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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: Boy these companies' stock prices took a hit. I appreciate many mid-size PNG companies will likely go bankrupt with the drop in oil prices. But I always liked these companies as I understood they had lower costs of production than many of their competitors.
1. Is that assumption correct?
2. How would you assess the strength of their balance sheet?
3. Do you see these 2 companies as ones that are at high risk of going bankrupt in the near future?
Read Answer Asked by Michael on March 24, 2020
Q: Retired dividend-income investor. I currently own ZLB (in RRSP, max'd out, love it) ZRE (Cash account, purchase for LT hold-distributions, plan to add to it over time) and ZWC (Cash account, purchased for LT hold-dividends).

I have a sizeable capital loss in ZWC....2 choices. #1 = Keep it, top it up over the next several months. #2 = Sell it, save the capital losses for future years (don't need them for 2020) and replace with either CDZ or XDV. I flushed XDV right away due to the very skewed asset allocation (to financials & utilities).

So that left the comparison between ZWC and CDZ. Their metrics are, for the most part, similar (beta, P/E, P/CF, ROE, MER).

ZWC is down 39% YTD, pays a current yield of 11%, has a reasonable asset allocation (the 22% energy allocation initially may seem high but might be good for the eventual rebound). However, I don't have the knowledge on how the Covered Call part of ZWC may impact the comparison with CDZ.

CDZ is down 43% YTD, pays a current yield of 6%, but has a slightly more diverse asset allocation and has performed better than ZWC over a 3 year period, but has a higher Beta.

I entered the comparison exercise believing I would conclude to sell ZWC. Now however I might just periodically top it up. Your thoughts please?

Thanks....Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on March 24, 2020
Q: Could you please discuss BAM/how it is structured with the other subsidiaries (infra, renewables)? I'm a bit confused as to how it all works.
Would you say it is best to buy BAM, or the infrastructure company or the renewables one and why?
They have all fallen a lot... but are they "cheap"?
Read Answer Asked by Max on March 24, 2020
Q: Hi, I think, Monday's 10% stock price decline, could have been as a result of company's press release after close of markets on Friday March 20th. The NR for MTN Debenture issue NR had a paragraph on " COVID-19 Update ", which read as follows.
" Due to the speed with which the situation is developing and the uncertainty of its magnitude, outcome and duration, we are not able at this time to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 situation on our operations or financial results; however, the impact could be material. "
Read Answer Asked by rajeev on March 24, 2020
Q: Why is iBCE down almost 10% today if it’s supposed to be a safe haven bond proxy& do you buy a full position here?

I also want your opinion on the REIT’s and why they have been demolished in the last 10 days, which names would you be buying now or later?

Please deduct accordingly

Thank you!
Nick
Read Answer Asked by Nick on March 23, 2020
Q: I am a buy and hold investor with 5 to 10 years of time horizon.
Have the following 7 stocks in Canadian Utilities in the order of their weights in our portfolio. Utilities makeup roughly 8.5% of the total portfolio including cash positions and like their dividend. FTS, TRP,EMA, AQN, ENB, BEP-UN, BIP-UN. I like to reduce exposure to utilities and also like to reduce number of different shares. Two questions:
1. Is 8.5% a reasonable weight considering the current situation?
2. Which one of these I should sell to reduce utilities weight and to reduce the number of shares in utilities?
Read Answer Asked by Naren on March 23, 2020
Q: Good morning,

I have the same amount of shares in VIU and VEE as a year ago, but the quarterly dividends both recently announced are both smaller than last year's. Why is this? Have many international companies maybe cut their dividends due to the virus and it's impacts? Could this be a Vanguard decision? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Jeff on March 23, 2020
Q: Realizing that you don't have a crystal ball can you suggest how safe you think the dividends are for DIV, FRU and A&W?
I am seeking dividends in a registered account and if the dividends from the above companies are threatened or cut I guess the stock price would would really collapse. I am thinking I could sell and replace them with a much safer dividend ETF like FDV (or anthing you suggest). On the other hand, if you think they might be
Ok, they sure are paying one heck of a dividend right now and if the stock price could recover in due course I would just be as well off continuing to hold.
Read Answer Asked by David on March 23, 2020
Q: Pipeline companies normally employ take or pay contracts with its customers. However, pipeline stock prices tend to mirror the price of WTI. Is there a reason for this dichotomy?

Ken
Read Answer Asked by ken on March 23, 2020
Q: Retired, dividend-income investor. I own ZWC and ZRE and am thinking of topping them up. Their share prices have obviously taken a hit and buying more at these lower prices with magnified dividend yields "appears" attractive.

What I am wondering is related to the continuation of the dividend. By my numbers, ZRE is yielding 7.4% and ZWC 10.5% (annual dividend divided by current stock price). Am I correct that the yields are supported by not only the underlying security, but the covered call option? What happens if the underlying security reduces their dividend? I guess my real question is...is there a risk of the ETF dividend being cut?

Thanks...Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on March 23, 2020
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