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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: I noticed your caveat about AYA with regards the ongoing insider trading investigation. As I recall (never having owned a stock that was under one) these investigations can take a remarkable long time to get to first base (if the "raid" is considered putting the ball in play)even. Surely months if not years. With the growth that AYA has displayed (a good Q4 expected) it seems likely(to me)that a recovery of the share price is a reasonable assumption. Would you comment around these observations for me please?
Read Answer Asked by Gerald on January 05, 2015
Q: Happy new year Peter and 5i,
Once again it is time to add funds to our grandson's RESP [14 mos]. Currently his holdings are: XTC 20 % of portfolio up 35%, DHX 19.4 % of portfolio up 92%, AYA 25% of portfolio up 285% [wow]. We reduced his holdings by 50%, and AVO 8.1% of portfolio down 42%. We would appreciate your opinion of new picks and assessment of current portfolio
thanks again
Read Answer Asked by john on January 05, 2015
Q: Please provide your recommendations for Bri-Chem. At current price do you recommned an investmen in this company?
Do you know the level of debt of the company and asscoiated risk. Do you think company can survive in low commodity price environment ? If I would like to select one company in Oil Field Service sector which is the one 5I recommends and why?
Read Answer Asked by Niketa on January 05, 2015
Q: Last year I asked you what foreign stock market would be the best performer for 2014 and suggested ishares Japan or Germany as options to buy. You went for Brazil which didn't work out too well, while my own prediction for Japan was only slightly better. What is your prediction for the country ishares to buy in 2015?
Read Answer Asked by Andrew on January 05, 2015
Q: Looking to add one stock to my TFSA.Which one would you choose between CXI and DHX.B?
Read Answer Asked by Paul on January 05, 2015
Q: I have held Intact for some time and have a decent profit. Would you continue to hold or would you recommend a switch to another Insurer/financial?
Read Answer Asked by jim on January 05, 2015
Q: Hi guys, Happy New year. I just have a quick question. Whenever I sell a US security in any account (CA, US, TFSA, RRSP), I get charged US tax. The tax is next to nothing, for example I sold $10,800 of a security and they charged me 24 cents. Out of sheer curiosity, what is this tax?

Also, I thought the only US tax charged or withheld was when a Canadian received a dividend in a non-RRSP account. Does the US government also withhold/charge tax when a Canadian sells a security?
Read Answer Asked by Paul on January 05, 2015
Q: Can you recommend some funds that are CDN dollar and overweight in CDN industrial companies? I would like to take into account the growing US economy and the declining CDN dollar, allowing CDN manufacturers to prosper.
Read Answer Asked by Dave on January 05, 2015
Q: I own Norbord (NBD) at a much higher cost. I sold Ainsworth (ANS) and bought Western Forest Products (WEF) a few months ago. Should I sell Norbord and buy more Western Forest or another forestry and wood products company. My only holdings in this sector are NBD and WEF.

Happy New Year, all the best in 2015. Thanks for the wonderful service you provide.
Read Answer Asked by Larry M. on January 05, 2015
Q: During 2014 this stock showed pretty good growth in it's price…..going from the mid $40s to year end at the mid $50s. What is your present evaluation of this company…both short term and long term. Wishing all the team a very HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Read Answer Asked by Dennis on January 05, 2015
Q: Hello,

What are your opinions on this company?

Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Alex on January 05, 2015
Q: To my understanding, prairie sky earns revenue by activity on it's properties. Do you know percentage of nat gas verses oil on the lands. I would imagine that revenues would be less because of less activity on their land. Would they have less revenue per mcf of nat gas and per barrel of oil extracted from their property because of lower prices. Some of the gold streamers (i.e.: Franco Nevada) have been insulated from lower gold prices. Could psk be insulated from lower gas and or oil prices disregarding sentiment toward the sector.
Read Answer Asked by Anthony on January 05, 2015
Q: Hi Peter. I have $US to invest and am interested in US ETF's. I'd appreciate a recommendation for a US broad market ETF. Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by William on January 05, 2015
Q: Happy new year and thanks for all your azdvice
would you consider ANY of the stocks in the model portfolio TOO RISKY to purchase right now, that is that they will probably go down in the short term or that the reward/risk ration would be small, either for fundamental reasons or technical
I am considering buying and sellin short term covered call on some of those I do not own, as a way to begin owning them; in particular to buy now (and sell at the money cover ed calls for 17th Jan), 2015 the following: BDI, HCG,MDA,STN,MG,G

Read Answer Asked by lyle on January 05, 2015
Q: Hi 5i team,

For a high growth investor with a long-term investing horizon what would be your recommended portfolio allocation between micro, small, medium and large cap stocks?

Thanks as always,

Jon
Read Answer Asked by Jonathan on January 05, 2015
Q: The last few years have seen the introduction of style-based ETF's that focus on low-volatility (ZLB, ULV, XMI), momentum (WXM, YXM, MTUM), growth (XCG), or value (FXM, VLUE) styles of investing. The low-volatility and momentum ETF's in particular seem to have been doing well recently.
However for the last five years or so we have seen generally rising markets that have provided a climate for positive results, and one cannot check how these ETF's did in major down drafts because they were initiated more recently than 2008/2009.
How do you think the various style-based ETF's would do under different market conditions than we have seen in the last five years?
I have checked the performance of some of these funds against the TSX Composite Index during the correction of September-October 2014 and from the high point to the low the TSX Index was down 12.4%, FXM was down 12.5%, WXM was down 11.0%, XCG was down 8.4%, and ZLB was down 5.3%. How much significance should be attached to results from a single correction?
I guess my basic question is whether you see any advantage to diversifying my ETF's across different styles of investing, or should I just stick with ZLB (up 66% in three years) for my Canadian content ETF? (I recognise the value of multi-country diversification).
By the way, you have a great site - I admire your dedication to investor education. All this for the price of a cup of coffee a week is incredible.
Read Answer Asked by Bryan on January 05, 2015