Investment Q&A

Q: I have 73 % of my investment portfolio in stocks. I'm 80+ years of age and have not need for income from the portfolio; it will be transferred to a future generation. My advisor recommends reducing the stock component to 60 %. He suggests purchasing large amounts of Manulife Global Tactical Credit Fund & Manulife Asia Total Return Bond Fund. Please provide me with a critical review of those funds. Do you have other suggestions in the fixed income area?

Q: Good morning Peter, Ryan, and Team,

In today's answer to Adam about DRIPs (SIS in particular), you told him that "on a portfolio basis, we would just never get into a situation where you need to sell something to generate cash". Is it appropriate to sell part of a stock or ETF to raise cash if you're doing it for portfolio balancing? Or is this a dangerous strategy that could backfire if the market takes a nose-dive? I'm presently in a situation like this in my RRIF, which is well-balanced using mostly 5i recommendations, plus some fixed-income ETFs.

Thanks as always for your timely advice.

Q: Could you recommend a source of accurate and up to date statistics of mutual fund flows? Also interested in ETF fund flows, especially leveraged ETFs.

Thank you.

Q: I wonder about letting your winners run vs diversification. I recently donated half of my PBH(up 300%) to charity, and it still is 5% of my portfolio. Is this an appropriate way to balance those competing ideas? I read that you can't get a "10 bagger" if you keep selling your winners, and at least some pundits think it's 10 baggers that make a portfolio a success, but surely that unbalances the portfolio? confused.

Q: Hi Gang,

What are the best strategies or tactics to follow ahead of earning announcements to safeguard against potential precipitous price drops given that stop orders will not necessarily work? As example the significant drops in AVO and CXR after the recent earnings announcements.

Thank you
Anthony

Q: What is the best way to invest in GICS? $200,000 proceeds to be withdrawn over four years at $50,000 annually. So $50,000 in one, two, and three year terms. It looks like Oaken Financial offers the best rates in Alberta. Or is there a better alternative that provides the safety of a GIC?

Thanks,
Hal

Q: (MISC)Covered Call ? of Aug 29/16 Asked by Linda:

Go to Google advanced search, Youtube.com, www.torontopubliclibrary.ca, Amazon.com, or Chapters.com etc and search on 'covered calls'. Also, Richard Croft and Lawrence McMillan have written books and articles on options.

Q: Hi
Assuming a $55 oil (WTI) price by 2017 and $65 by 2018.
Could you please provide some names in the energy sector that are likely to have accelerated up side and have an OK balance sheet.
sub sectors of :
1 oil
2 NG
3 drillers and service

thanks
Yossi

Q: I hold Harvest group closed end funds HBF.UN (Brand Leaders Plus) and HHL.UN (Healthcare Leader) Only a total 3% of overall portfolio and fully for div income and diversive purposes into firms I couldn't hold individually. I just received notice of their plans to change over to a ETF for each of these close end funds. These are the only closed end funds I hold and I am wondering your point of view on this move. They of coarse say its to our advantage for Liquidity and growth potential. These are small funds and I wonder what kind of notice they really would receive in an already crowded ETF market and if the management team is really acting in our best interests here. I am not so sure they can maintain their current div yield of 8%ish either it seems high for an ETF. As always thank you for you good honest work on our behalf

Q: Hot.un Bhy.un Bgi.undrg.un
I have over 1000 shares in the above companies could you give me your opinion
They are all for income would you suggest other choices as they have not been
Performing that well for some time
Thanks Pat

Q: Would you have some suggestions for reading material on covered calls? I wasn't looking for something too complicated. But I am interested in information that would cover (a) stocks and stock markets best suited for covered calls (b) logistics of how to choose the best case of option cost and duration for a particular stock ( c) option timing in dividend paying stocks and (d) what is a realistic rate of return. Thanks!

Q: There was an article from the Globe describing an investment stratigy to look for areas where capital is scarce. I havn't seen this before, at least described like this, I guess basically the opposite of momentum investing. Or maybe this is what value investors look for. In any case they did not back the article up with any evidence that the strategy has been successful over the long term.

So: are you familiar with this conceptype and do you think there is merit to it? I guess it could help being early to a sector that will soon turn around, but it seems to me that investor capital (aside from a lot of retail) is pretty smart money and may be avoiding areas for a good fundamental reason that could last many years.

"Returns are best where capital is scarce” is one of my favourite bits of investing advice. The idea was popularized by Richard Bernstein, former chief quantitative strategist at Merrill Lynch and founder of RB Advisors."

Q: Good Morning
WealthBar is a Robo Adviser based out of Vancouver.
We will appreciate any information you may have about this company. Is it safe to invest through them?
Thank you

Q: Recently the media was awash with implied heavy concerns around the supposed losses the CDN. banks would be reporting this week and next. They said so while trying to impress an implied authority. The media even went so far as to create a reason.

I had to try and stop laughing once again at the business media in general, so as to be able to type this post, as it once again showed that it basically is a comedy show and of little value to investors. At least when it comes to predictions.

I often wonder if the media have to work and prove their metal at SNL 1st (Saturday Night Live).

So far all of the banks that have reported have provided growing if not all time high revenues, earning, profits....

Stan

Q: You may have answered this in the past, but: does the 5i team believe that individuals can beat the market? I'm assuming you must think so given your team is essentially in the stock picking business, but how does this align with most studies that suggest the ETF or couch potato approach?

Q: Hi Thank you for your wonderful service. Natural gas seems to be entering a period of seasonal strength. The commodity seems to be trading at secular lows. Would you advise buying the commodity in the form of an ETF? Could you recommend one? Or would you suggest an individual Natural Gas stock. Thanks again.

Q: what are your favourite growth stocks with the least down side potential ?

Q: Hi guys,

When analyzing companies with a high debt load model like infrastructure companies or utilities, what is the best metric to analyze the valuation? Should we use a multiple of EBITDA, rather than net income since net income will be heavily influenced be depreciation and interest expense?

Thanks,
Jason

Q: I am interested in farmland. Are there any REITS, etf's, or stocks in Canada? Does FPI:Z work for North American exposure?

Q: Gold and gold stocks have been dropping steadily over the last two to three weeks, with many down 10% to 20%. Can you tell us why? Is current or pending US policy a factor here.?

Is it time to sell these stocks before gold drops further? Or is this just a normal "zag" in the continuing upward zig-zag of gold prices? If so, should we hang on a little longer?

Any comments or suggestions will be most appreciated!

Thank you from a nervous "gold-bug"!