think that if the overall market (TSX) was to drop 30%, then I would have thought my portfolio would drop 44% to 68% of that, being in the range of 13% (overall) to 20% (equities only).

In actual fact, my entire portfolio dropped 27% from peak to trough vs the expected 13%...over double! I understand that EVERYTHING was sold off...almost no exceptions. So what do we learn from this and what changes should we consider? Do we accept that "sxxt happens" once in a while...you can't predict every event, accept it and move on? Should we consider increasing the cash component as a buffer? Or...is there something else to be learned here?

Thanks for you help...much appreciated...Steve

Q: Hello 5i Team. Between STN and WSP, can you tell me which you think would be a better longterm (5-10 yrs) investment and why?
Thank-you.

Q: Hi Ryan and Peter.
The gov'ts are talking about reopening Economy soon. A lot of stocks (except for the high techs) are still 50% less than the recent highs. Which industries or companies do you think will benefit from the reopening? Can you please provide 2-3 names in the US and Canada? I would like to move some money into my TFSA.

Thank you,
Yiwen

Q: Morning:
I own equal weightings of these equities in my TFSA. I have some cash to invest, which one of these would you buy more of at their current market valuations? Looking for capital appreciation over the next 8 to 10 years. Thanks!

Q: For growth, your thoughts between WSP and CNR. Please briefly outline your reasoning.

Thanks

Q: Thanks for your flash report. Much appreciated.
Without doing a full review, which of the above would risk being downgraded if you were to do a full review? Thanks. Your service is great!

Q: Hi Team:

I think the market would be changing or, already changing due to the virus problem. People will value things in life differently. so, what sector would you recommend, and what 3 companies you would buy either in Canada or USA?

Thank you.

Louisa

Q: hello 5i:
Could you tell me what percentage of their business WSP derives from the US? And, thinking of infrastructure happening at some point, could you advise a US equivalent to WSP?
Paul L

Q: Hi, first I wanted to thank you for this amazing service, I am so glad I discovered 5i!
I recently sold my business and have 10+ years before retirement. I now want to deploy this cash to build my retirement portfolio, I don't need any income from this portfolio for 10 years.
I carefully reviewed your Balanced and Income portfolios. With much improved valuations for many stocks in these portfolios, what are your suggestions for 10 best (in terms of possible appreciation) individual stocks or ETFs for a non-registered portfolio. Either from your sample portfolios or not, US or CDN.
Thanks again!

Q: please list your 5 favourite Canadian moat stocks with strong balance sheets list your preferences in order of one to five thanks Richard

Q: Retired dividend-income investor. I'm sitting on 15% cash that I created by taking profits and harvesting some losses. I have mapped out how to redeploy this cash to hit my asset allocation targets, both by sector as well as by individual holding. I had originally designed the re-entry on spreading the purchases over 6 months. Given that we now have information on different countries indicating that they MIGHT be showing signs of COVID slowly recovering and that the stock market is forward looking, would you adjust the 6 months time frame to 4 months? What's your crystal ball tell you...redeploy a little faster?

Also, the above equities are those that are candidates for topping up. Which would you hit up first?

Thanks for your help...Steve

Q: I currently own WSP in a RRSP account and wonder what you think the portfolio weight should be with what happening in the market? Do you feel that 5% is okay or should be at a lower weight?
Thanks

Q: Hi Guys, looking to buy some partial positions on the following stocks, I own banks and telecoms plus SHOP and LSPD and a few others, would like your opinion with this 10 pack and do you see any issues with any these companies going forward.
Thanks for your great service
Anthony

Q: I sold this stock at a significant profit to trigger the gain as I had some losses I could use. I am thinking a stock like WSP could struggle for a bit and I may not buy back. Can you recommend a couple of good Canadian dividend payers instead (need not be in same sector). Thanks Bill

Q: If we have yet to reach the worst of the virus threat and if the current question mark regarding the direction the price of oil will take in the future poses a problem, I think we have yet to see the lowest prices for these companies. The question is how much further down their prices can go. If my theory is correct, at what price would you take an initial position in these companies?

Q: Would you recommend a particular company as a proxy for WSP?

Thank you.

Q: Assuming this downtrend will bottom at some point, and eventually recover, in your opinion, which three sectors offer the best chance of minimum damage in any downturn, and the best chance to recover sooner rather than later in an upturn. Could you name and rank (best first), 3 dividend stocks in each sector that you feel will survive the downturn and lead the way in recovering in each of the three sectors. Thank you. Warren

Q: Hello 5i,
As a pensioner who requires dividends for my income, I have been looking at the above names to potentially add over the next year or so. It is my belief (uneducated guess) that it might take that long before we see any solid bottom and subsequent recovery begin.
In that vein, out of the above, how would you rank these based on the following:
1. Safety of company through a one year to 16 month recession.
2. Safety of the dividend through this same period.
3. Confidence in management team
4. Sector vulnerability
5. Value at current levels
6. Any other considerations, warnings or caveats for any of these ??
i.e. some of these have a decent 5i rating (B or higher), but the rating dates back to 2019, some as early as the summer.
And, finally, are there any suggestions you might have that are not on this list that deserve serious consideration in place of any of the above?
I am in no rush for an answer so take as long as you need to consider this question and deduct as many credits as you see fit - I should have enough to cover it. I hope that this question might also prove beneficial to other 5i members who rely on dividends for income.
All the best to everyone in this very trying and uncertain time!!! Be safe above all!!
Thanks to all at 5i!!
Cheers,
Mike