Investment Q&A

Q: I sold BNS some time back at $58.11. I had held it for income. Do you think the dust has settled enough to buy back for a long-term hold for income and some growth? I also on RBC and TD.

Q: Hello guys,

I was hoping you could help to interpret the reports from Canada's banks this past week.
On the face of it, earnings did great compared to expectations. However they largely reported these gains based on outsized returns from their capital markets divisions. I am trying to make sense of what this means in the short and long term.
Firstly, capital markets are comparatively small parts of their businesses (at RY it is normally 20% of income). Is it also safe to say that this is a reflection of both turmoil and government stimulation, and I wonder if governments will be remiss to see its money land there. A d is it repeatable.
Second, with low rates on the horizon increasingly, the Fed and other central banks appear torn about the inflation theses that they have and what to do next. For banks I understand this means margin erosion as well as potentially demand destruction from customers.

Any thoughts on progress of the sector and possible ripples to the economy are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Peter

Q: Could only find one response regarding this etf . Has your opinion changed since 2016? Aside from a fairly high MER any other drawbacks?

Q: Hello Peter, I understand that Power Corp has made nothing for investors for the past decade (apart from decent dividends). And Great-West Lifeco not much better. Recognizing that Power owns a good share of GWO, which would you prefer as an income investor going forward: POW, with an extra bit of yield and some interests other than GWO, or just GWO as a pure play on the lifeco? Thanks!

Q: Founders recent results are very encouraging in an environment where the banks are increasing their loan loss provisions. What is your opinion of their prospects?

Q: Hi 5i,

For my experience, once the bank had an issue with the U.S. Department of Justice, it will become in big big trouble for the coming ten to twenty years! Please see how the HSBC:US behave, and you will understand. It has been dropped from US$91 to US$21 from the past history, and the price now is even worst than the crisis 2008.

Q: What are your thoughts on the company ‘Afterpay’? Could they acquire or be acquired by goeasy, or even Shopify?
Thanks

Q: Hi,
In a previous question you responded:
" We would rank the banks: TD, RY, BNS"
Should I sell my BNS and swap for TD or RY? I've held it for years and basically just received the dividends.
Thanks

Q: Good morning,

Could you please offer an opinion on this mornings new issuance of a debenture:
ECN Corp 6%, Dec31/2025.
Is it priced well and a good credit?

Thank you,

Q: Hi 5i team
As a long-time BNS shareholder, I am disappointed to learn of the US$127 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding manipulation in metal markets. As part of this, the bank admitted they (this surely involved senior management) made false statements (nice way of saying 'lied') to U.S. authorities in 2018 as part of a small settlement on the same matter. The bank stated "At Scotiabank, we understand that in order to maintain the trust of our stakeholders, we must adhere to trading-related regulatory requirements and compliance policies. We are committed to adhering to these standards."
How wonderful of BNS to say this (please forgive the sarcasm).
My questions are: What actions do you know of that BNS took to fire the people involved for cause, with no severance, AND to cancel stock options the perpetrators would have enjoyed, to send a crystal clear signal to every BNS employee that these sorts of actions will not in future be tolerated?
And finally, what is your view of BNS shares today?
Thank you.
Edward

Q: Thoughts on the quarter please?

Q: Would you buy Visa or MasterCard at these prices and which would you prefer

Q: Hi Group appreciate your views on BNS /Cad + US banks in general. Is BNS a screaming buy right now due to its poor performance YTD + exposure to Latin America. Please rate the Cad + US banks (top 3 recommendations in each country) lastly is it good time to invest in Cad banks ahead of earnings or wait Thanks Deduct credits as you see fit

Q: Hello 5i,
Could I have your assessment of Shift4 Payments? Also, how does it compare to Paypal and Square?
Thank you
Dave

Q: What does the market expect from BNStomorrow? Thx

Q: I have about 29.3% of my portfolio in financials. Is this too much? I'm above water on all except BNS with FSZ about even if I include the dividend. Which would you suggest dropping if I'm too heavy in this area & in what order? Thanks,as always for your wonderful guidance
Dave

Q: On a scale of 1 to 10 and assuming there are no 10s (100%) what would you rate the safety of the next 6 , quarterly dividends for BNS? What are the chances of a dividend increase in your opinion?


Thanks

Q: For financial exposure which ETF would you choose for growth and reasonable risk? Could you please explain these two ETFs.
Thank you

Q: I have been and continue to be a believer in BRK and have no concern about succession plans there. Although BRK’s performance has been dull in the past ten years, I am aware that a value style has done very poorly compared to a growth orientation. My holdings in BRKb represent an appropriate allocation and I will not make changes there. I reviewed Markel after I saw it included in “RBC Top Global Ideas for 3Q-2020” .
I reviewed both BRK and MKL and found:

Over 10 years MKL has beaten both BRK and S&P (BRK did not beat S&P in the past 10 years.
Over 5 years BRK beat MKL but not S&P
Over 3 years S&P beat both companies
Over 1 year S&P beat both companies

I have reviewed a past question and am looking for an update. Would your deep look at MKL prompt you to rate this a buy? Some regard it as a “mini Berkshire” . Based on the holdings would you agree? Would you give it a higher grade than BRKb in terms of price appreciation over the next 3 years?

I tend to buy on noticeable dips. IF you would rate MKL a buy, what would you consider a reasonable entry price?

Q: I have been "trolling" for financially stable dividend payers in the insurance business to find quite a disparity in the perception of value for various firms. While Sun life seems to be the pre-emptive "favourite", can you recommend other insurers of similar quality whether from this list or elsewhere? Stable income is the main attraction but some inflation resistant growth would be a valuable plus.