Investment Q&A

Q: Hi, I am interested in learning more about options trading. While I’ve dabbled with it for years, (selling puts and calls and buying calls), I have a very superficial understanding in this area. Are there any courses you could recommend excluding those that require prerequisites. Thank you.

Jason

Jason

Q: Pardon my ignorance if I’m missing something with this question. I understand that the market worries about leveraged companies in an inflationary environment, and that is a legitimate concern with real consequences. But at the same time, as the price (in dollars) per unit of value increases, so must the price of those same companies that have a tangible value. Holding a company whose stock price might decline in the short to medium term due to market worries but whose fundamental value will eventually be measured in more dollars (ie a higher share price) due to that same inflation seems a whole lot better than holding cash whose buying power erodes as the price per unit of value increases. Is that a fair argument?

Q: Gregory asked for a list of books on investing. I just came across this list on the Kiplinger website, which may prove useful.

https://www.kiplinger.com/investing/601813/best-books-for-beginning-investors-2021-22

Q: NEO Exchange CDR product. I cannot determine how the hedging works by adjusting the CRR exchange ratio, being the actual shares held. Do you follow it.
It appears that both the exchange gain and loss are eliminated by adjusting the number of shares held.
What is the cost of having this hedge. Where is that disclosed.

Q: Hi 5i Team,

Would you be able recommend any good books on general investing in the stock market? Looking for something to read this holiday break.

Thank you in advance.

Q: Hi everybody,
I know you don’t trust much analysts’ price target, but I’m still trying to get a picture for NFI.

Your Market Data shows recommandations from only 3 analysts 1Buy/1Hold/1Sell. TipRanks have 7 (4B,2H,1S), Yahoo Finance shows 8 analysts (6 Buy in November), BMO Investorline gives at least 6 recent price targets (mostly cuts). This is a bit frustrating… How often are the Market Data recommandations updated ? Can we rely on up to date Key Ratios?

Thanks.

Q: Hello 5i,

Fresh off a short attack on NVEI the US government has acknowledged they are looking into short-selling. It will be the usual debacle that accomplishes nothing.

Unethical short-selling while launching documents to the general public will only stop when disgruntled investors take matters into their own hand and remove upper management staff in organizations such as Spruce Point Management. Their philosophy is to repeat the NVEI and LSPD short-selling fiasco as a strategy to make huge profits.

It is truly unfortunate that human greed exceeds logical life decisions, It is amazing how many push this limit when it comes to money.

I'll be chilling in Cuba with a few drinks next week. Hopefully Ben Axler sits beside me. Now THAT would present an interesting life decision.

Cheers,

Q: Dear 5i,
Currently, I use a Canadian discount brokerage which charges $9.99 per trade. I generally do not trade much and I am not a professional trader, but I am considering having one or two more accounts where I may trade more frequently. I read an article which stated that some "commission free" brokerages may make money by/from:
1. foreign exchange fees
2. delaying market data
3. sending trades to 3rd parties
Can you help explain how a broker makes money by delaying market data?
Can you help explain if #2,3 may apply for accounts held with a Canadian "commission free" broker? Would this also apply to a Canadian "non commission free" broker?

thanks

Q: Peter's column citing some "unusual events" during his time in the investment industry was most interesting. and, so real. thanks for sharing!

Q: Hello Peter,
If one of your members wants to donate credits, I am happy to take some of them. There have been many questions on Nuvei, and do apologize for another one. However, my biggest concern is not the short sellers. Regulations take time and there will always be companies looking to profit from potentially fake news or reports. I am more concerned about the firms that are happy to raise money from companies like Nuvei, sell stock to their clients (as we see many analysts from firms having much higher targets for the company prior to short seller), but when a negative report comes out, very few come out and defend the company, especially when the company comes out with a release that their guidance is intact. In some ways, it makes one think whether it is really worth putting monies in high growth companies as when something goes wrong, the retail investor is left holding the bag with less monies than invested. I have two portfolios, one conservative with BAM, banks, costco, etc and other with high growth. The conservative portfolio over a ten year period has done much much better. Please comment on the investment industry on their lack of response (well some did but not to a great extent). Also, can you comment why Enghouse is lower and lower after the company announced a potential sale. I was expecting it would surge slightly. Many thanks for the service over the years and the various questions from the investors.

Q: Thank you to everyone at 5i for all your excellent information and patience with many of the questions.

I hope that the many accolades you receive obliterate the criticizers.
Please don't change anything to accommodate the know-it-alls!

I wish you all the best of the season and throughout 2022 and far beyond.

Best Regards

Q: Hi
From earlier question about ATD

The conversion was not completed smoothly.
I was informed, to keep placeholder, Broker used U.S. available version until corrected.
The situation will be rectified over next two days. Maybe even by Friday
Dave

Q: I agree with Joel about the passive response from Canadian companies and sometimes you need to give the antagonist a bloody nose otherwise they will never stop doing this. These shorters need our shares to short and the institutions are only allowed to lend those out from a margin account, so I believe. I do wonder if in fact that is the case.
The only way you can be sure that your shares are secure in your regular account is if you hold those shares physically as stock certificates. Who does that today in this electronic age?

The regulators need to do much more in preventing this rape of our portfolios happening.

If nothing is done, no stock will be safe, this will continue, people will still panic and the long term objective of realizing your nest egg will take a lot longer as these attacks can technicaly damage the stock.

I have been a customer of 5i since 2013 and am in a position that I am very comfortable with my portfolio today thanks to your help. I very rarely need to ask a question and therefore I am happy to donate 3/4 of my 168 question credits.

Keep up the good work

Peter

Q: FYI, I think Citron since last year are no longer publish sell report...

Q: Not a question, just my thoughts.
I understand the need for people to question companies business practices etc. but I think that there should be (monetary) repercussions to the SHORT REPORT authors if they have no facts to prove their thesis. Seems that when a report comes out making accusations of fraud, the affected business is deemed guilty until it can prove it's innocence. Meanwhile, the short seller walks away laughing with a pile of money. Individuals have rights if they are personally attacked and have legal recourse when they are slandered. Why are businesses treated differently?
Comments?

Q: Hi Peter/Ryan can you comment on this short report and why it affects stocks so negatively. Thanks

Q: Its great when companies that are under short attack, such as LSPD and now also NVEI, post earnings in successive quarters to prove up their business and invalidate the short thesis. But why stop there? Why do these companies not take the opportunity to very aggressively buy back their own shares? Even if it requires adding some leverage to the balance sheet with cheap debt if needed. Reducing the float is good for earnings, good for existing shareholders and very bad for short sellers.

The passive response of Canadian companies under attack invites more attacks. Carl Ichan killed some very committed shorts in Herbalife, a truly garbage company, using more aggressive tactics.

Thanks.

Q: When you go to search and you get target price, history and then analyst's recommendations on the stock on NVEI Canadian, it is rated a strong buy. On NVEI US, it is rated a moderate buy. Are these analysts doing the rating third party analysts because Spruce Point analysts have quite a different opinion about NVEI than they do. I am skeptical about the ratings of these analysts - are they the same ones who rate other stocks? Thanks

Q: Good Morning Peter & Team,

You are going to correct me where I am wrong as you should, but I am having a struggle understanding how a company such as NVEI can experience a 50% share value loss in less than 24 hours based on a report generated by a third party the contents of which may very well be exaggerated and dare I say it, even worse be false in nature purely for the purpose of profiteering on a short bet. Are there not laws in place to prevent this kind of market manipulation from taking place? How can investors such as ourselves protect ourselves from this? Maybe the first step is to avoid investing in stocks which have high multiples like NVEI @ 121? That doesn't seem to make sense considering other companies having much high multiples i.e. TSLA @ P/E 341

Thanks for all you do

gm

Q: Hi Guys
I don't see how bonds can have a stabilizing effect on portfolios in todays fast paced electronic trading platforms.
Between Feb 2020 & Mar 2020 my holdings in XLB dropped roughly 23.3 % XRB also dropped a similar amount.
Looking forward to your answer.
Thanks Guys !