skip to content
  1. Home
  2. >
  3. Investment Q&A
You can view 3 more answers this month. Sign up for a free trial for unlimited access.

Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: Can you list your top 5 best ideas for buying yield/income > 3% with potential for some capital gains - due to being undervalued - right now?
Read Answer Asked by Jeff on July 10, 2018
Q: I am looking for a good value stock with high yield, min. 5%. Can you add someone more to the two above?
Thanks
Margita
Read Answer Asked by Margita Elisabet on July 10, 2018
Q: I am 75% in equity with less than 10% in Canada, and mostly US with tech emphasis, plus Global and EM. The rest of the 25% is invested with a well known active manager (0.6% MER) of corporate bonds who invested in short-term corp bonds of no more than 2 years duration plus floating rate bonds. No Government or long bonds. With rising interest rate albeit not rapidly over time, bonds are not really a place to be in. Corporate bonds can lose capital as well if there is a significant downturn. What is your view on holding cash in MMF in lieu of corp bonds as a fixed income allocation of a portfolio in the foreseeable future as capital preservation? USD MMF instead of CAD cash?
Read Answer Asked by Ford on July 10, 2018
Q: With trade tariffs and uncertainty in the markets what Is the wise move with russel metals, hold or sell? I have a large position so would not be interested in buying more. I hold it in my RRSP for the yield. If you suggest a sell what could replace it considering I also hold BCE, BMO, HR.UN, NVU.UN as well as 4 small caps for growth but no dividends.
Lou
Read Answer Asked by Louise on July 09, 2018
Q: Payout ratios

I am confused about payout ratios. I have read here several times that you prefer to stick with dividend income stocks that have payout ratios below 50%. You have also suggested recently that the following were good solid choices for dividend income stocks. Your website does not include payout ratios, but I suspect your calculation is different from those I have found elsewhere. Below are the payout ratios I found in other places. As you can see, they are mostly above 50%, and some are above 100%!

Could you please comment on your calculation of payout ratios, that have these below 50%, or why the high ratio is acceptable presently?

Thanks again.

PWF 72%
BCE 97%
CU 116%
TRP 78%
ENB 182%
TRI 169%
QSR 79%
AQN 130%
T 82%
Read Answer Asked by Federico on July 06, 2018
Q: I own both ENB and BIP, although much more of the latter. I would like to get your opinion of the purchase of gas assets by BIP announced today. I realize the benefits to ENB's balance sheet, but is it also accretive to BIP at this price? Are there good growth opportunities provided by this purchase? Also, I believe that a portion of this acquisition does not close until 2019 - how much of the cash flow will be delayed until then?
Read Answer Asked by arnold on July 05, 2018
Q: My question is regarding the recent sale of assets by Enbridge to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. The Globe and Mail columnists are quite positive on the future of Enbridge shares. Do you agree with the optimism and do you think this deal is good for Brookfield and its future share price. Thank You.
Read Answer Asked by Brian on July 05, 2018
Q: In reference to Donald’s question about the Td GIC linked to banks and utilities:
I agree generally with the reply provided by 5i. However, in your response you talk about “going to cash” and I think this may be confusing. The product offered is a GIC and is insured. The principal is protected so there isn’t an issue with “going to cash” in a bad market. You will get your money back at the end of the term. It is essentially a cash investment all along, although one is locked in for the term.
What motivated me to write this was the deceptive way, in my opinion, TD is offering this product. It says the MINIMUM return is 2% and states quite clearly that this is an annual return on the main webpage describing the GIC. However, if you read through the prospectus (so dry and complicated it will give you a migraine) or click on the tiny footnote you will see that the 2% is actually a 3 year compounded return of 0.66% per annum. The 2% is a total return. If the market goes down or sideways, you will get a whopping $20 per $1,000 invested over 3 years.
I am a long time TD client and shareholder but I am disturbed by what I feel are decptive practices and the “pushing” of products on Canadians. This is approaching Wells Fargo behaviour, IMHO. It can’t end well for anyone. Sorry to take up your Q&A time with this but I feel the investment community needs to speak out about this.
Good luck fellow investors!
John
Read Answer Asked by john on July 05, 2018