Investment Q&A

Q: I read with great concern in this weekend's National Post, David Rosenberg's article entitled "10 Reasons to take risk off the table right now". He makes ten legitimate reasons to do so. I would appreciate 5I's opinion of the article and his supporting logic. My high risk equities are WEF, NFI, TSGI, MX, COV and VET.
Carl.

Q: In reference to my last question you made a couple of suggestions. I parted ways with CHR and NFI. You also suggested that I lacked diversification in some areas. I have accumulated cash since my last question to be deployed at an appropriate time. I have listed again the stocks in which I am currently invested in. Percentage allocation in each was listed in my last question. I have wonder if you maintain an investment profile of your clients. Doing so would enable you to provide more appropriate advice and/or suggestions. It would negate the need for clients to keep repeating investment objectives. Thanks

Q: Hello Team,

Is WCP safe? is the dividend safe? Do you have a better oil name pays dividend?

Thanks,
Issak

Q: Is their dividend safe? I would think the stock should be fairing better considering that they get world prices for much of their oil & gas?

Q: I hold VET and PXT as my exposure to energy in a non registered account. (I also hold ENB and PPL but consider them more utility). I am thinking of replacing VET with WCP for the following reasons: 1) I get a big tax loss but keep my energy exposure the same. 2) I do not lose much on the dividend and, although I think it unlikely for both, VET is more likely to cut than WCP nad 3) if oil finally recovers, WCP has more torque. Does this make sense?

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!