Investment Q&A

Q: My grandson of 23 is starting his 1st tfsa with $2500 to begin and needs a core holding start. please suggest a stock only and etf only models. Which one or mixed off, would you deploy today.
thanks

Q: Hi 5i,

BUZZ [VanEck Vectors Social Sentiment ETF] invests in stocks of USA AI-selected stocks with the most positive sentiment from online sources (i.e. social media, news articles, blog posts, etc.) -my summary. ~ 5-Year Performance: S&P500: +95%, NASDAQ: +182%, BUZZTZ: +234% -my calculation.

This makes me pause; recent article are doubtful this performance can continue; what are your thoughts? Thx.

Q: HI!
I thinking of investing in HCAL but wonder how much growth the Canadian banks have for the next year as they have recovered so well. What are your thoughts?

Q: Can I get your take on this US ETF. It seems to have out-performed all the other smallcaps this year. I have some money in it and am thinking of increasing my holding here.

Q: This is more a comment about covered calls. I invested in a few of the covered calls in October 2017 primarily for the income. A larger percentage of the investment was in the BMO Canadian Covered call and when it was purchased the TSX was at 16,000 and the unit value was approx 20.00. Now the TSX is at 18, 837 and the unit value is $17.46. The energy stocks in general are still down about 10% compared to October 2017 however the banks that the ETF holds are around 20% higher. The downdraft in March last year was painful but I needed the income so I did not sell any of the BMO covered calls. Most of them are still lower except the US ETF. I do expect that over time the stock market will continue to rise (as it has over the last 100 years) and I will get back to what I paid for the ETF's however my story shows how these work with a major downturn in the market.

Q: I heard that silver may continue its resurgence in 2021.
What would be your best bet in this space? Stock or ETF.
Could you list two of each?
Thanks
Jeff

Q: Are these High Dividend Income Funds good for a long-term hold? Thanks!

Q: I only have a few small holdings in the tech section of my portfolio and would like to have your advice whether I should
A. Invest in the following companies: PLUG DSG ABCT CTS or
B. Just buy a combination of XIT and TEC.
Best regards Steve

Q: I am looking to take a small position in semiconductors and noticed your response on ranking QCOM, AMD, MU and NVDA (and liking all of them). Would one of the above ETFs be a reasonable means of participating in the sector? Your thoughts and suggested recommendation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Q: Hello 5i,
It was suggested that I switch from XLB, XSB, and VEE to ZAG and ZEM which I did. Lately I have seen on the daily watch report that XSB, XLB, and VEE are again mentioned as suggestions in many instances over the past few weeks. Should I switch back or maintain my positions in ZAG and ZEM?

Q: Can you suggest 2-3 global etfs for industrials exposure?

Q: Hi!

I've heard a lot of people suggest that Europe's various stock markets are better value than the U.S. market, but that Europe hasn't implemented nearly enough stimilus to help drive growth the way the U.S. has. Do you think Europe is attractively valued and if so would this be a good time to start building a position in an ETF with a European focus? Can you suggest a couple of potential ETFs for exposure to Western Europe?

Thank you!
Jason

Q: Of the above Canadian dividend ETFs, which one do you think has the best diversity and investment strategy for a very long-term hold? CDZ seems to have the highest 3-year return, followed closely by VDY, but the latter ETF seems high on the financial services at 59%; not sure how VDY determines their allocations.
Thanks!

Q: Further to my earlier question about ZST and HFR, I don't think you have addressed the issue. The l0yr average total return for HFR is practically 25% more than for that for ZST. (as per your references). They are both ultra-short bond funds but their behaviour is vastly different. Why?

Q: Info about and how do you rate cig50011.

thanks.

Q: Do you have a favourite U.S. Mid Cap ETF?

Q: As a follow up to my earlier question, where in you mentioned "if the focus is on bonds....", last line. I am looking for opportunities in fixed income investments. So where should the focus be, other than fixed deposits . Thanks for the excellent advice you have consistently provided over the years.

Q: Do you have a preference between VIG and DGRO? I see their 5 year performance is similar but DGRO has a better yield.
Thanks,
Brent

Q: Hello
Thinking of retiring and drawing the dividends from our RRSP to replace income from employment until age 71.
Would it make sense to sell the first 4 mentioned and buy only EQL.
This move would give us $5,000. more yearly income from dividends (before taxes).
I mentioned selling VIG because of the currency variability and EQL pays a higher dividend..
We would still maintain growth ETFs like IWO, ICLN, KWEB, PSCH etc.
Thank you for your time.
Mike

Q: How do you like Preferred's these days? I've recently replaced some of my bond ETF's with ZPR. I understand they carry equity/credit risk but do you see pref's as offering better protection against rising rates? Thanks.