Investment Q&A

Q: U article dated Dec 14 did not show REIT as a sector. Note that U rated ZRE a C non-Cyc. in the Income port. Please advise the sector for REIT .Txs for u usual great services & views Please do not deduct a precious credit

Q: They say history doesn’t repeat but it rhymes. Well the last time we had a PM named Trudeau, we had supply shocks, monetary expansion, and runaway inflation, which was followed by double digit interest rates and much pain. Now I just saw a headline that a senate staffer leaked estimate of 35% inflation increase next year. What would your general advice be to investors in the event that this plays out this time as it did back then?

Q: Wondering when looking at asset allocation, not every sector can do well in all environments. As we see, growth stocks are under pressure as are utilities, renewables, emerging markets, and gold hasn't been doing too well either. Some fund managers brag that they are only in sectors rising and doing well--a reason to invest in their funds/expertise. In a reflationary environment the sectors I listed are not going to do well. However, my problem with holding only a couple sectors is that this can change at any time. So.... what are your thoughts on having this diversification where some things go up and others go down. My experience is that you never know when things will switch. And, isn't a good company that was recommended three months ago still a good company today, just facing other headwinds. OR..... is it foolish to own utilities and these growth stocks in a reflationary environment. Would it make sense to add to utilities/growth stocks as they go down?? Thank you for your insight.

Q: Like many here I am nervous about buying fixed income in the current situation. You often mention that most people will be sorry when things turn around and stocks fall. Well, I get that. Even though we would have enough to survive even with a fairly large drop in the value of stocks. But, I realise that it would not be fun. So, what to get in terms of fixed income. I have mentionned in other questions that I would be inclined to get something completely sure for this component of a portfolio. Unfortunatly, it is likely to lose money, when inflation is considered. So, is it worth it to go further afield and enlarge the fixed income space? Here is what a popular blogger writes about this question. I would appreciate it if, with your experience and judgement, you could comment on it:

Another fallacy to dispel is that the 40% of a 60/40 should be in bonds. Nope. Many govy bonds suck and will be creamed as rates rise. So this is a really bad idea. That fixed income portion of the portfolio should be made up of short-duration bonds, some corporate invest grade issues, a floating-rate bond ETF and a healthy weighting of rate reset preferreds, which rise in value along with the prime.

thanks as usual for the great service

Q: Hi! I have a question about my ETF portfolio. I currently own XIC, XEF and XEC and I'd like exposure to the U.S. market (S&P) and NASDAQ. Should I do this in my Canadian account through a Canadian ETF that tracks the U.S. indices or in U.S. dollars in a U.S. account like the IVV. I'd prefer to do it in CDN dollars. Are there major advantages or disadvantages to either option?

Thanks,
Jason

Q: If you were to buy one stock in Canada for about a five year investment horizon, disregarding any risk factors, but able to sleep at night which would you recommend? Not including Constellation Software and dividends don't matter either way thanks?

Q: Hi Guys
I don't see how bonds can have a stabilizing effect on portfolios in todays fast paced electronic trading platforms.
Between Feb 2020 & Mar 2020 my holdings in XLB dropped roughly 23.3 % XRB also dropped a similar amount.
Looking forward to your answer.
Thanks Guys !

Q: Hi
The income model portfolio contains about 2% fixed income/bonds. Is the model portfolio meant to be followed as it is or are investors to decide on their own allocation to fixed income/bonds? I have been disappointed in my bonds. I know they can help soften the blow in a market crash but this is pretty expensive insurance so to speak. What is your position on bonds? Should one be increasing their bonds at this point in the market?
Thanks

Q: Do you think that Nasdaq stocks are now more attractive as a result of the steep drop in U.S bond yields.

Q: Is the 30 day ruling on tax loss selling based on calendar days or business days and is it based on date of sale or settlement date.

Q: Hi Everyone at 5i! I need your advice. I have a non registered portfolio, half I have invested in Canadian and US growth and income stocks. The other half I would like to invest in something more secure. GICs come to mind, but with low interest rates, inflation and unfavourable taxation, they seem like a loosing proposition. Any low risk suggestions??? Thank you for all that you do!!! Cheers, Tamara

Q: My 20 year old grandson is about to step into the investing world. His plan is long term but his portfolio will be small to start. Can you suggest a starting point? I can teach him all the lessons you have taught me since 2013 but we just need a starting point.

Q: If buying US shares in my TFSA am I better to buy USD then purchase the stock? Or just buy the shares using CAD?

Dealing with about 75K CAD

Q: Hello Peter,

With the uncertainty created by the new variant likely to impact the economy and delay interest rate hikes I am preparing for extreme market reaction in the margin account where I might have to lighten up the portfolio.
I would appreciate if you could grade the sectors and subsectors to reduce first, from the list below.
Industrials, Technology, Digital payments/lending, Faangs, Online Retailers/commerce and in general high growth(&value) companies that have taken a hit over the last week or so.
I apologize if the question has got jumbled up, but would appreciate your rationalized response.
As always, your opinion and suggestions are highly valued.
Regards
Rajiv

Q: Hello Peter,

If one wants to own just one North American stock in the digital payment space, which one would you recommend? And if two, which would be the other one? Would there be enough differentiation or a low correlation to justify having two stocks in a portfolio?
In a similar vein, could you give me your recommendations (excluding GSY) in the lending/credit space?
Thank you in advance.
Regards
Rajiv

Q: For example, I have 200 TD shares at a cost of $50 EA in my cash account with Questrade. I have built this up over the last few years. I have NOT done anything at Tax Time, re: Div Tax Credit, Gross Up, etc. Should I be doing something? Each year I simply filed my Tax return based on what Questrade sent to me & the CRA.

Thank you!

Q: 5i, good morning
My question is on the new 3% surtax on big banks, insurance proposed by the current government, how (if any) would affect to investors holding banks/insurers stocks, or even a simple saving account!
Is it time to move away from Bank/Insurance investments?
Thank you!

Q: Hi Peter,

Maybe we are wrong but it seems that investment sites are approaching the end of the year and 2022 with caution. The topics of correction and reduce risk are common themes mixed in with inflation and interest rates.

If you were a medium risk - just retired person, which 15 stocks and/or ETF's would you hold right now (no bonds)? How much, if any cash would you sit on to buy dips or on corrections.

Cheers,
Debbie and Jerry

Q: Hi Peter & 5i,

Just a comment. I always find your answers to ROC (Return of Capital) perplexing to me. 5i seems to view ROC as almost a completely negative situation and that you are almost always receiving your own money back. That is just not the case. Today's response to a question from Albert regarding the ROC with regards to CAR.UN and REIT'S highlighted this situation even more. I like a stock (CAR.UN) that has went from $30 in 2016 and is $60 in 2021 and that 63.8% of the distribution during those 5 years has been ROC. Multiple great things to like in a non-registered account from a total return basis and a tax scenario.

The technical details for ROC and REIT's can be highlighted in this response from John Heinzl of the Globe and Mail. It is one of the best answers that I've seen.

Please post as Public if you think it can help with the ROC understanding.

This is the question posed to John Heinzl - I have a question about calculating the yields of real estate investment trusts. Many REITs distribute significant amounts of return of capital. It has never made sense to me to include getting my own money back when calculating my yield. Do posted yields need to be adjusted by deducting the ROC to get a more realistic idea of what one is receiving?

Answer - Return of capital doesn’t necessarily mean you are “getting your own money back.” In general, ROC is defined as the portion of a distribution that does not consist of dividends, interest, realized capital gains or other income. In some cases – for example, a high-yielding mutual fund that distributes so much ROC that its net asset value erodes over time – you are indeed getting paid with a portion of your original capital.

But with REITs, it’s not that simple. ROC typically arises when a REIT’s distributions exceed its taxable income. This isn’t necessarily a problem, however, because income is affected by accounting items, such as depreciation, that don’t reduce cash available for distributions. In other words, when you receive ROC, you are getting cash generated by the business, not some sleight-of-hand trick by the REIT.

For investors, ROC has one big advantage: It is not taxed immediately. Rather, ROC is subtracted from the investor’s adjusted cost base, which gives rise to a larger capital gain – or smaller capital loss – when the units are eventually sold. For REITs that distribute large amounts of ROC, it can significantly reduce the tax burden in non-registered accounts.

Interested in a particular REIT? Most REIT websites provide a detailed annual breakdown of the tax characteristics of their distributions. In addition to distributing ROC, REITs typically pay out capital gains (50 per cent of which is taxable), other income (which is fully taxable) and in some cases, dividends (which benefit from the dividend tax credit).

One final note: When assessing their operating performance, many REITs focus on real estate cash-flow measures, such as funds from operations (FFO) and the more stringent adjusted funds from operations (AFFO). These measures are also useful for determining a REIT’s payout ratio and assessing the sustainability of its distributions.

Q: It's almost mid November, is it possible to name some stocks that will probably have some tax loss selling and because of this may become attractive at the lower price?

thanks,

Paul