Investment Q&A

Q: Sorry if this has been asked before, but how do analysts come up with earnings estimates? Seems quite arbitrary if companies that have intimate knowledge of their own operations already provide forecasts.

Q: I'm noticing that my xei dividend which is supposed to be paid out July 31 is not in my account yet (I'm with cibc).

I expected to see it today Aug 1. Not yet. What is the usual wait for everyone for their dividend to be paid in relation to the posted pay date?

Thanks

Q: This is a question about composition of a rrif. I am 77: as I age I can no longer rationally think of long term holdings ie 10 years. In your opinion would it be wiser to shift to ETFs . I probably have enough saved to last my twilight years. I prefer the clarity of stocks but I would also prefer to be ten years younger.
Thanks for your wisdom

Q: We hear a lot about which companies might do well with AI, but we don't hear much about who does not. Surely there must be losers, perhaps companies that currently offer services that will be turned over to cheaper bots as AI progresses through the economic system? Your thoughts are appreciated.

Q: Hi Peter,

In a long-term account (20+ years), could you please describe what asset allocation you would choose (including %)? Would you stick to stocks and bonds and gold, or are there any other asset classes you'd want exposure to?

Thanks as always!

Q: Hi 5i,
I hope you might help with my education ...
I have trouble getting my mind around the concept and basis for owning hedged vs unhedged. I know it has to do with currency valuations but beyond that I'm afraid I don't really understand it.
As a real world example to work off, I've owned TXF (the hedged version) for a long time and have noticed that it's pretty consistently been out-performed by its unhedged counterpart, TXF.B. I bought some TXF.B thinking to at least even things up and ironically since then the hedged version has been doing somewhat better.
My problem is that I really don't understand the mechanics of how it works, and why hedged is better in some circumstances but not in others - and even what those circumstances are.
I know hedging is something i should understand better, and I hope you can give me a primer, even though it's likely a pretty basic concept and also likely not that difficult to understand. I just seem to have a block and don't feel like I've grasped the concept or the important factors to consider when thinking about it.
Thanks!
Peter

Q: Hi 5i, came across a very cool site full of information on economic events, pls share with the group. And no I'm not getting any commish :;

https://tradingeconomics.com/calendar

Q: hello
Per Chris s July 27 question and a fellow 5i member also at a substantial loss to date - does any of the respective 5iii analysts in fact own these positions also ?
* There was no disclaimer in your answer.

Q: I use the above extensively, and currently setting up some different approaches for stock selection. The one I use most is PE, book value per share, Cash flow per share, and Peg Ratio which has been uselful.
Can 5I share some of the parameters they use for finding some undiscovered stocks that can produce multi baggers and the numbers used
I hope I have laid out sufficient info for the question.?
Thanks Rick

Q: Yesterday, in an answer to a question about a small cap ETFs, you referred to XSU. That appears to be Canadian hedged but has a double layer of holdings by way of holding a share in a US fund, making it less efficient tax wise. Are there any other funds trading in Canada that are hedged but own the holdings directly? If so, can you pls indicate if you see them as a suitable place to invest. Thank you

Q: Peter; How do you determine a stock is “ under accumulation “? Thanks
Rod

Q: I am not a beginner but want to trade options which course would you recommend?

Q: Hi 5i
Can you comment on what’s expected from the “Mag 7” stock price action from Tsla, Amzn, Goog, Msft, Nvda, Meta and Nflx this coming week as the Nasdaq 100 is being re- balanced over the weekend and some of these names could be affected price wise?

Thnx much
Dave

Q: Do you know of any free resources where I can easily check a companies outstanding share count over time?

Thank you!

Q: hello 5i:
in a recent reply to a question on ATS, you said earnings for March 2023 were $1.62. But, here's a copy and paste from the corporate website:
Adjusted basic earnings per share1 increased 3.0% year over year to $2.37.
Can you clear up the discrepancy please?
And, with estimates of '24 being 2.68 to 2.69, this would give a much slower growth rate than you're projecting (13.5% yoy)
thanks
Paul L

Q: I manage part of my portfolio and RBC DS manages the other part, but they need to clear any buys/sells through me. Yesterday they called to suggest I move to a fully managed portfolio, suggesting it could do better when they don't have to call me for each trade, and possibly lose valuable time. They said it would mean disposing of what I now own to bring it into alignment with their managed portfolio, which holds the same positions for all of their managed portfolios, and in this way they can buy/sell with one push of a button. They said the cost would be the same 1,75% that I pay now. Making such a move would have a big tax consequence for me as I've been with them since 1999, and there are some fairly large gains. I realize that I could make the move over two calendar years, but that aside, I have to wonder what I'd be paying for, it seems like the personal service would no longer be there, and they would collect the 1.75% from everyone for making one decision for everyone in the managed portfolio. And, would this be a managed portfolio over the larger RBC DS, (watering down the service further) or just their office. Because you have managed portfolios in the past, please let me know the pros and cons of making such a move. Thanks!

Q: Previous question, you claimed a 15.9X forward earnings multiple. We need $1.49 earnings to get there Y2024. From TD, I have mean estimates of $1.18 (7 brookers, from $0.98 to $1.42). The question is: what is the provenance of your source? Bloomberg? Which one should I rely on and why please.
Thanks

Q: Recently I see articles about “alternative” investments as a means of diversifying the portfolio. They are often written by fund managers suggesting their product.
1. What are considered alternative investments?
2. How does the individual investor access them directly?
3. Does adding them to a portfolio mix make a more diversified portfolio ie: add stability?
Thanks as usual.

Q: Scotiabank Canadian Low Volatility Index (2 year) Minimum Guaranteed Return 4%, Maximum Full Term Return 11%. A friend has it, she can't explain how it works.

Could you please explain to a person like myself who cannot understand how someone would get 11%, would it still take 2 years to get the 11%?

What is the minimum amount to be able to purchase this?

Are these things something knowledgeable financial individuals like yourself might buy?

Thank you.

Q: From time to time, Reuters issues statements like, "NYSE ORDER IMBALANCE [symbol] [quantity] SHARES ON [BUY|SELL] SIDE"; what is this saying?