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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 Peter. To my dismay, I currently hold too many pipelines... Enbridge, Pembina, & Inter Pipeline. I wish to cut 2 of the positions and then possibly pickup Algonquin Power. I also own Fortis & Emera. Which pipeline would you suggest keeping, and your reasoning behind it. Also, do you feel 3 power utilities would then be too many and if so, which 2 would you prefer? I welcome your input. Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Ron on April 16, 2018
Q: I've decided to begin building an income portfolio and have chosen the companies listed above. (Mostly from your Income Portfolio). I am retired but my pension income covers my monthly expenses. I'm looking for companies that you believe are strong enough to maintain, and hopefully increase), dividends in the long run. I understand we are in a climate of interest rate increases and income stocks could suffer as a result so I'm wondering if I should wait to begin building this portfolio. My intention is to round out the portfolio by adding companies from your balanced portfolio. My questions are:
1. Can you suggest a strategy that you consider to be wiser as I begin to develop my new portfolio?
2. Do you consider the companies I have chosen to be the best choices for a new portfolio considering all current investment metrics? Could you suggest any I have missed?
Thank-you for your continued support.
Read Answer Asked by Les on April 10, 2018
Q: Peter and team

Thanks to member Walter, I have looked at a website that lists the U.S. preferred shares that trade on an American exchange. I realize that while U.S. stocks are not your focus are there any preferred shares that trade on an American exchange that you would recommend for an income investor? Are these p/s any more complicated than ones issued by Canadian companies ? I believe there are some companies on the TSX that have issued preferred shares that pay in U.S. $ and still are eligible for the Dividend Tax Credit. Are you familiar with any of these names?

Thanks

Paul
Read Answer Asked by paul on April 09, 2018
Q: I sold these stocks mainly due to the fact that they are down 20% from my cost base and needed some Losses to offset some Gains. My decision now is to either repurchase these 30+ days forward or buy some other stocks to replace these. I have a long time frame and a balanced portfolio. Your suggestions would be appreciated. Stephen
Read Answer Asked by stephen on April 09, 2018
Q: I understand that the key criterion for evaluating a company’s ability to continue to pay a dividend is “ free cash flow”.

1. What is ENB’s free cash flow?
2. What is the dividend payout ratio?
3. Is free cash flow projected to grow over the next 3 years?
4. I looked for this information on your “profile “ page for ENB.
I did find 5 yr dividend growth 17.48 ... is that a percentage number for that time period?
I did find price to cash flow but not the information I was looking for.

Can you help me both with the information requested and provide some guidance in how best to interpret and use the profile information.

Thanks for all your help here.
Read Answer Asked by Donald on April 06, 2018
Q: Could you please rank these stocks for growth assuming the sector ever improves.
Could you also do another list of just the dividend payers ranking income strength (safe and/or growing divi)

Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by EVAN on April 05, 2018
Q: Peter and staff,

In order of preference, please list your favourite utility stocks for an income investor. Please subdivide into electrical, gas and pipelines.

Thank you and may thanks for your great service.

Paul
Read Answer Asked by paul on April 03, 2018
Q: In my TFSA currently have BCE, ENB, FTS, TRP, CNR, SLF, BNS and TD - Currently down about 5% in the portfolio. I'm looking to make a change to get some growth in lieu of dividends - what would you recommend keeping and buying.
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by JOHN on April 03, 2018
Q: At what point does 5i acknowledge the severity of the problems at these companies, including reducing their 5i stock ratings? Both of these companies have been severely punished for very good reasons. Too much debt. Cant get the prices they wanted for asset sales. Cant sell shares into the market for a decent price. Interest rates are rising. They have backed themselves into a corner and have really damaged themselves, ENB more so then ALA. ENB future dividend increases are a fantasy, a cut is more likely. Yet still rated an A- ?
Read Answer Asked by Joel on April 03, 2018
Q: Hello 5i,
In the recent sell off I sold enbridge for a tax loss and bought Algonquin as a replacement, thinking to sell it and buy enbridge again after thirty days. But, I have been thinking about keeping Algonquin in place of Endbridge. This because of possibly growing problems with pipelines and also the postive outlook for cleaner energy with Algonquin. I have been wondering, though, whether the absence of pipelines would be a big negative point for my utilities sector. So, I guess the question is whether clean energy utilities like Algonquin and Bep can replace the pipelines without too much loss in the utilities sector of one's portfolio?
Read Answer Asked by joseph on March 29, 2018
Q: Hello 5i team,
I want to add some funds to the energy and financial sectors and I currently hold both ENB and FSZ from the model portfolios. Both have had increasing dividends for the past 5 years but both have also gone down in the past year.

I was wondering if you have any idea why FSZ has declined and if it is still ok to add to both these holdings?

Thank You,
Andrew
Read Answer Asked by Andrew on March 28, 2018
Q: Hello team, I have heard through the grapevine,( employees in mgmt positions) that there may be a big shakeup in the top level. Apparently the ceo of Sprectra, now chairman of enb (Gregory Ebel) is not happy with the status of Enbridge and has indicated that he may take over as CEO of Enbridge and replace Al Monaco. Have you heard any such rumors. Obviously the market is not happy with Enbridge as it has declined more than the other Canadian pipelines. Does the market know something that we don't?
Read Answer Asked by pietro on March 27, 2018
Q: Hi 5i - WSP is in your income portfolio and I'm wondering, as it is declining, is it a good time to buy or could you recco another few income stocks instead.
Thx - Doug
Read Answer Asked by DOUG on March 26, 2018
Q: Re Jason question March 22 regarding metrics for downside support for telcos, utilities and reits. . What cos would you recommend which meet a sufficient number of the metrics? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Tim on March 26, 2018
Q: With the drop of share price I have less than a full position in these stocks. I can top-off only two, which would you choose and why? Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Jean-Bernard on March 22, 2018