Investment Q&A

Q: My TFSA is roughly equal parts EIF, LMN, and WELL. MY TFSA is roughly 5 % of total reg. and non registered accounts. I am retired and have used my TFSA for more growth orientated stocks; with limited success. I am looking to replace these stocks ( which I also hold in other accounts ) , with HTA. I hold HTA in other accounts as well. HTA gives me access to 20 of the largest tech stocks and an 8% return which I receive every month ( important to a retiree ). Am looking at doing this in stages with EIF first and then the other two depending on fundamentals, relative value, etc.

Would you do this in stages or in one shot recognizing that I own these in other accounts ?
Your thoughts of HTA as a single holding in a TFSA to be representing 8 % of total portfolios ?

Thanks. Derek

Q: Hi 5i In a registered account
I've held TXF, TXF.B and HTA for quite a while, all at roughly the same cost base. In terms of total return HTA at 52% has outperformed TXF (10.3%) and TXF.B (38%) substantially, although I've got no real complaints about TXF.B's performance.
TXF and TXF.B have the same portfolio holdings, so I assume the vast difference in total return between them is solely due to hedging.
My questions;
Based on your view of the foreseeable future, do you think TXF.B will continue to substantially outperform TXF based on US vs. CDN currency differences? and
Would you endorse selling TXF and putting the proceeds 50/50 into HTA and TXF.B or in some other proportion? (TXF.B and HTA have quite different holdings so I was thinking that splitting TXF proceeds between them rather than all into HTA might be sensible ...).
Thanks - I look forward to your thoughts.
Peter

Q: I'm looking to add some tech exposure and am considering one of the following three ETFs: QMAX, HTA, TXF.
They're all pretty similar but which one do you feel is the best for long term growth and income and why?
I know QMAX's strategy is a little bit different than the other two in that they use "at the money" calls ... is this a positive or a negative?

Thanks, Rick

Q: Pls. compare and contrast TXF and HTA and secondly what straight equity ETF's would have a similar tech leaders approach to their holdings?
Thank you, Hugh

Q: hi 5i, if picking one (today) which one would you choose , for my RRSP.
thanks

Q: A final (?) adjustment to my RRIF. I would like to add some Tech with a dividend component. I would appreciate your thoughts on HTA as an option. If you have other comments or suggestions they would be most welcome. Thanks Dan.

Q: Setting up a simple-to-manage, taxable account, with the goal of reasonable stability/safety of capital and the generation of tax efficient income of 4-5% (ideally dividends so Canadian Div tax credit can be used) . Could I please get your comments or alternate suggestions on the following:
25% in VDY, ZUT, HTA and the final 25% split between EIF and BAM. I believe all of these distribute eligible dividends, other than HTA which seems to be Return of Capital / Capital gains.
Registered accounts are held in diversified equities.
Many thanks.

Q: My TFSA is comprised of EIF (up), WELL ( down) and LMN ( up ) in equal amounts and is 4 % of my total ( cash and RRIF ) portfolios. I am not afraid of risk in my TFSA. I am looking at replacing EIF with HTA with the eventual goal of having HTA as my sole RRIF holding. I hold HTA
(5%) and EIF (2%) in my other portfolios. I like HTA for the combination of tech with high income. EIF has been good to me over the years but has been in decline for quite some time. Has something fundamental changed with this company ? HTA would be my only tech holding amongst my portfolios being almost 10% of value. Does this approach make sense?
Thanks. Derek

Q: So a lot of people think that interest rates have peaked and are set to go down, thus the market reacts positively. I believe that interest rates have peaked BUT will remain higher for longer. I anticipate that the market will initially react negatively to this but eventually will settle down to the new reality and continue to react to such metrics as earnings growth etc..
Recognizing that no one really knows the future, what would be the likely scenario ( short and long term ) for each of the sector ETF’s I am invested in : Canadian banks , American tech, American healthcare, Canadian large cap industrials/ utilities. Thanks. Derek.

Q: I have incorporated these ETF’s into my RRIF with the goal of deferring taking capital from my principal ( mandatory and rising % withdrawal requirements ). They now represent 33% of total portfolio. My TFSA and cash accounts equal my
RRIF and are more growth oriented. The ETF’s give me a high yield, diversified portfolio of solid large cap, primarily low growth companies in Canada and the US. So I ask myself “ Why don’t I have my RRIF be 100% of these 5 ETF’s ? What say you ?

Thanks Derek.

Q: ETF to invest in AI in Canada .

Q: I would like to dip my toe into the AI waters using an ETF several of which you have mentioned. Unfortunately they are all on the NYSE.Am I wrong, as a Canadian, in avoiding the NYSE for fear of endless red tape and possible US taxes? I assume that there are no AI ETFs on the TSX or you would have mentioned them, I may have missed them.Thanks in advance and for all your great work.Rick

Q: Maybe the Globe's listings are simply inaccurate. But it shows HTA as doing much less poorly than HTAE, which basically only invested in HTA and has a higher monthly dividend. The G&M shows HTA is up 33% ytd but HTAE is up almost 44%. I get that HTAE can have various strategies, including leverage - though it's odd that it seems as stable than HTA. What do you think of this ETF and its risk factors? Esp as compares with HTA.

Q: I wanted to gain some clarity on your answer to Terry indicating that the high dividend returns with these etf's are almost entirely return of capital. So if an investor holds these their yields would not be taxed as dividend income in a cash account but the cost base would diminish accordingly so that when sold the capital gain would be greater. But if a long term hold and if the yield continues to be return of capital then does the investor collect these yields effectively free of tax? Any other similar etf's with high yields that are largely return of capital? Am I missing something? Thank you for providing certainty on this.

Q: Thoughts on these etfs in a non registered account
How would the distributions be taxed

Q: I am looking at reconfiguring my newly established RRIF into the above equities with the 3 etf’s being 25% each with the remaining 5 stocks being the remaining 25%. What is your opinion of these stocks and portfolio composition? Am I being too cute ? Thanks. Derek.

Q: Hi, for an income portfolio, I am looking to add either HTA or TXF. Just not sure which one to choose (in a cash account). TXF is a larger fund and has more liquidity, a higher distribution % as well as a lower MER. On the other hand, HTA had double the return of TXF in 2021 and 5% more in return in 2022. Their portfolios is not exactly the same but similar. Can the difference in their respective portfolio explain the outperformance of HTA since 2021? Which one should offer the better total return in the next few years? Thanks.

Q: Retired conservative investor whose only tech holding is HTA ( 5% total portfolio). Looking at either CSU or Shopify as next purchase. Which of these would you prefer to “ dip your toe “ further into the tech sector ? Also, is my weighting of HTA appropriate ? Thanks. Derek.

Q: I am considering HTA for my RRIF. I understand the higher than dividend income received is because of their covered call practice.
Is their covered call income impacted by the recent sector decline and how so ? Does this income vary depending upon their practice and if so, how do they maintain their consistent distribution? HTA has been touted as an investment vehicle safer ( less decline) than owning the individual stocks because of the covered call strategy , has this proven to be true ? Thanks Derek

Q: I have invested in both of these ETFs, one being in CAD, the other in USD.
On Thursday, the value of the CAD version was $16.03; the value of the USD version was 16.62.
This difference in value does not adequately address the current exchange rate of about 1.28.
It seems that the US version is underpriced and that the CAD version is much better value. Could you please explain why there is this discrepancy?
Thank you!