Investment Q&A

Q: Amazon has launched a new line of business by opening up Amazon Supply Chain Services to other companies. I would expect Amazon to be extremely competitive in both service quality and pricing. Will this eat into DSG's business and drive a lower DSG valuation going forward. Is it a potential existential competitive threat to DSG? Appreciate your perspective.

Thanks.

Q: There are a number of Small/Mid cap stocks you have liked for a long time and there are others that have recently come into play.

Most of these companies have done very well over time and some have stumbled.

I own a number of these names and other than Goeasy and the negative momentum of software names I have done well…

However, having been bitten a little by some of these names I find it difficult to venture into new names like FLY, TSAT, MDA, ENS, ELVA and others given the almost daily volatility.

What portion of your portfolio would you feel is reasonable for Small/Mid cap names? And what are your key metrics when you review or recommend these small to mid size companies?

Given all of that what would be your top 5 new names you like in today’s market?

Thanks
Tim

Q: I am thinking about starting a position in each of these companies: PRL, DSG, CLS, WSP & KXS. Any concerns or is there anything I should be aware of before pulling the trigger? Thank you in advance for your consistently excellent counsel.

Q: What supply chain software companies are the winners and losers in regards to Amazon's Supply Chain Services (ASCS) announcement. Specifically please comment on whether or not you think it will have a material impact on the prospects and share price of Descartes and Kinaxis.
Thank you.

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: Hi 5i team,

I’m reading about a thesis and would love your view on it.

The idea is that today’s AI compute scarcity is temporary, kind of like the telecom/bandwidth bubble in the late 1990s. As inference costs keep falling over the next few years, I think the real value will shift from the infrastructure layer (GPUs, hyperscalers, data centers) to the application layer.

However, not every application-layer company will benefit. The ones whose moat is the AI itself could actually get hurt as models become cheap and everywhere. The real winners should be companies with moats that don’t depend on model quality — things like regulated workflows, payment rails, proprietary data, deep system integrations, or network effects. For these companies, cheaper compute should expand margins instead of creating new competition.

Two questions:
1. Does this thesis make sense to you, or do you see any flaws in the logic?
2. In your coverage universe, which names best fit the idea of “moat is the workflow / data / distribution, not the AI itself” and which names’ AI itself ‘might get hurt?

Thanks,
Matt

Q: Energy is obviously trading at a premium, given the current conflict, and with this in mind I was thinking of taking advantage of the bump and trimming my CNQ and SU positions. While I don't have any concerns about the companies, it would seem to make sense to monetize some of those gains. That being said, the current conflict has obviously impacted other sectors and companies negatively. What are some opportunistic buys (in your opinion) of companies that are currently depressed by the current conflict, but whose balance sheets and business models are sound, and who will probably do fine over the next 5 years.

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: Hi, thoughts on the quarter please. Anything specific standout, positive or negative?
Does the quarter release alleviate any AI software concerns (or too soon for that call)?
I have owned for 5+ years.

cheers

Q: Hi, trying to figure out this market with AI and all that factors into it is challenging (for me). I have DSG which have a big loss on in my TFSA.
Thinking of selling it and buying equal amounts of WSP, BN and SHOP, which I already own.
Question is wait it out with DSG it is a great company, or in your opinion the the other three will look better in 5 years. Thanks.

Q: Hi Again. Similar to my last question, with consolidation in mind, would you please rank the above holdings in order of "sell" to "keep".

Carl

Q: i wish to buy a company that is oversold due to ai fears
i own and will cont to hold csu
between dsg and tri which has the better potential for a good rebound
many thanks for all you do !

Q: A number of your past favourites are getting crushed in the market. Based on fundamentals do you see red flags with any of these companies or do you feel it’s an overreaction by the market? Do you consider these companies Buy/Hold/Sell?

Thank You
Tim

Q: Of these beaten up software stocks, which 3 or 4 stocks would you choose, keeping in mind greatest return potential and not too much overlap between the picks. Thanks

Q: I don't pay attention to all the news on a regular basis so am wondering about buying DSG at around todays price. Thankyou for any info .

Q: What to do with $10864 in TFSA? At 74 years I exist on a public sector DB pension.

Transitioning my TFSA to be more growth focused. 14 holdings currently, major ones being BN, TRI, TFII, TVK, KXS, TOI, EQB, LMN, DSG, PNG, DRX, REAL, S, EGLX. Also have 41 equities in much larger balanced dividend growth non-reg account but Brookfield Group is pushing 15% of total portfolio with overall 65% Canada exposure. Overall below sector targets in consumer cycle, health, RE, Industrial, Utilities as well as International exposure.

Realizing you cannot get personal but I am looking for another viewpoint on how to use the funds in TFSA this year besides adding more Brookfield or software or financials. With available funds could only add 4 units of CSU anyway.

Q: Hi, Sorry there are lot of companies listed but in summary this is three part question:

1. I have BAM2%,BN9%,BEP5%. I was thinking of putting new money to KKR or BX or APO. Should i add new money to existing positions or to new positions. Which one and approx. price please.

2. All the listed are in red in various taxable and registered accounts. Which one is good candidate for new money , which one would be sell and hold.

3. ISRG is at 1.5%. Should i go to 5% in one shot or go slowly or just hold on . This is in taxable account.

Thanks

Q: Hi, I’m selling one, selling half position on another and keeping one, in what order would be the best in your opinion.
Trying not to get to panic mode but these stocks are relentless. Cash is looking good right now. Thanks

Q: If you had to sell DSG or KXS to raise cash, would you trim from both or just sell one?

Q: Could you provide some insight on what TRI & DSG are saying about their future prospects and is their moat real and believeable? In the case of CNR, whenever the political tiddlywinks ends, they will eventually be filling freight cars. TRI & DSG seem to be more exposed to sentiment, which is a bit like guessing which way the cat will jump. Thank you