Investment Q&A

Q: Your thoughts on Merck this morning please,do you see any upside?I hold it in my rif and am still showing a small profit.Buy,hold or sell?

Q: Hello, I'm working on my current ALLOCATIONS. Please recommend CANADIAN and US : Healthcare, Consumer Defensive and Utilities.
Many thanks, Heidi

PS My sincere compliments for your excellent site and service

Q: Hello 5i, I am up quite a bit on MRK, ABBVIE and HHLE. In answer to a question on MRK by Michael on Jan 22 you wrote "We would take a look at AMGN as an alternative to MRK". With the success I have with MRK et al. is MRK a sell to be replaced by AMGN now or is MRK still a keeper for now. Value investor.
Stanley

Q: Hi,

May I please have your take on the Gardasil vaccine lawsuit against Merck. Does this affect the fundamental investment thesis of Merck as a conservative, inexpensive stock with a decent dividend. I note the share price is down about 16% in the last year.

Would you be able to provide a couple of better options in the US healthcare space? I already own ISRG and LLY.

Thank you, Michael

Q: Hello 5i,

Could you please expand on an answer to V on the 20 stocks to purchase today if you were to start over? We are assuming that stocks/ETF’s are equal weight and the recommendation is considered a growth portfolio. If not, please elaborate. We were also surprised to see Prudential on the list.

If you were 70+ would you alter the list slightly?

If you were in your mid 30’s and 40’s now and have limited funds (30k-70k) would you recommend purchasing all the stocks/ETF’s equally and expand over time or are there specific stocks/ETF’s that would be considered a “starter pack”?

Thank you so much for your website and advice.

D&J

Q: I have several 'Growth' companies which have grown quite large in both Cdn and US markets (Thanks). While I plan to let winners run, I am looking to take some capital out of those, and shift to areas of the market which are trading below their historical averages. Could you suggest some areas of both US and Canada to look for those areas? (Specific companies or ETFs which would target this both welcome)

Q: I sold my full positions in APPL and NEE plus sold half my position in VERT this morning. I would like 2 good dividend payers with a growth metric, and 2 small/ mid caps for a 2-3 year hold.
Other positions currently held are: MSFT, SYK, AMZN, ISRG, GOOG, ABBV, JPM, PRU, AGX, CRS.
Thanks for all the above over the years. David

Q: I currently just have ABBV in my portfolio so was thinking about adding an Healthcare ETF. You often mention IYH and XLV in your QandA; do you have any others that you would recommend with a higher dividend as I am an income investor who want some growth? IYH has a 3% div on 5i site, but 1% on most other sites - could you explain that? Was also thinking about adding MRK. Can you comment for a longer term hold. Thank you.

Q: According to Portfolio Analytics, my current allocation to Health Care sector is too low. Here are the names of 12 major US pharmaceutical companies. How would you rank them? If possible, please provide a short comment on each of them: Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, AbbVie, Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Eli Lilly, Merck, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Abbott, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibbs. Thank you

Q: After signing up to the Portfolio Tracking & Analysis, ( excellent service, Thanks!)
I need to increase my holdings in the Health care sector and Consumer Defensive industry
US and Can exposure.
Your suggestions are appreciated.
Thank You 5i Team
Heidi

Q: Hello 5i
The question on OGN was in October.
It has been on a good run the last eight months. Can I have a current assessment please?
Thank you
Dave

Q: Well if tRUMP is re-elected as US president, what are the reasons that Merck would do well???......keen to get your take on this....Tom

Q: Further to Peter's column in the Financial Post [always good, plain ,common sense advice] I'm wondering what US companies in the health care sector might be considered?
Thanks

Q: Hello 5i,
So, retired, dividend-oriented investor looking to add to Healthcare in Canada for a RRIF. Our primary healthcare holding is a full position in HHL, for the yield. P.A. indicates that we are overweight U.S. and need to increase our Canadian holding while healthcare is underweight.
We were considering CSH.UN, but it seems to be classed as a REIT (real estate is also overweight), so that doesn't seem to be an option. The 2 remaining choices seem to be either SIA or EXE, both seeming somewhat problematic.
Since the latest questions I could find on either SIA or EXE date back to last fall, could you update your analysis on these two equities with a view to whether either would be a suitable investment for us and whether the dividends appear safe for the foreseeable future?
And, finally, are there any other suitable Canadian healthcare options that pay a dividend?
Where there is nothing suitable in Canada, my thought was to return to ABBV and suck up the geographical imbalance. Thoughts?

As always, many thanks for your awesome service!!! It is very much appreciated!
Thanks,
Cheers,
Mike

Q: Hello 5i,
I am up 56% to 90% on the MSFT, JPM, MRK,ABBV, AND PEP amongst a few others. It has been said to take profit if a holding is up 30%. I have held these for about 20 years and do not need the funds. Should I realize the 30% profit or let these continue to rise according to your advice of "letting the winners run" before a black swan occurs.

Q: I am looking for new healthcare stocks after selling Lantheus and InMode in the last 6 months. I currently own WELL. Quite a few have had a good run up lately so not sure if they are good buys at current valuations. What are recommendations? US or CAD, doesn’t matter. Should I buy an ETF instead?
Thank you in advance

Q: Could you list some Canadian + US stocks that you would consider "among the safest" , including in case of an economic slow down .thanks for your always excellent reports.

Q: Good morning and happy thanksgiving even though it is not ours!

I am looking to invest in healthcare for a registered account(RESP). Could you please provide me with your recommendations.

I would also request two other stocks outside health/finance and energy, perhaps info tech/cons staples for the same account

TIA

Peter

Q: Hi folks,
I am looking to replace GILD in my TFSA. I currently hold ABBV, LLY, PFE and WELL in other accounts. I am looking for a name that pays a good dividend and has some potential for growth. Can you suggest a couple of names I can take a look at or should I add one of the names I already hold.
Thanks

Q: Long term holding and price appreciation of AAPL and NVDA has led to a U.S. portion of a registered portfolio weighting of 28% and 17% respectively. I'd like to take some profits on these positions and trim these weightings to diversify. Please provide your top suggestions for replacements to consider in Health, Consumer, IT, Communication, and Financial sectors with a timeframe of 10years+