Investment Q&A

Q: Hi Peter and company, Can I have an updated assessment on holding Great West vs Sunlife. GWO appears to have more momentum right now and the yield is very similar. I really appreciate your opinion going forward. What do you expect from both over the next 3-5 years.
Many thanks!
Martin p.s. Very interesting changes to the portfolios!

Q: Hello Peter and group: Would like your opinion on Capital One Financial. I used to think of this company (not sure why) as somehow a little "tainted" but see that it is now on S&P's "five star" list. Thanks, Don

Q: Hi Peter and team, I've read the changes you've made in the Balanced Equity Portfolio (formerly known as Model Portfolio). HCG was removed.....does this mean you are suggesting it is a sell? And, are we to assume you're not going to cover it anymore?

Thank you!

Q: What do you think of the latest earnings report? Seems good to me. I don't understand why the stock is falling.

Q: Please provide your opinion this US ADR: Barclays preferred share series D. Please comment on the risk of it being called and where you expect the yield to be over the next 12 months.

(I like this ADR because its has great yield; good for US income; and there is no US tax withholding on the dividends.)

Q: Can you give me your current opinion on this company. The stock continues to fall.

Q: Do you have an opinion on Guardian Capital and Gluskin Sheff ? Would you recommend one , both or neither of these Thanks for your views and comments.

Q: Thinking of purchasing some shares- your opinion please..
Any preference as to what acct?
Margin
Rsp
Tfsa

Q: Hello Peter & Co,
Are there any Canadian equivalents to Goldman Sach's BDC that lends to companies banks used to lend to?
Thanks,
Antoine

Q: Hi Guys,

This is a follow up to Alayne question on BRF.pr.A.

Don’t forget, the 3.32% dividend is on the original $25. If you calculate it on the current price of $20.35 you get a return of 4.1% ($25x3.32%/$20.35). If it is held outside of an RRSP in will have an equivalent interest rate of approximately 5.3%. This is much better than current yields.

If you reset using the short term provision and if the T-Bill rate went up 1% next year your yield would probably jump to something over 5.25% (6.8% bond equivalent) at that time and you could eventually have a capital gain from the $20.35 to $25.

Not all that bad.

I’m in the same boat with GMP Capital, GM.PR.B. Any comments on this company?

Thanks
John

Q: What is you take on q4 results. Is the stock a buy?
Thanks.

Q: We are quite elderly,and have about $28,000 a year in US S.S. and Cdn OAP. We have no need for growth but do depend on Canadian dividend paying stocks to double that income. The 5 major Cdn banks are 23% of our investment, 7% in oil, 13% pipelines, 11% electric power, 8% telcom, 10% reits., 20% misc industry and 8% gold stock and cash. You recently advised someone that 20% was too much to put into banks and that it should be reduced and some put into financials. Can you please suggest some financials or other stocks that pay as good dividends as the banks and are equally safe. Thank you.

Q: Good afternoon
May I please have your view on CXS's results.

Q: Hi Mr. Hodson. Thanks for the question opportunity.
My question is re: today's Globe&Mail article titled 'Why banks should be feeling very, very afraid'. He recommends shorting the banks because they would be dinosaured by Apple pay, Google pay, paypal etc. technology, Just like entertainment, publishing, travel-agency industries.
I am worried. I have 20% of portfolio in Canadian banks for dividends for pension.
Should I trim the banks? Thank you so much. sarah

Q: I have a 3.5% position in Cannacord and down 38%. Volume is low but the price seems to have caught a bottom. I am very tempted to average down my cost. Do you think I would still be trying to catch a falling knife? Do insiders own a lot of the company? Thanks.

Q: Hi Team 5i,
I'm a bit weak on the financial sector of our portfolio. Looking for blue chip companies with sustainable/growing dividends so I'm looking at the Canadian Banks. My questions are:
1. Is this a good time to be adding Canadian banks to one's portfolio?
2. If so, do you still like Bank of Nova Scotia the best? How about TD with it's exposure to the United States?
3. Are their other possibilities that should be considered for the financial services sector that could fit the bill? Perhaps be even better buys at the current time.
As always, thanks for the guidance.

Q: What do you think of CYS Investment, a US company. I understand that it is a REIT with a high dividend. What can you tell on this company? How it will be affected by a raise in the interest rate? Do you think that the dividend is safe and do you recommend to buy it for income? Or do you have better suggestions?

Thanks for your great service, Michel

Q: Looking to get some exposure to the US banking sector, one one hand everybody says that bac is a buy trading at less than book value. I also know that Benj Gallander has recommended func many times and he is very good at picking these small cap companies as long as your looking long term. What are your thoughts?

Q: Peter and company,
Do you think CWB would be a good buy now that it is down considerably because of the drop in energy stocks, drop in employment in AB and the slow economy? I stated in a previous e-mail that I wanted to cut back on financial services sector but the price looks attractive. Besides I don't really think of the banks as financial services but rather more as sort of organised crime.
Gary

Q: Hello Peter and Team.

I’m an income investor and currently have 27% of my portfolio in cash.

The other 73% is distributed as follows:

US Tech 11%
Oil & Gas 4%
Consumer 8%
Cdn Banks 12%
Utilities 26%
REITs 12%

I’ve been in and out of the Telecoms and think they are somewhat expensive right now. The Cdn Banks on the other hand look like an attractive sector to add to and I can collect the 4% dividend while I wait. I have a full position already in BNS and would like to add Royal and TD. Maybe 6% in each? or should I just stay in cash and wait for a further pullback? I’m worried about the US markets correcting which will just take everything else down with them regardless.

What do you think?

I know I need to work on better diversification but I don’t want to put new money to work just for the sake of diversification as I view this to be a ongoing discipline. Right now the CDN banks are the only thing I see as a strong buy aside from O&G which is interesting but still a little too risky for me to commit new money to vs. the Banks or am I missing something?

Thanks as always for your excellent advice. Scott