Investment Q&A

Q: Mid-20’s investor looking for your top 3 Canadian and top 3 US “buy and forget” compounders, regardless of sector, for a long-term hold within a TFSA. Can you please rank from 1 (highest confidence) to 6. Looking for companies that I can periodically but continually add to over time without worrying about having to be a “trader” and move into and out of positions as trends, themes and market momentum shift. I already have BN and NVDA (both of which may have been candidates for your top 6 list). Would this list be any different had the question been asked a week ago – before all the DeepSeek anxiety? Thanks.

Q: Hi there,

If you were to create a US Balanced Equity Portfolio using CDRs only, what would it look like?

Thank you!

Q: A couple of things I'm not understanding from the Nasdaq Deepseek sell off ..... I know META, Google, Apple, and others are pouring a lot of money into AI research.... But do any of them actually have a verifiable revenue stream as a result of this research ? .....And as I understand it Deepseek's solution is " open architecture " Doesn't that mean anybody can use it as a base for their own uses ?

Also in an answer this morning to Jim you stated that HBND, FMAX, and HBIL were subject to with holding taxes in non registered accounts. What is their status in a SDRIF ? Thanks for your terrific service ......

Q: Rigetti is clearly a very volatile company with lots of possibility for growth given the nature of its business, and it's current stage in its lifecycle. In your opinion, what differentiates Rigetti from other quantum computing businesses; and if you were to invest in this space is Rigetti your top option or are there other possibly more mature firms that should be considered.

Q: Hi 5i team,

I'm looking to deploy some new TFSA money for a 15-20+ year hold, ideally for a CAD stock given the current high US exchange rate. I currently have more tech than other industries with stocks like NVDA, SHOP, GOOGL, CSU, MFST, LMN, TOI and TTD.

I'm looking for some non-tech growth CAD options. Can you please recommend and rank 5-10 options in order of their leadership and balance sheet?

For CAD non-tech stocks, I currently own WSP, TVK, GSY, BN, EQB, ATD, BYD, ATZ, HPS, SLF, TD, TFII, LULU, WELL, CS, and ATS. Would you add or start new positions in your recommendation?

Q: With DeepSeek Chinese open source models being competitive with American models using less compute power, I can see other American tech giants and small players try to replicate the same very soon.

How bad is this new development for companies like NVDA and AMD? Should we cash in some of our profits now and wait for further development?

Will companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon... suddenly feel like they have wasted their billions? Will this drive a negative sentiment for their own stock prices in the short term ?

What does 5i recommend if we have large gains in the bive mentioned stocks?

Q: You may have covered this question but with the exchange on the USD now close to 40% is it worth buying US stocks, in case the US dollar is devalued? The Canadian tourism industry should flourish with the difference in the dollar while not as many Canadians will make the trip to Florida this year.

Q: In a question yesterday - attached - I asked you to recommend one or two US equities and listed those already held. In response, you gave me two equities which I had listed as already owned. Clearly you have not had your morning coffee:-) Please try again.

Yesterday's Question:
VRT has now grown to 9.5% of my total portfolio. (Thank you for the recommendation!) Would you let this winner run? Or would you be inclined to trim? If trim, what one or two US equities would you purchase (any sector) with the proceeds with a similar risk/growth profile...and why? The following US/international equities are already held: GOOG, NVDA, AMZN, MSFT, V, COST, AXON, ISRG, CLBT, and NBIS. Thank you.

Answer:

In our view, as a company aproaches 10% of a portfolio, the portfolio starts to become a bet on that single name and we would typically prefer to trim the position down. For something with a similar risk profile and growth potential, we might consider NBIS and CLBT, but both are higher risk.

Q: VRT has now grown to 9.5% of my total portfolio. (Thank you for the recommendation!) Would you let this winner run? Or would you be inclined to trim? If trim, what one or two US equities would you purchase (any sector) with the proceeds with a similar risk/growth profile...and why? The following US/international equities are already held: GOOG, NVDA, AMZN, MSFT, V, COST, AXON, ISRG, CLBT, and NBIS. Thank you.

Q: My current portfolio is heavily oriented towards growth and is very high risk. Over the next few to several months I plan on repositioning towards a more balanced approach. I will be looking to add some growing but steady large caps. Toward that end I have the following short list: TR, BN, GOOG, Canadian Banks, SLF, MSFT, NVDA, BEPC. Is there anything in that list that you would not see fitting into that category? Can you please add a half dozen or so of your preferred other names that fit with this idea. Please exclude defense contractors, the Oil and Gas sector and usurious money lenders.
Thank-you.

Q: It’s now 2025, new Canadian leadership coming and reduced regulations/government in the US. You suggested on a reply today how a 50% US - 40% CAN - 10% Global portfolio mix might be right for today’s environment. Based on this, what is YOUR best ideas for a brand new $1M+ portfolio? Assume average investor, 15 year investment horizon with reasonable risk tolerance and loves when stocks go on sale..aka buy the correction attitude. As always.. you guys rock! Thanks. Don

Q: Hello Peter and team,
Any idea why well health is trending down? For AI exposure would amzn, msft, and goog be good plays or would I be better off with etf, CHAT. Sorry i was not able to get the symbol from your search list.. Thank you

Q: US Conservative Growth is my interest, along the lines of JPM. Please name your recommended 5 US conservative growth stocks that are investable today and what distinguishes them on a risk/reward basis.

Q: I am considering adding to cls and or goog . Which is the best for future appreciation would your position be to buy goog with the new Trump gov. And poss tariffs being a risk with cls ?
Doug

Q: Everyone, things work until they don’t. When will the magnificent Seven Tech darlings stop working? Clayton

Q: Good Morning. I have US dollars that I want to invest for my recently born grandchildren so there is a 15-20 year timeframe. Please advise 5 ideas, US $ stocks or etfs, and rank in order from low risk to high. I will likely purchase a mix and compare how they perform over time. Thank you.

Q: I'm interested in investing in some U.S. companies by using CDR's. As the years go by it seems the list is getting longer. Based on current conditions and valuations which 8 CDR's have the greatest chance for capital appreciation in 2025? Please rank them from greatest potential to least potential.

Q: Apple and Microsoft have grown to be well over 10% of my portfolio. I do not have Google or Amazon. Would you rebalance the 4 stocks into 4 equal parts? I also own NVDA.

Q: I submitted this question on Sunday, so now re-submitting...

Asking this question for a friend who is relatively new to investing (and may be a future 5i client:-)

She has $200k in a non-registered account and is contemplating a balance of 75% US ETFs and 25% US equities, any sector. The account is growth-focused, moderate to medium risk; no funds will be withdrawn for 3-5 years. Given these parameters, please suggest 4 ETFs and 4 stocks she should consider. Thank you.

Q: Hi there,

I’ve done ok with these stocks but I want to raise some cash for diversification - in what order would you reduce/sell?

Ok thanks!