Investment Q&A

Q: I have some consumer disc and staples stocks, but I am looking for a few USD with some momentum. Could you suggest a five or more, best to last that I can explore? Many thanks for all you do.

Q: regarding cyberark software - CYBR-US - do you think there is more upside in this stock? What do you think of this company for a long term investor - any other stocks in this sector you like - any stocks you like in the e-gaming space? - Thanks

Q: Hello, ABB has developed a flash charging option for buses which has been tested in Geneva and now being rolled out to bus manufacturers in China and India. What are your thoughts on investing in Abb as a company, its finances, prospects and management etc. Thanks.

Shyam

Q: Would appreciate your analysis and do you see it as a buy sell or hold.
Thanx Gary

Q: Are there any stocks that will benefit from the coronavirus scare?

Q: I seek your comments (substance only please) on VIAC and CMCSA. If I am incorrect on the following conclusions I made on VIAC, please yell at me:
- Debt is high and is not well covered
- YET the dividend looks supportable given cash flow
- Shares trade well below fundamental value (traditional definitions of value) by some 30% to 40%
- Business model is not the strongest but company has plans to replace cord-cutters with streaming services
- Future growth seems limited.... only 6% growth is expected by analysts (but earnings grew by 101% this past years)

Is VIAC a value trap? All I wanted for Christmas was a Bloomberg terminal. I didn’t get one. Still , when researching a stock I give much weight to BUSINESS model and risks thereto, AND to metrics like PEG, FCF , ROCI (not to book value which is meaningless except in certain sectors).

If not VIAC , based on the metrics I pay more attention to (above) , do you believe CMCSA is a better buy? I bought a half position in CMCSA after I read through the earnings release . CMCSA reported January 23 and fell sharply after the earnings release. CMCSA fell even more (more than S&P) the day after Friday January 24. I see that CMCSA is one of the top 30 holdings of hedge funds ---for what that is worth. Notwithstanding the negative momentum , is CMCSA a company one would be reasonably fine to add to instead of buying VIAC?

Q: Hi 5i,

What are your latest thoughts on this company? Do you know who their most relevant competitors are?

Thank you!
Dave

Q: I was planning to sell DFS but stopped when the stock price fell almost 10% after earnings release. Were the results THAT bad? The company stated its expenses were significantly higher than budgeted. There is insufficient information in the release or the call transcript for me to determine if the high expenditure is INVESTING in the business ---or just very poor management .

What is wrong with this idiot management... To wit: the company claimed expenses will be high due to tech. But the need for financial institutions to spend on technology is not new--- that’s been known for decades!

Earnings grew by 22% last year but are forecast not to grow at all next year.... does this sound correct or is the company setting a low bar for itself? Shares are now some 45% below fair value , it seems (?)

Can management be trusted after the incredibly poor budgeting and even worse marketing ? To quote Warren Buffet, “...be aware idiots will one day run the company you invest in” ( Source is the book “Snowball”). My efforts to escape dumb managements the world over have proven to be as futile as attempts to escape gravity.
Notwithstanding my above-noted frustrations, do you think its fine as a continuing hold based on:
PEG ; ROE ; ROCI and other measures like FCF etc

Q: Hi, I am looking to deploy some US dollars I have in cash. My thinking is to focus on US tech - in particular the software, internet and semiconductor industries. Could you recommend names in each industry you feel would be a good choice, considering solid companies with growth prospects that could be held longer term?
Thank you for all your hard work!
Dawn

Q: Any idea on the panic selling,, is it a buy??

Q: Hi Peter and Staff
Ready to dump Gilead (have PZE and JNJ) and put some $ into medical devices.
Please compare the merits of MDT vs STY and choose one with reason for doing so.
From stats I can see MDT is much more expensive and has a better chart to be sure.....all good if it earns and draws down the multiple I guess.
Thanks for all you do
Dennis

Q: What companies will benefit the most with the role out of 5G. I own both T & BCE for over 10 years: will they benefit in terms of increased activity - data and cloud computing?

Q: Hi Team, Your general thoughts on Texas Instruments after earnings please. I do own some as I think their technology will benefit from driver less vehicles and I do like the dividend. How is the growth profile? In my RRSP, is it a keeper ?Thank-you in advance. Sam

Q: Good morning,
I currently hold BABA.US in my RRSP and was considering a switch to AMZN.US. In an effort to further reduce risk while maintaining a tech component in my overall diversified portfolio, I'm now looking at selling my current BABA.US holdings and buying either QQQ.US or XLK.US which both hold some AMZN.US.
What are your thoughts on this potential move and of the two ETFs mentioned, which would you recommend and why?
I thank you and look forward to your response.
Francesco

Q: I took a position in Ituran Location and Control. I wanted to cross check if I was missing anything here. The company trades at a P/E ratio of 15.8. Based in Israel with sales mainly in Israel, And South America. 80% market share, 3.7% yield. Subscriber growth grew nicely in 2019. Missed three of the last 4 earnings and net income dropped over prior year, but operating cash flow has increased over the prior year. I think this drop in net income explains the share price drop. Insider ownership is high. Roe is good. Iturun owns 46% of a company called BRINGG a logistics platform for businesses with customers that include Walmart, McDonald’s and DoorDash which could be a hidden catalyst. I think I have a winner here... Considering the low valuation, what risks could I be missing?

Q: Could you please compare these two. Which one would you buy today?

Thanks,
Milan

Q: Any idea why Bank of America and JP Morgan are dropping the last several days even after they both reported stellar results - should I be taking my profit out now or hold ?

Q: Your analysis and view of this company hitting new highs and do you see more momentum. Buy,sell or hold?
Thanxs Gary

Q: hi there,

looking for an undervalued US financial to add to my portfolio. I own JPM, WF and PRU. Looking at the financials, this one seems to be growing but trading at a significant discount to its peers. Am i missing something or is there another US insurer you prefer?

Q: This company has one well known Rating Agency at "Strong Buy" and another at "Strong Sell". My December 2019 opening position is down 8%. The wide spread in ratings has me intimidated but still inclined to buy it on the way down.
Can you see something other than Boeing, that could be holding this stock back ?