Investment Q&A

Q: Hi Peter, I'm limited in cash at the moment and would like to start a position with either BN or BAM. If only one could be picked, which one of these would you favor for a TFSA and why? Thanks, Nick

Q: Hi,

Now that the dust has settled and the BN/BAM spinoff is complete, I have the BN shares in my accounts but wanted to confirm the split and avg. costs showing before and after in my brokerage account and if its correct. Sometimes when they manually update avg. prices for these kind of things, they enter it wrong.

Before spinoff and after spinoff shares and avg. cost:

Account 1: BAM 393 shares @39.09 ------- BN 393 shares @33.11, BAM 98 shares @29.50

Account 2: BAM 601 shares @51.60 ------- BN 601 shares @33.11, BAM 150 shares @29.50

Account 3: BAM.TO 151 shares @44.97 ---- BN.TO 151 shares @45.22, BAM 37 shares @40

Account 4: BAM.TO 150 shares @65.64 -----BN.TO 150 shares@45.22, BAM 37 shares @40


1. For account 3 and 4, if I had 151 shares and 150 shares and divide by 4 to get new BN shares, I get 37.75 and 37.50 shares after. Do brokerages usually round down? I thought I would have gotten 38 shares of BN after the spinoff.

2. When I compare my cost basis before and after, it should be the same correct? Looks like they assigned these prices of $33.11, $29.50, $45.22 and $40 to each of my BN and BAM shares after. Where did they get these from and if incorrect, what should they be after for BN and BAM?

3. When I look at account 2:
Before: BAM 601 x $51.60 = $31,011.
After: BN 601 x 33.11 = $19,899, BAM 150x$29.50= $4,425 (Total = $24,324)
Why did my cost basis go down from $31k to $24k? Something is not correct here.

I would like to contact my brokerage and have them update my avg. cost for BN and BAM but wanted to clarify these few things before I do.

Thank you for your help!

Q: Down 25% plus on these two subsidiaries so considering a tax loss sale. Would BN be a suitable proxy and stay onside with CRA rules? Other ideas?

Q: Selling BN:US for Tax Loss. Please suggest a proxy - I plan to buy it back after 30 business days.

Q: I have been following the Questions and have been a keen reader of the opaque notices and statements from Brookfield . I own units in all the subsidiaries mentioned above too. So I am trying to keep position size of each in mind when I look at the BN holding corp and allocate it to the various sectors, Months ago, before the split you had answered a question confirming that the BAM.A sectoral breakout was 39% financial, 35% RE, 16% industrial, 10% energy?? Does this breakout still apply to BN and/or BAM or is there a new breakout given the spinout of the new corporation.