Investment Q&A

Q: Hello Peter, I am intrigued after reading that a Canadian can earn about $50,000 per year of dividend income without paying any income tax. I know about your income portfolio of course, but with a view to maximizing just Canadian eligible dividend income, what would you think of the following portfolio of 14 stocks. Equal weighted, the stocks would yield 5.3%. (Disregard lack of market diversification; this can be achieved in one’s registered accounts.) Also, if one wanted to pare down the list to 10, which 4 would you delete?
BCE, CM, ENB, FTS, CNQ, AQN, CPD, FSZ, MG, KBL, POW, ALA, BIPC and NTR. Thanks!

Q: Hi Peter and 5i team,

I currently have BIPC and BEPC shares in my TFSA account, and I expect to hold them for the long term. Is it worth paying a transfer fee to move those shares to my CAD non-registered account in order to be able to recover any US taxes paid on dividends.

Many thanks for your opinion on this matter.

Q: Exchanging the BIPC shares for the BIP.UN shares - there was an article by John Heinzl in the Globe stating that the BIPC shares are worth a few dollars more so if you exchanged them you would be losing a few dollars a shares because the BIP.UN shares are worth less. There are many questions out there concerning this and so I tried the search column at 5i that hopefully someone else wrote in about it - could you clarify John Heinzl's position on this? Thank you,
Dennis

Q: Hi 5i Team:

I have owned 1300 shares of BEP.un for a number of years and having a good gain. I also, own 300 BIPC for a short while with a small loss. Is there any advantage to buy more BIPC now. I don't really need the monthly income. Thank you.

L

Q: They's issues shares and the funds are not going to the company. Who's the seller?

John

Q: I have 3.0 % in BIP.UN.CA and .73 % of BIPC.T. Wondering if I should have a position in both. Both are held in a Registered fund. No tax issues. Your comments.

Q: Continuing our discussion on these two companies BIPC trades at a much lower PE 12.4 versus 170.8, had lower P/B 1.4 versus 2.5 and also has higher momentum short term- doesn’t this make for a compelling buy for BIPC versus BIP.UN. Very confusing situation created by Brookfield.

Q: Further to my previous question on this topic I’m Attaching report claiming these two stocks do indeed own different assets

I’m wary of holding BIPC because the new corporation only owns a small subset of the partnership’s global infrastructure assets. Is this a concern?
It’s true that BIPC directly owns only natural gas transmission assets in Brazil and regulated utility operations in the United Kingdom. However, the fact that BIPC shares are exchangeable into BIP.UN units and both will pay the same dividend/distribution means BIPC investors are getting access, albeit indirectly, to the complete global portfolio of infrastructure assets including railways, ports, toll roads, pipelines, communications towers and data centres. It also means that BIP.UN units and BIPC shares should track each other closely in price, which has been the case so far. (My note: NOT TRUE)
“In order to effectuate the stock split, we were required to transfer assets to BIPC since it’s a separate reporting issuer/listed entity,” Ms. Low said.
“The assets we chose to transfer (being the gas transmission system in Brazil and regulated distribution operations in the U.K.) were selected as they were relatively easy to transfer considering regulatory, legal, financial and tax implications,” she said.
“So while BIP LP and BIPC do hold different assets, investors should be indifferent as BIP LP and BIPC should be considered one entity, which collectively share the same assets, returns and management.”
Full disclosure: The author owns BIP.UN and BIPC personally and in his model Yield Hog Dividend Growth Portfolio

Q: The gap between these two tickers seems to continue to widen.

BIP.UN yields over 4.5% and BIPC 3.9%. Even with the dividend tax credit, the aftertax dividend cash flow is much high from BIP.UN. Am I going crazy? I have been wanting to step in here for a long time (definitely miss the "boat to a certain extent) but why wouldn't I invest in BIP.UN?

Q: I was under the impression both shares held the same assets and differed only in structure- Corp versus trust. Now I heard BIPC only owns Nat gas transmission in Brazil and regulated utility in UK. Can you please confirm if this is correct. If it is what is NAV of both shares.
Thanks for your service.
Steve

Q: Hi All, on May 1st I sold 1/2 a position in BIP.UN and put the proceeds into BIPC, since then BIP.UN up 6% while BIPC is up close to 14%, perhaps I should sell the remaining shares in BIP.UN and buy BIPC, these shares are in
an non registered account, if its a 8% difference in 5 weeks what will it be in one year. Thanks as always Anthony

Q: Just read Peter"s latest article in the Financial Post "Five blockbuster deals that would inject some excitement into markets during quarantine". So with a limited amount of cash on hand which of these possible deals is the most likely? A list of 1 to 5 woiuld be great. And should I be buying the predator or the prey?
thank you

Q: Is BIP.UN looking attractive at current prices?
If held in a non-reg account, does it still get the dividend tax credit?
Is it best held in a reg or non-reg account and why?
TIA!

Q: Can you please explain why BIPC trades at such a significant premium to BIP.UN. I hold both now in rrif and tfsa accounts and read BIPC is structured to provide equivalent returns to BIP.UN. Yet as I’m writing this BIP.UN is $55.65 while BIPC is $62.06. I thought both units held the same securities and differed only in structure- partnership versus corporation for some tax reasons. BIPC is said to be exchangeable to BIP.UN yet why do this at a current loss of close to $7 /unit.
Thanks for your help,
Steve

Q: Hi 5i,

I'm quite surprised at the premium of BIPC vs the LP. I am tempted to sell all my BIPC and buy the LP units to get more units and the higher dividend yield. If I don't make the trade, do you think the premium would persist? Or, is there something the company could/would do to remove the premium (e.g. issue more shares of BIPC only or make the units exchangeable both ways). Is that a risk of losing the premium then?

TIA!

Q: I own BIP.UN and received a small interest in BIPC as part of the transition from a “Unit“ to a regular company. It was my impression that the shares of the old company would be automatically converted to the new company, but so far this has not been the case.
Do I have to sell the shares in order to convert?
Thank you for your advise.
Ernie

Q: How would you determine the fair value of the premium that the BIPC shares should trade over the BIP.UN? What do you think of the current spread?

Q: Two questions regarding the Brookfield family. BIPC has just had a huge run-up. Best to buy now...or wait to see if the market chills with 2Q results? BAM has just dipped, I suspect due to the recent announcement of the $5 billion investment to support retailers. Would you still recommend buying today or are there other similar stocks you would prefer? Thank you.

Q: If I sell BIP,UN at a loss and buy BIPC would the loss be considered a superficial loss by CRA.
Thank you.

Q: I believe the next payment is .485 on June 30.
Is that amount in Cdn or U.S.$?
.