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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: Kudos to your new website, it’s very user friendly and a good tool for the small DIY investor!
My inquiry is on a Canadian Healthcare ETF (HHL) which I find interesting in that it includes US companies such as Novartis, Stryker, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Anthem in the top 10 holdings, indicated dividend is north of 8.00%!
Also, if one is to hold it in a TFSA would the dividends be subject to the 15% foreign withholding tax?
Thnx for your great service!!
Read Answer Asked by David on November 22, 2017
Q: Peter,your ex firm Sprott is taking over CEF,expected closing in Q1.2018.I have 1000 shs of CEF.A .The proposal is 1 sh of Cef.a for 1 new trust unit.Sprott stated that there is over $300m in value to be realized for Cef.a shareholders relative to 9% pre announcement NAV discount. Please advise of how much cash I will receive & Sprottt's calculation formula.If undervalued,then is it advisable to buy some more shares now?Also will the new trust unit be listed on TSX.I read u response to q on Nov 15--tender offer & select cash option(cash & shs).Thanks for u usual great services & views
Read Answer Asked by Peter on November 20, 2017
Q: I am taking over my portfolio from my full service broker after many years.
In my RRSP I have $ 15,000 Of Life Banc and Split Corp and $ 15,000 of the Preferreds

Could you explain what split shares are. and if they are a good investment.

The current yield is over 11 % How do they sustain a yield of 11 %

I need to do a lot of rebalancing of the portfolio to make it alot more diversified Should I keep these two issues

Thanks for your great wisdom

Paul
Read Answer Asked by Paul on October 30, 2017
Q: Clarification please: 5i's response to Edgar's question on how split corporations work was, "If a certain net asset value is not maintained, common dividends will cease to protect the preferred shares." The sentence sounds as though the preferred shares will stop being protected. Is it more accurate to say, "If a certain net asset value is not maintained, common dividends will cease IN ORDER to protect the preferred shares"? Sorry about the caps but wanted indicate the difference between the two statements. Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Jerry on October 25, 2017
Q: Product: TD Split share Preferred (xtd.pr.a)

Hello 5i
Thanks for the excellent investment coverage.

I have been utilizing this structured pref share as part of stable income portion of Portfolio for many years. Receiving over 5% dividend yield with a stable stock price has been helpful.

With interest rates potentially movin up over the next few years, this fixed rate product will begin to look less attractive.

If by Dec 2019 (termination date) an investor would like to terminate the holding and receive cash for shares, do you see this transaction being as simple as checking a box and waiting for cash to arrive from Quadravest? Near term Price has been $10.06 but may possibly drop below the $10.00/ share if investors want higher yield.

Do you see any risks associated with being paid out the full $10.00/ Pref share ...... on or about Dec 2019?
Any comment on what this transaction would look like?

Thanks
Dave
Read Answer Asked by David on October 16, 2017
Q: Both of these stocks show up as Canadian Currency on my stock screener but when i bought FIH it was purchased in American Dollars. How can FIH trade on the tsx yet be traded in American Dollars (Never had this happen before; is there more us currency tsx stocks like this that i need to be made aware of?).

Does FAH-U trade in American Currency as well? Also do you know the holdings of FAH-U?

thanks
Read Answer Asked by Thomas on September 08, 2017
Q: I want to give my take on DFN, a split share investment vehicle. I realize 5i and probably every other good financial advisor does not favor this vehicle and would not buy this for their clients. Yet people are buying this product every day.

Please let me know how sound these thoughts are or if you have anything to add.

As an investment DFN is a road full of potholes. For one thing, the dividend could be cut off completely for as long as two years, although DFN has never discontinued its dividend. Along with that, the share price could plunge 30% or more. As well, the share price will probably degrade over the years.

Who would benefit from DFN? Someone who absolutely needs the 11% dividend every month in order to pay the bills.

However, they need to be cushioned against the potholes. They need a mental cushion that will allow them to withstand sharp drops in the share price, as well as survive a disappearance of the dividend for possibly as long as two years.

Therefore, besides the right mental attitude, they need a cash back-up that would replace an absence of the dividend for two years. On a 100k investment they would need about 20k in cash to replace two years of cancelled dividends.

They also need to realize that at the end of the day, perhaps only half of their original investment may be passed on to heirs.

I can see people in their 70s and 80s who are prepared for the aforementioned potholes buying DFN, so there may be a demographic tailwind holding up DFN for the next several years. Thank you for allowing my view to be heard, and I appreciate your response.

Read Answer Asked by Jerry on September 05, 2017
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