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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: Dear 5i
I'm trying to understand how companies actually get paid when we own for example an ETF that has a MER of for an example .5%. If the anticipated yield is say 3% you had stated in an earlier question of mine that the 3% is inclusive of fees . So all yields posted are generally always inclusive of fees right ? This means then that the actual yield is 3.5% minus the MER of .5%. So its a matter of the company in question holding their fee back from the yield rather than a case of the said company getting paid the fee which comes out of my brokerage company account directly .Sorry if this sounds confusing . I'm just trying to understand the process and be sure about what yield I'm actually getting and what fees I'm actually paying .
Thanks
Bill
Read Answer Asked by Bill on November 20, 2018
Q: HPR has dropped from the 9.60-9.70 range to below 9.00 in the last while, including yet another big drop today. I always thought a managed Pref ETF would not drop as much as the overall market during a correction and that it would be a defensive holding. Apparently not a correct assumption. So, what is happening with this ETF - should I sell and buy something more secure like a Utility, buy more of this ETF or what? My goal with this part of my portfolio is lower risk.
Read Answer Asked by David on November 19, 2018
Q: My question is on tax treatment of GIC interest.
Is the interest on a GIC reported only in the year the interest is received; or is the interest pro-rated to that portion allocated to the calendar year, even if not received in that year.
Example - a 1 year annual GIC bought in say July 1, 2018, but not maturing until July 1, 2019. Is the interest to be reported on the 2018 tax filing zero, or is it a half year's worth of interest, even though not yet received in 2018?
Read Answer Asked by David on November 19, 2018
Q: What is the difference between shares and units? On the TSX site the June 2018 quarterly report shows diluted average shares as 75.23m. In the most recent SEDAR filing they talk about diluted average units of 56.7m and do we divide the net income of $7.7m by 75m or 57m? (units are defined as the units that are traded on the TSX)
Also in your Nov 8 reply to Peter you indicated that EPS of $0.11 and revenue of $260m were expected. In the SEDAR filing we are told that the income per unit was $0.14 and revenue was $359m. Is this an improvement over expectations, or are we talking about different things?
Thanks Mike
Read Answer Asked by michael on November 19, 2018
Q: Considering the recent moves in natural gas, could you comment again on Altagas. Dry gas has moved sharply higher while gas liquids have gone in the opposite direction.
The questions I have in mind include:
- With higher gas prices will their power generation suffer or are they hedged?
- Will higher prices effect their pipeline volumes and storage facilities favourably?
- Will their new construction project on the coast be effected?
- Do they connect to dry gas fields that have shut in wells while prices were low?
Finally, are the moves too recent with too many moving parts to even comment reliably?
Read Answer Asked by Larry on November 19, 2018
Q: Dear 5i;
With regards to the latest conservative ETF portfolio ;
With the average yield of all the ETF`s being 3.23%, is this before MER`s are taken into account or after ?
Also what's your rational for using HYGH vs XHY ?
Also tax loss selling generally only applies to non-registered accounts correct ?Please deduct several points .
Thanks
Bill C.
Read Answer Asked by Bill on November 19, 2018
Q: For ALA, AQN, DIV, DR, ENB, PRV.UN, what is the payout ratio for each of these companies? Is payout ratio a valuable measure of dividend sustainability? Can payout ratio about 100% be maintained? thanks
Read Answer Asked by John on November 19, 2018
Q: Please provide your opinion of GH's Q3 release. Gross revenue growth did not materialize while costs rose.

Company announced the proposed vend-in of CEO, VP and COO's Grande Prairie hotel for $12.5mm. Property looks appealing completed in 2017 with exceptional customer feedback and a 2 minute walk from Great Northern Casino. Guessing this asset could add approximately $4mm in gross revenues to GH's annual earnings, it's in one of the few areas of Alberta that has shown above-average growth and may continue as gas liquids are being developed in the Montney.

Not a game-changing transaction for the company but if they suggest that the hotel can be acquired and provide accretion for shareholders, what's good for the goose is good for the gander and gaggle of little retail investors.

GH stated that they have increased their LOC by $7mm. Do you think the company will issue common shares as part of the capital paid to Peace Country Hospitality?

I am offering up three 5-i doubloons for this in-depth query. Thank you
Read Answer Asked by malcolm on November 19, 2018