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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: My sister in law recently met with her new advisor at Investors Group. He felt her current Rrsp investments were to risky and is recommending Maestro balanced portfolio to be known as IG Managed Risk portfolio-balanced effective November 1. She has no work pension or other assets other than her Lira and Rrsp account with investors. She has little to know knowledge of finance or investing which is why she is with Investors and hopes to retire in 5 years. Is this a good and or appropriate fund for someone like her? Are there any specific questions she should ask or clarify with her advisor. I did look at the one page fund fact he sent her and thought the fees were high and it looks like it is a fund that owns other funds. Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Maggie on December 06, 2018
Q: Hi, my question is does i5Research have any insight as to why preferred shares have drastically declined in price during November and is there any hope that this trend will reverse. My already underwater collection of Enbridge and bank preferred shares have decreased 7% in value since the start of November. My collection of preferreds are rate reset, resetting in 2019 and where issued with a 3.8% to 4.4% yield. Thanks … Cal
Read Answer Asked by cal on December 03, 2018
Q: This is following on my previous question, Here is the information regarding this new fund from Spartan.
I do value your opinion on this one and how it rates regarding risk factor. Thanks

LSQ – which has been quite successful in pursuing other market-neutral arbitrage opportunities – anticipates that its SPAC arbitrage strategy will achieve double-digit returns on a portfolio basis using modest leverage (3x) with a very low-to-negative correlation to other markets, and with low drawdowns. We intend to pause fundraising once the strategy reaches $100M.

SPACs and the SPAC Market

- For those unfamiliar with SPACs, they are publicly-traded shell corporations that raise capital with a view to acquiring an operating business. Once a SPAC is IPO’d in the public markets (at say $10/share), it typically has 18-24 months to find an acquisition (capital raised is held in short-term money market instruments until deployed).

- When the sponsors of a SPAC find an acquisition, the underlying investors can either (#1) vote against the transaction and redeem their shares at the SPAC’s original IPO price (in this case $10), or (#2) vote for the transaction and participate. In an increasing number of instances, SPACs are permitting investors to vote for the transaction and redeem their shares (again, at their original $10 IPO price, per our example).
- In addition, SPACs are usually issued with warrants entitling the holder to participate in the SPAC’s potentially-successful acquisition. These warrants can also have a tradable market value.
- While SPACs can vary greatly in terms of size, quality, experience of the underlying sponsor, etc., for a SPAC investor, the worst-case scenario is a guaranteed return of capital at the SPAC’s IPO price (again $10 per our example), plus the residual value of any warrants, while the best case is participating in a very successful transaction.
Since SPACs are plentiful (33 have been issued in 2018 so far), trade on the open market (usually Nasdaq), frequently at a premium or discount to their original IPO price, and have a known ‘worst-case scenario’ and ‘timing’ attributes, they present considerable investment opportunities for a hedge fund manager with a detailed knowledge of the sector.

Please see the attached materials for additional details.


Seed investors – i.e., the first $10M – are entitled to the 1.5% & 10% fee structure with the right of seed investors to double their investments at that same pricing level during the term of the fund. We are looking to launch early in Q1 – likely end of January 2019.
We are in the process of compiling our order book so please let me know if you are interested in having an intro call and potentially allocating.
Read Answer Asked by Saad on November 30, 2018
Q: Hello Peter & Ryan,

After 2 incredibly gut wrenching months on the markets and the so-called repricing of equities, today the markets were cheering and have pushed indexes on both sides of the border into what appears like a 'relief' rally>
My question is a 2 part question:.

1. I would really like your insights into what were market participants betting on today and perhaps going forward. Is this possibly a "head fake" setting the market up for another wild journey or do you think that the market believes that concerns around: (a) interest rates (do not have much further to go) and, (b) that the US and China might be able to agree on a truth of sorts this weekend.

2. If the above concerns (question 1) become reality in the next month or so, what is your advice to members? What should investors chip away at in order to perhaps recover losses and defend their positions. I realize this a very broad question, but would appreciate your top 6 defensive picks, regardless of asset classes, that will boost our portfolios in the next 3 to 5 years.

Thank you very and much appreciate your opinion,
Joseph
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on November 29, 2018
Q: Dear 5i
I'm very much interested in the conservative portfolio for when i retire with in the next 6 months . I especially like bank , utilities and reit ETF`s as the yields seem reasonable and the fact that the ETF`s pay the dividends monthly which provides consistent income during retirement .
My dilemma is that i think i prefer to hand pick similar stocks myself within each of those categories most of which have been recommended by 5i .This way would all likely offer a higher average yield as there is no MER to consider . The problem is that most of the stocks in those 3 areas (utilities , banks and rents ) only pay the dividends quarterly so as a retired person there is not the consistency on monthly income as there would be with buying the corresponding ETF`s . Is this generally a personal preference thing or is there one way you would advise for a soon to be retired person .
Thanks
Bill C.
Read Answer Asked by Bill on November 26, 2018