Investment Q&A

Q: I'm looking to generate a reliable source of income to support my family's essential expenses over the next 5-10 years. Ideally, I want a mix of investment products with a high level of principal security (around 80%) while allowing for some capital risk (around 20%). What investment options would you suggest? Should I stick with GICs, or are there more creative approaches available?

Q: Now that the yield curve inversion spread has narrowed substantially from over 1.00 to about.20, is this a good sign for the mkt overall or a bad one? Thanks

Q: If you were in possession of a crystal ball, what do you think it would tell you if asked: "When will growth stocks return to favour and revert to the highest performing market segment?"

Q: How much more downside risk would there be in Canadian banks and utilities in the next year?

Thanks
Brian

Q: For some time 5i (and others) have noted that small cap valuations are low on a historic basis, and I also believe that you have commented that small caps often lead in a market turnaround? I really like a good "reversion to the mean" play, but what are the conditions for that to happen? I have to think inflation and higher interest rates are disproportionate headwinds for smaller companies vs large caps. What should one look for before buying a small cap ETF, or just forget the timing and figure you'll be happy in a few years one way or another? Thanks for your thoughts.

Q: This question is about interest rates and their effect on dividend paying stocks and tech stocks. Most people talk about rates going up or down but not if they stay where they are now. As a senior whose memory stretches back to the 70’s and beyond, these rates seem rather normal to me. A recent article by Howard Marks of Oaktree Investments ( a unit of Brookfield ) quotes him saying he believes that rates will not decline and will be staying around their current level for quite a while. If so, how would the dividend paying stocks ( banks, utilities, telecoms, reits, ) and the tech stocks react ? Thanks. Derek.

Q: Isreal/Hamas war.What is the impact on the US & Canadianstock markets,canadian banks,oil stocks and REIT?Will the war spread to involve other Middle East countries?,If it does,then what is the impact on the the US & Canadian stock markets,Can banks,oil stocks & Reit? Is it prudent to reduce stocks? Txs for U usual great services & views

Q: I am closing down a corporation which holds an investment account based loosely on the balanced equity fund. To close the corp. this year, I need to liquidate all the holdings by year end. The performance of the market in the last few months has made me somewhat reluctant to do this. Do you see hope for some rebound by year end or should I simply liquidate at the earliest convenience and forget about market noise?

Thanks for your advice.

Q: In Dec 2022, you answered Ron's question "Is the current inverted yield curve predicting a recession in the next 6 months?"
Can you answer it again almost 1 year later?
What percentage of time does a recession happen when the yield curve inverts, and on average how long does the recession last?
Would you move your money out of high risk investments at this point anticipating a recession?

Q: Everyone, if you can guesstimate for the remaining year were do you see the Nasdaq: up down; %. I see it up 10 to 15%. Clayton

Q: Hello there : many analysts are very bullish about AC, if not for a long term investment but more like a momentun investment would you agree to buy it now. thanks

Q: I am looking for large or mid cap cash rich companies that seem to be punished because the rest of the market is down.

Q: What is your top 6 picks regardless if Cad / US based / sectors. Also supply entry price and brief explanation on why you like your picks...Thanks for your help with this.

Q: There’s a widely held belief that a recession will occur fairly soon which would see the US ten year yield decline, but there are also bond experts now predicting that the yield could rise above 13% within seven years. If that happens, does it mean that dividend paying “bond proxies” like pipelines, telcos and utilities will just keep drifting lower? Does the same apply to mining companies? What’s the investment thesis for such assets in a world of rising yields?

Q: Everyone. AI is at the beginning of a great breakout in many industries. AI is in exponentially growth period and the early adopters will benefit but the biggest beneficiaries are yet to be identified. I didn’t understand the benefits of MSFT or APPL in their pre-real growth stages. Will AI change the stock market in a profound way the humans will not be involved ie the human stock pickers. What tech areas should I look for be looking for or are they in my view already? Should we believe in the large cap tech stocks will continue to lead, or buy, the AI technology revolution? Clayton

Q: A touchy question for sure. How much does the market follow "politics"?

Q: On Sept 7 Dave asked a currency question and your response was: ‘ The US economy does seem stronger, and we think the US dollar will outperform. Also, when investors get scared, and move to a 'risk off' mentality, they move to the US dollar for safety. Generally, we don't spend much time predicting currencies.’
We’ve recently come into some US dollars and are hoping you could provide some direction for us despite your reluctance to speculate. Brian Ackers’ prediction on BNN this week is the Canadian dollar will fall dramatically to 68 cents. We’re not interested in perfect timing but would like to convert some of it within the next 3-6 months. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Q: Everyone, if interest rates stay were they are today ( or higher) for three, four or five years - what would that do to the tech market? Specifically the large tech companies. Clayton

Q: Dear Peter et al:

This is a big picture, non-personal question of a "fictional" account of a million dollars :)

From your answers to various subscribers over a period of years, I know that you have always said the portfolio construction is based on individual's personal needs and wants. Agreed!
Hence this general question!

If one wants to have 20% of the portfolio in NON correlated, steady as she goes kind of stocks or bonds, what should one buy?
I see that even though the stocks and bonds are not correlated, in 2022 they both were severely punished. Gold hasn't gone anywhere. Energy was down now but has gone waay up!

Even the ardent fans of Technical Analysis seem to be "confused" about non performance of their Intermarket Analysis approach. (John Murphy)

So, the question is how can one construct a portfolio with non correlated assets and come up with an asymmetrical barbell portfolio (Nessim Taleb?)
I have been looking at Utilities, Financials, Emerging markets, bonds, Gold........nothing seem to be appealing!

Any words of wisdom?
Many thanks in advance.

Mano.

Q: Just a follow up to a previously answered question regarding which ETFs you would choose. What would be your weighting in a portfolio containing SPY, QQQ, IJH, AGG and VYM?

If you were to remove bonds (AGG) altogether, where would you allocate weighting?