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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: Hi,

Do you agree that many REITS and utility companies are historically way overvalued considering their lack of growth?
If I was to invest in REITS and utility companies for the next few years, could u pick 2 REITS you like for US and 2 for CDN exposure?
Could you also pick two utility companies you like for US and 2 for CDN exposure?
Read Answer Asked by Graeme on April 08, 2020
Q: I'm looking to take positions in the following sectors. Could you please recommend 2 stocks in each category to hold in a non-registered acct.

-Utilities
-Healthcare
-Real estate

Thanks as always, Dave
Read Answer Asked by David on April 01, 2020
Q: I have the following securities in what I consider a balanced portfolio. The fixed income portion doesn’t show here because it consists of OAS. CCP. Plus two other pensions.
I’m thinking of sell part position in MMX ( small loss);and ARE to realize a capital loss while at the same time raising some cash for the next pullback. I like TFII . We need to keep the food chain moving. Trucking an important part . The other is cargo jet. Am I on the right track . Your opinion. Or would you look elsewhere given the current holdings.
Read Answer Asked by Roy on March 27, 2020
Q: Hi,

I purchased these utility and telecoms largely because of their low beta. In the recent downturn, they fell as much or more than hi growth stocks like SHOP, FB, AMZN or NVDA. AQN was down over 40%?? How do you account for that? Seems to me I'm better off ignoring 'safety' and going for growth?
Read Answer Asked by Graeme on March 25, 2020
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?
Read Answer Asked by Les on March 25, 2020
Q: I am a buy and hold investor with 5 to 10 years of time horizon.
Have the following 7 stocks in Canadian Utilities in the order of their weights in our portfolio. Utilities makeup roughly 8.5% of the total portfolio including cash positions and like their dividend. FTS, TRP,EMA, AQN, ENB, BEP-UN, BIP-UN. I like to reduce exposure to utilities and also like to reduce number of different shares. Two questions:
1. Is 8.5% a reasonable weight considering the current situation?
2. Which one of these I should sell to reduce utilities weight and to reduce the number of shares in utilities?
Read Answer Asked by Naren on March 23, 2020
Q: Good afternoon.

I’m interested in which you prefer (1 and 2) in each category below.

ATD.B, PBH, MRU, L

SLF, TD, BAM.A, TRI

WSP, SIS, CAE

CSU, SHOP, ENGH, KXS

BEP.UN, FTS, AQN

Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Alan on March 19, 2020
Q: Hello,

When I look at Canadian stocks traded on the US exchanges, why is there a yield and p/e discrepancy? Even after factoring the exchange, the Canadian stocks on US exchanges look much cheaper. Why is this? And should we be choosing the US exchange due to higher yield and lower pe?
Read Answer Asked by James on March 18, 2020
Q: Hi, if I was going to buy one or two utility companies and one or two REITs for reasonable income, growth and safety, which ones would you recommend? Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Amin on March 18, 2020
Q: Between BEP.UN and AQN which would you pick right now and why? Can you please rate them in terms of which one (best guess) should bounce back quicker. Which one is safest in capital preservation and dividend.
Is there another similar name that you would prefer?
Thanks. Your service is great. Especially in times like these.
Read Answer Asked by Marco on March 18, 2020
Q: What would you replace MX with or would you stay away from this sector for now? What would you replace AD with?
Thanks for your service?
Read Answer Asked by Ozzie on March 18, 2020
Q: Hi, I'm a retired, dividend-income investor. I took some profits and losses (to wipe out potential capital gains) over the last 5 weeks and am now planning on reinvesting the cash to top up some of my existing equities, up to my desired asset allocation. I want to leg in, in probably 3 waves over the next couple (?) of months, to top up ZWC, AD, AQN, AW, BNS, BCE, LNF, NWC, RY, TRP, WSP.

Can you please indicate which of the above equities you would allocate into which wave (in other words, does it look like the equity is "ready" for an investment OR should I continue to wait for a while)...or not at all (not worth any further investment).

Thanks for your help...Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on March 18, 2020
Q: I'm holding the following since I thought they would be considered safe stocks, however they are going down with all the rest.

1) I made the big mistake that gold miners would actually do well in the current situation, however I know see my mistake that I should have purchased gold directly. Would you, given the situation today, sell the miners and buy gold directly - what has the past crises shown about gold versus gold miners?
2) Do you think the utilities above will stabalize near current levels, or do you see that there will be a reset in all P/E and P/C levels down to lower levels?
Read Answer Asked by Kel on March 13, 2020
Q: It looks as though utilities, and renewable utilities in particular, have taken off, while Canadian pipelines, which are also traditionally stable investments, are either flat or dropping.
Do you have any comments on whether:
1. this is a short term disparity or a fundamental shift,
2. whether one group is better than the others at current prices, and
3. If the recent drop now otherwise creates a good point of entry for any or all?
Read Answer Asked by Peter on March 09, 2020