Investment Q&A

Q: Could I get your analysis on MNW and would you consider it a buy at this time.
Thank You Dave

Q: I noticed in the Globe this morning an article about Chemtrade making a hostile takeover bid for Canexus. I own Chemtrade only and would like your opinion on the pros and cons of this action for Chemtrade. Also, any idea as to whether or not this would be a good acquisition for them? Many thanks, Don

Q: what is your take on their earnings, just announced. dave

Q: Hi Loblaw seems to go down on USD strength
My thinking is the pull back is an over reaction to a possible rate increase by Fed
Would a miniscule raise by the Fed have a major effect on USD/CAD?

Q: Recently I've sold some non performing stocks as well as stocks that were a very small portion of my portfolio in an effort to concentrate my portfolio on some higher quality, better performing stocks and I've come up with these 6. Wondering if you could rank these based on risk from less risky to most risky. I'm fairly conservative, tend to hold good quality companies for long periods (5-10 years) and I don't like a lot of volatility - I'd rather get a 5% return and sleep at night than a 10% return and stress about it.

Q: Hi. What is your assessment of this stock? I am thinking of selling a bit.

Q: I have 300 shares in my RRIF at a cost of $129, so I am a little underwater but happy to hold for the dividend. My question is: Potash has already cut its dividend at least once. What do you think will happen to the Agrium dividend after the merger?

Q: Is it worth hanging on to my potash shares? Is it possible this deal does not go through?

Q: 5i Team,

Looking to deploy new capital into a portfolio that consists of 5i's balanced portfolio mixed in with several companies from the growth & equity portfolios + some US exposure.

Any top picks / "pound the table" buys in your eyes right now, including any companies in the 5i portfolios? Thanks!

Q: Good Morning...
Could you please give me your top 5 stocks in the Consumer Staples sector and your top 5 stocks in the Consumer Discretionary sector. Thanks for your answer in advance.

Q: Hi, Would you please give me 1 or 2 names of your favorite blue chip stocks with little to no debt in each sector. Thank you.

Q: Could you please provide 4 or 5 volatile names names that one might trade for profit/ Thanx Robbie

Q: These three make up my tech sector which always seems to take the biggest hit when the market tanks like Fri. I am thinking of cutting one out. Which one would you consider to be the one prone to drop the most when the overall market behaves like this? I thought OTC would be the safest but it took the biggest hit Fri.

Q: Hi 5i Research team, I have a long term horizon, and more of a growth oriented investor profile. I prefer to well understand the companies I invest in. The technology sector represents a challenge for me in terms of software products, competition, rapidly changing conditions, obsolescence, variety of software portfolio, etc. So I would like to built a sector exposure based on a few companies instead of using an ETF. Based on reading 5i Research, I am thinking a combination of CSU, KXS, GIB.A, OTC, ESL, DSG, TCS, SYZ,SH. Do you agree with this strategy? Would you include some other companies in this list or replace some? In what order would you rank them in terms of total return potential over long term and overall quality? How many of them would be enough? Would you suggest another weighting than equal weight (2% each)? I also need criteria to manage this group since my understanding won't be up to par. How will I know when to sell, or when to over or underweight in some companies? I would not want to react too strongly to short term events (quarterly results). How would you suggest I implement this strategy (buying strategy)? Thank you, Eric

Q: I am putting together a portfolio called "Big Dogs"
I broke out the 10 largest stocks by market cap in each of the 10 sectors
I will invest in 3 of those stocks in each sector for a total of 30 stocks.Determining which 3 has been a challenge,looking at the usual--
dividends--eps--p/e-- market cap etc.Also have a bias toward your favourites.
Since I am only looking at the top 10 do you think I will be overlooking some better opportunities?I think perhaps, but I would go
crazy trying to look at the whole sector or even the top 20.I feel my odds of success are better sticking with the "Big Dogs"
Over all I will put 10k in each stock but not until I see a market
pull back which I feel is imminent.Perhaps I could have your thoughts on that as well.
This is not something new---What do you think of my idea and approach?

Q: BGI.UN has announced its annual redemption date for September, and its average NAV for the month of August, at $7.23. Is this the price at which it will redeem shares tendered?

Q: I have a $300,000 lump sum to invest for a little more than 10 years before there will be a need to start to taking income. What would you suggest is a reasonable time frame over which to make the purchases? I was considering equal purchases over a 3 month time frame (as opposed to a doing it all right away) but with the US presidential elections, all the talk of interest rate increases and tax loss selling I am wondering if three months is too quick.

Appreciate your insight.

Paul F.

Q: If there is correction what would be your HIGHEST conviction names to watch closely?
Thanks guys

Q: you have mentioned that twenty to twenty five stocks in a well diversified account is optimal. With both US and Can trading accounts in my RRSP would that be 20/25 in each account or combined. Thanks for all you do Ross

Q: I have owned UNS for a while in my TFSA, and could realize a nice profit. After reading the report on MG , which has a PE about half of UNS, and paying about twice the dividend, I am considering swapping. Holding for the long term in the TFSA . Good strategy or not?