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Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: Hi 5i Team - Just wondering if you could give me your opinion on whether Lightspeed might be in a similar growth position that Shopify was a few years ago. I am not asking for a firm prediction here, just a general idea. Also what are the similarities and differences to Shopify's business structure.
Since this is my third question in the last two days and it is still the holiday weekend please feel free to take your time in responding - no rush.
I hope everyone had a good long weekend!
Cheers.
Rob
Read Answer Asked by Rob on August 04, 2020
Q: Hi 5i Team - I have held Shopify in two accounts for several years now and although I have sold much of it over the past couple of years at a substantial profit (thanks to your advice) there is still some left which it seems becomes more significant each passing month. I find myself, however, unable to describe it's business with any degree of confidence to other people. Could you provide me with a simple description of exactly what it does in plain terns that I could relate to others.
Who are Shopify's customers and clients - do these terms mean the same thing - and how many are there. Do they have other relationships with large corporations beside Amazon and what exactly is that relationship with Amazon. I feel I should have an understanding of all of this but it very limited.
Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Rob on August 04, 2020
Q: Thoughts on trimming some SHOP at record highs and buying some more WELL? SHOP position at 10% and WELL at 2%. I'm currently overweight tech at around 28%. What news or fundamentals would you wait for to further add to your WELL position? This is for a TFSA and looking for long term growth. Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Keith on July 30, 2020
Q: What is your top choice for playing the gold sector? This will be my only exposure to precious metals.

What are your top 10 growth names (Canada or US) for a new investment with a minimum 5 year hold? I'm not concerned about sector diversity or weighting because we're well diversified in other, larger parts of our portfolio.

Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Ben on July 29, 2020
Q: Hello. I have about $75,000 to invest in my tfsa. Please give me your top 10 recommendations Canadian or US.

Thanks, Mike
Read Answer Asked by Michael on July 27, 2020
Q: Peter and crew; I hold shares in both Lightspeed and shopify, the former plods along at a snails pace and the later is on fire. Is it just the difference between the Canadian and US markets or are there other fundamentals I should be aware of. I currently hold US funds that could be used if a better choice could be made in the US markets.
I have been more than pleased with your past suggestions and look forward to your comments..
Read Answer Asked by John on July 21, 2020
Q: Dear 5i team:
Your software indicates our family’s investments are too Canadian-focused. However, I prefer our “home bias”, for three reasons:
(a) most of our assets are non-registered, and the dividend tax credit is especially favourable for Canadian source dividends in a province such as ours (Ontario);
(b) I like supporting the companies that I invest in (e.g., we buy Peller family wines, since we own their shares);
(c) but most important, many of the “Canadian” businesses we own are surprisingly international; among our top 20 equity holdings are:
Alimentation couche-tarde (Circle K is world-wide);
Brookfield Asset Management (globally focused company that invests wherever the opportunities are);
CGI Group (revenues are 84% outside Canada per 2019 annual report);
CP Rail (significant U.S. revenues);
Fortis (65% of earning are in U.S.);
Manulife (growing Asian revenues);
Restaurant Brands International (most of Burger King and Popeye’s restaurants are outside of Canada);
Shopify (not sure, but suspect international revenues are growing faster than Canadian revenues);
TC Energy (dropped “Canada” from its name to reflect its growing U.S. presence);
TD bank (substantial and growing U.S. presence);
Anyways, the above-listed 10 stocks represent about one-third of our overall equity holdings (in absolute $ terms), but I would not consider these companies as being “100% Canadian”. I wonder whether your software could be rejigged to reflect the relative percent earnings (or revenue) contributions, broken down per Canada, U.S., Europe, Asia, and so forth. I suspect our home “bias” is not nearly as substantial as it appears.
Ted
Read Answer Asked by Ted on July 21, 2020
Q: Whenever there are these swings in the market from growth/tech to value/consumer it makes me think about diversification. I have also noticed that companies that bring tech to another field are thriving. Examples being SHOP bringing technology to consumers, REAL bringing it to consumers and real estate, VEEV bringing it to health care, etc.... Also the US markets just recategorized to decrease the amount of technology companies. I am presently 27% technology but only if I place REAL and AMZN in consumer, GOOG in communications , etc.

I own all the above listed companies except ROP. I am currently considering selling LSPD (technology or should just categorize it as consumer) to buy ROP (industrial or is it technology). This would bring technology to under 25% and increase Industrials and US exposure which I am underweight in. The problem is that I can’t help but think that I am making a trade just to make the diversification boxes all line up. One could easily consider ROP as technology.

In the medical profession we have a term for this. “Euboxic”. Which means making all the lab values line up to hope for the best but often with no real value added.
Read Answer Asked by Paul on July 17, 2020
Q: Hi group here we go again - Tech stocks getting hammered - do you recommend selling (or buying more) on any or these recent high flyers KXS + Shop +Real+Visa Score + Docu and so on

Also can you recommend a silver stock that makes sense in this market Thanks for your guidance it really helps
Read Answer Asked by Terence on July 14, 2020
Q: If you were permitted to trade on both sides, my guess is you trade near 100% in the US.
If my assumption is wrong, over and above already owned US stocks, which ones would you get in Canada ?
And would you buy now or wait ?

Thanks for your help.
Read Answer Asked by Luc on July 13, 2020
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