Investment Q&A

Q: More fuel for the tax loss selling debate is the prospect of a higher future capital gains tax rate where (hopefully) losses would be worth more also. With federal govt. spending showing no sign of abating and increasing interest payments on its debt, it's possible this issue will be revisited in the next budget.

In Paul's scenario it's possible more tax will be paid by taking the loss now and paying much more later with the greater cap gain on the stock price.

Also, tax rates tend to rise evidenced by tax freedom day getting pushed further along in June, and there's the phenomenon of bracket creep to consider.

Q: On a 1 (unlikely) to 10(very likely) scale how much likelihood do you place in recent predictions of people like Michael Burry and Jeremy Grantham that this is just the start of the bear market, and that markets could drop a further 50% from here?

Q: Quick follow up to my CWW Q.

I see a response to another question on CWW immediately following mine. In the answer, you mention FIW as another Water focused ETF to consider and that it has had better performance over time. So should I sell CWW and buy FIW? If I bought FIW and kept my CWW, is there too much overlap?

Thanks again for your prompt responses.

Cheers.

Q: Earlier today you replied to a question with: "We are not big fans of averaging down, but if we were to do it BAM.A would likely be near the top of the list. When 'the market' brings down all stocks we are more comfortable buying more as opposed to when a company in isolation declines. We are not worrried about BAM getting through this market and/or upcoming recession. "

Please list 5 cad and 5 usd stocks that would be in your top list that would meet the above criteria.

Thx.

Q: Hi, Oil and Gas sector has come under pressure for past two weeks, with above equities declining 20-30% from their respective highs. Volatility in oil and gas prices could be a reason and other days, it could simply be in sympathy with general markets.
This is in the backdrop of analysts forecasting very strong cash flow generation by all these companies, resulting in outsized shareholder returns and much higher equity prices. We have 10% weighting in the sector ( Not including 5.5% ENB ). Based on the geo-political, demand/supply and other relevant factors, do you believe, this sector still has legs, say another 6-12 months or longer and equities should recover over time. Also, what would cause, in your opinion, for market to change course for this sector, in near future. Thank You

Q: Hi, kxs is around half from its high, I have about half position. Would you wait till the market settles on tech stocks, or are you confident enough on kxs that now would be a good time to buy more?
Thanks

Q: Can you tell me ECN’s relevant valuation ratios and then comment on if the shares are expensively, fairly or cheaply valued? And how would this company do in a recession?

Q: I'm looking to add a defensive element to my RRSP account and would appreciate a recommendation or two for an income generating consumer's staple ETF.
Also, if holding just one, would you suggest a CAD, US or global fund?
Thanks, Rick

Q: Hi

Thinking of selling some of my BAM.A and buying SYZ .in my cash account

Why? Apply the loss in BAM.A to my gains so far this year.
The dividend in SYZ is bigger.

Your comments, most welcome.

Thank you
Mike

Q: I hold WSP from 5i's Balance Portfolio and wonder if this stock is over priced in this market with a forward P/E of 22.8x (according to Koyfin). Just prior to COVID in January 2020, WSP traded around $96 and now it is about 40% more. Is WSP over priced in this market? What is their main focus on the consulting front?
Thanks!

Q: I am wondering about the relative safety of these Reits if interest rates runs really high. I was reading an article in Barron's which claimed a high number of Reits went bankrupt in the 70's and 80's, but went on to say it wouldn't happen today even in the same case scenario, but it did not say why. Wondering what you think of that statement, and if you could answer "why it wouldn't happen now". Do you think these Reits are safe to add to as they go down, and would their dividends be safe if interest rates ran hot for a couple of years? Thanks.

Q: This stock is at 52 week low. Is it time to add some to my position which is ar less than 1% or sell and move on? Hold is always an option.
Thanks

Q: How do the pipelines make their income ? Is it a fixed toll on flow that increases with volume ? Is it dependant on the commodity price ? Does the route of the pipeline; ie: the scarcity of capacity of a given route matter ? Is this a good entry ? Are tight commodity supplies good or bad for pipelines ? Thank you.

Q: If one has spent years building a diversified portfolio of mainly equities in quality companies and one is reliant on the portfolio for income what is your advice during a bear market? To sell and exit the market one could finally get decent rates on GICs but you would never know when to reenter the market and eventually GIC rates could go down leaving you without enough income. Plus you get dividend tax credit. Does one just close eyes and collect the dividends. I know some fund managers sell but I feel like this is the wrong thing to do. Your insight helping us through these difficult market times is really valuable.

Q: SANM.US appears to be one of those under-the-radar tech companies that provides design and services to other companies rather than relying on retailing a product. Stock has been impervious to tech downturn so far. Can you provide a general comment on its key metrics mentioning comparables/competitors?

Q: With oil still 100$ plus and Natural Gas up- what is the big drop in energy stocks as CVE,TOU etc-seems like demand with air travel-etc is still there-Refiners made money at 50$ or are theuy overvalued ? opinion

Q: Hi, A follow up to my question earlier. Do you think, the sharp drop in oil price on Friday and recent weakness in Oil and Gas equities could have been triggered by recession fears ? If this is one of the reasons, with more rate hikes in the cards and probability of a recession going up, in your view, how is the Energy sector likely to hold ? How does a retail investor position for next 6-12 months ? Thanks again

Q: I hoped I could shed some light for Paul regarding his question on tax loss selling.

Most people on this site are buy-and hold investors rather than traders. Their thinking is that they can sell, harvest a tax break from the loss, and then buy it back to hold for a long period.

In short, they are aiming to continue holding it for the long term, but getting a tax benefit in the short term by quickly selling and buying it back.

5i - please publish or not as you see fit.

Q: Is there a reason that the vix has currently not spiked more? Does not the current market warrant a good panic? Thanks.

Q: Hi guys, I know I missed the boat on the latest downturn but is it better to short the CDN index or buy an inverse fund when the markets take a nosedive. Thank you