Investment Q&A

Q: Good morning. I sold these company for tax-loss selling purposes and are wondering if I should buy them back or is there better options? they are all small positions in my well diversified portfolio . wcp and vet are my only oil and gas holdings. i'm a long term investor and can wait but not if any are loss causes. you can deduct as many question as u like .

Thx

Q: I was listening to the CEO on BNN a couple of days ago and he seemed quite surprised where the price of the stock was given the state of the company. He also reiterated the priority on the distribution. VET is considered, by many, as a well run company in a really bad sector. You would have to go back to 2005 to see the stock below its current value. Given their "rep" as a good company, their current low stock price and their diversification of assets, could one of the big guys (Exxon, etc) take a run them? Would you be comfortable taking a position here?

Q: Was looking for an opportunity and jumped in to collect the divy and then got spooked so was in and out it would appear to soon.
Would appreciate your short and medium term outlook on this company.

Q: Which of these companies do you think has the highest dividend safety? Regarding VET, I am reminded that yield is a function of price and not directly related to performance - a company does not reduce its dividend just because the yield jumps - more likely a buyback if the fundamentals are reasonable.

Q: I would like your thoughts on my perspective regarding the "a dividend cut may be seen as a positive" angle, with regards to Vermillion.

The way I look at it, against the backdrop of all the other previous oil and gas trusts that have cut their dividend, has there been a company, among this peer group, that has had their share price bounce back after they cut their dividend, and subsequently sustain decent share price performance?

Thanks for your perspective and allowing me to bounce my thoughts off you.

John

Q: Do you have any sense of what the intensity of a dividend cut would be? Cardinal certainly got hammered when they last cut, but that cut was widely unexpected. In other cases a cut almost seems to give people 'permission' to start buying again, as they've got the expected cut out of the way. Where do you think VET would lie on this continuum?

Q: Please assess the following:

1. they cut did by half
2. stock price goes up a little due to renewed positive sentiment
3. current market reaction overdone ( due partially to "stops"
3. buy backs lift stock price a little.
4. the market still believes in management and business plan and will act accordingly long term
feel free to comment in any way
thanks
yossi

Q: RE: Vermilion Energy results. In a previous answer to a question asked by Mike you said, "There was no word on the dividend". That makes it sound like the company avoided addressing their very high dividend. Not true..
They actually mentioned the high dividend many times today:
1- in the Q2 results
2- twice, answering 2 different questions during the conference call
3- and during a post results interview on BNN

Q: Could you please common Vet earnings and share reaction. The outage in France would seem to be a reasonable explanation of volume decreases.

Q: Seems like fear has overtaken reason in Cdn oil stocks, would you take a position in the above names? All are very profitable even under present circumstances. Thanks.

Q: What is the next report date for VET ? What are they expected to make if anything? Is the dividend safe? What is their cash flow & their debt as a %age? Is their payout ratio too high or fairly safe?
Thanks as always for your great information.

Q: Hello 5i,
This is not a question, merely a comment from my perspective. I hold VET in two separate account and it is held for dividend income as opposed to looking for any significant capital gains.
On paper, my "losses" are substantial. However, in reality, unlike others who have sold, I have actually lost absolutely nothing - and I fully expect that by keeping this holding for the dividend (cut or not), should the time arrive when I do choose to sell, it will likely be because I am back in the black on it and will realize a gain. Meanwhile the dividend helps keep me "in the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed".
While it could happen that VET will go to Zero, be de-listed and cease to exist as a viable company, I am betting against it.
In a sector decline such as we are seeing in the Canadian energy space, I am not sure selling out at a significant loss is necessarily the only solution unless one can really benefit from the tax benefit on the loss - and in the case of VET, they have a great deal of exposure outside of Canada as well.
Anyway, I am happy to hold, collect the dividend and wait until the tide turns, which I am convinced it will do over some unknown period of time.
Just my perspective, nothing more.....
Cheers,
Mike

Q: whta's going on with VET, you seem to defend against dumping it
why this sudden price drop, i lost already a bundle since you argued a week ago for common sense/patience and against selling it,
pls no offense is meant,
your insight if possible
Art

Q: Good day team do you see this company getting shorted ,it keeps going down like a rocket ,i do not want to lose much more capital what alternatives do i have i know the sector is unlike here thanks Norm

Q: Hi guys! In regards to energy stocks, the stage after 'fearful' I call the 'vomit stage' and thats where energy stocks are now. So shouldn't one buy when everyone is running for the hills? i.e encana and vermillion
thanks!

Q: Good morning...I am a 68 year old retail investor that has all of my expenses covered with dividend paying stocks....in my rif I hold nfi and toy both down about the same...I am thinking of selling and trading the two of them for arx and mx as these sectors are down and also these two stocks have large dividends.. would you change them now or hold the original two...also I hold vet in the energy sector and although down like the dividend

Q: In 5i's opinion are the dividends on these 5 stocks sustainable and if so which 3 would 5i recommend to buy for income at the current prices.
Thank you.

Q: Am fed up with above, pushing my entire gains column into deep red. Question:
should I hang on and collect 10% div or take the 4000$ loss and keep it in cash.
Cash is not really the answer since Div is better , unless you fear that price may drop even further.????????????????
Art

Q: What's your thoughts on vermillion at this time? What is dividend payout percentage of cash flow or what ever metric you judge it by and is it safe. I know they picked up some canadian assets which the market doesn't like but what is its cash flow break down both canadian and international? Looking to pick up some quality name that are beat up.

Q: is it advisable to invest in Vermulin energy & Encana?
Also why is suncor stock going down in value?
Thank you