Investment Q&A

Q: Could you explain how investors in western Canada buy stocks after the TSX closes at 4:00 EST (which is only 1:00pm to them)?

Q: Hello 5i
I am trying to re-balance my 25 stocks in a combined portfolio, at 4% for each position. I have not included ETFs. Should ETFs, such as XIU and XIC, be included in the number of positions, or treated separately? For instance, I hold BNS and TD as part of the stock portfolio, but they are also included in the ETFs. Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Q: I have a question about diversification. My understanding is you should not have more than 20% of your stocks in any one sector. Right now I own HWO, POU, BXE, WCP, TOG, RMP, RE, RRX, TOU in the oil and gas sector, with a portfolio weighting of 13.5%. However, if I include BAD, ENB and BDI that takes my weighting to 28%. Would you include the last three in the oil and gas sector even though they're not producers?

Q: Could someone point in in the right direction to find a spread sheet template for keeping track of my stock purchases and sales, and dividends earned. I am doing my taxes, and I don't want to go through this ever again. Thanks for any help offered!

Q: I received a mailout of a class action lawsuit form for Swisher (swi). I remember a past question being asked about participating in these things for another company. I unfortunately still hold the shares. Would it hurt to be part of it, mail it out, and see what comes out after all the expenses are paid out? Are there taxes involved in these? A mail out cheque? Have you ever been part of these situations before and what has come out of it? Good? Bad? If this company is bleeding cash still, is it even possible they can settle? Thx.

Q: Further to Steve's question and your response about when the dividend is paid to a shareholder, and particularly with reference to your comment “The easiest way to look at it is to only consider the ex dividend date. For Teck, this is June 12. If you have bought the stock prior to this date on the market, you will get the dividend. If you buy it after this date, you will not get the dividend on July 2. If you buy on June 11 and sell on June 12 you will still get the dividend.”
In my Direct Investing account, if I buy shares on the open market on a given day, they don’t actually appear on my ledger until about 3 days afterwards. Does this time lag have to be taken into account with reference to receiving the dividend? In your quoted example, if I bought the shares on June 11, I wouldn’t see them in my account until about June 14 or later. Would I therefore need to buy the shares on June 8 to make sure they were in my account prior to the ex-dividend date?

Q: good morning. I was wondering when a company announces that they are paying a dividend, for example; tck.b will be paying a dividend on July 2, for shareholders of record on June 16, my question is: Do I only need to own the stock on June 16 and can I sell it on the 17th or do I need to hold on to it until the pay out date to get the dividend?

Q: Hello Peter
What is your opinion about "SELL IN MAY AND GO AWAY" as a investment strategy for stocks in portfolio.Is this valid strategy and have you ever applied it in your practice.
Regards Andrew

Q: Hello 5i
Can you tell me where I can find the current P/E Ratio of TSX?
Would it be reasonable to compare current stock holding P/E to TSX current P/E Ratio.

Thank you as alway
Craig

Q: Some of your members write about having a full or half position in a stock.
What is a full position?
Thanks
Carlo

Q: There has been a lot of chatter lately about the move to value over growth in stock selection. I am afraid that I don't feel this urge but as I've known myself to be regularly late to the best parties I could use some help ion reasoning this out. Where do stand on the idea and if in the growth camp could you outline the value camp reasoning?

TIA

Q: Could you tell me why utility and pipeline stocks don't like higher interest rate situations. Every thing I hear on BNN etc. seems to be under the impression that when higher interest rates start these stocks will do poorly. Why?

Thank you

Q: This is in response to Kyle's question.
Go to Financialpost.com and click on Market Data. Then on the left
click on Highs and Lows. Here you will see the list for the previous
business day.

Check the list of highs (noting volume) regularly. You will get a
feel of what is moving, especially on "up" days.

I note the ones that interest me, then check the iYr. charts on
Globeinvestor.com using 50 and 200day moving averages. (Check the
5Yr. charts also.)

I then go to 5i under "Member Questions" for their opinion.
Keep a list of your likes on the Globe's "Stockwatch".

Listening to MarketCall on BNN is also helpful, and over time you
will find which Manager's style of investing you like.

Please post this only if you agree.

Q: Good morning 5 I!

This is just a comment, and a note of thanks. There's an excellent article on the Motley Fool website, by Morgan Housel, on The Wrong Way to Pay for Financial Advice (April 23).

It occurred to me that all 5I subscribers should be smiling all the way to the bank, given the fees that are potentially charged, against 5I subscriber fees. As a noted interest, there is also no comparison between 5 I and the Big Money Managers: quite simply, 5 I is better!

Here's the link: I think people might find it interesting

http://www.fool.ca/2014/04/23/the-wrong-way-to-pay-for-financial-advice/

Thanks for being there.

Q: For someone retired, age 60, no debt, no pension other than Gov't, and capital of 1.5 million, what would be your recommended asset allocation between cash, bonds, stocks etc and which, if any, of your recommended portfolios (or both as the case may be) would be appropriate in the equation. Thanks as always.

Q: Where to park cash in my trading accounts? I find myself holding large amounts of cash in my trading accounts waiting for a market pull back that hasn't really happened! This cash sits "not invested" Do you have any suggestions on where I could park this cash inside my trading accounts that's flexible for trading while earning income? I love the 5I concept and I have done very well following the 5I recommendations, thanks.

Q: Hello- is there a way to see a list of earnings estimate revisions (up or down)on a daily basis?
thanks

Q: Hi Peter and the 5i team,

I was wondering what your thoughts are on Home Bias and the ideal allocation to Canadian equities? A typical couch potato strategy evenly allocates 1/3rd to Canada, US, and International. Some prefer an even higher weighting to Canadian equities.

In July 2013, Mawer introduced a Global Balanced Fund (http://www.mawer.com/knowledge-centre/mawer-blog/the-evolution-behind-the-mawer-global-balanced-fund/) with a 2.70% weight to Canadian equities because they're "not convinced Canadian equities should dominate the equity portion."

I realize having a higher weight to Canada might lower some risk (ie. currency risk, familiarity with Canadian companies) but when we look at managing long-term risk and growth in a portfolio, does it still make sense to weight Canada at 1/3rd in your porfolio?

Thanks again,
Arneh

Q: Hi 5i Great article by Ryan Modesto,I think every investor should read this article and the next time they go to look at their portfolio read Ryans article first then look at the portfolio then read his article again ( good peace of mind )
Thx 5i for good solid advice

Q: Good Morning Peter -- and all the 5 I team as well!

I have a general question about how "not" to time the market, and how to exercise the better part of wisdom if one is interested in growth over present dividend yield.

For instance, ... if one holds a fairly decent company, but its sector happens to be out of favour at this time, and hence the stock price is flat lining, or even reversing, would it make sense to pull out that money and re-deploy it into other sectors that are favourable and ride another sector wave for a time -- or is it better to stand and hold, through good times and bad.

It seems counter-intuitive to me to watch dollars erode while other sectors revive and feeling helpless not to participate because cash is already tied up. I see the logic of a long term hold, in one sense, if someone has many years to spend in the investment market. But, in a shorter term context, for instance two years or less, is there any proven statistic that says you're better off standing your ground?

In one general example, as I watch profits erode from the Tech sector while the Energy sector takes fire, is there any point in holding on to tech companies that are flat lining?

In general, I think I know what your answer would be in terms of overall investment strategies. And yet, I still wonder, what your strategy would be as a portfolio manager. Would you hold, through thick and thin, or would you re-assess and re-allocate as each sector takes favour especially given a shorter term horizon?

As ever, I appreciate your thoughts and opinions, as they have guided me very well through thick and thin. Even before the days of signing up to this newsletter, which is coming up to my 6-month anniversary with 5I, I garnered great wisdom and opportunities through watching you on BNN -- ACQ being only one of many opportunities that you led me to! I always listen closely to what you say. Thanks.