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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: Hello 5i Team,
Utilities and pipeline companies are counted as 'blue chips' in many retirees' portfolio due to 'safe' dividends and some growth opportunities.
With the current thesis of the decline of fossil fuel in the context of low carbon future, what are your thoughts on these companies? Would there be a change of guards with these industries being replaced by renewable energy and clean tech energy in the next decade?
I have the following names which I am concerned about where they will stand few years from now? Which are the weaker ones that I should sell?
PPL, KEY, AQN, TRP, FTS, ENB.
Are there Cdn or US companies that you can suggest as future 'blue chip' in the renewable energy and clean tech energy industries? I already owned BEP.UN. Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Willie on May 05, 2016
Q: If purchased in US $ on a US exchange, do these companies pay their dividends in US$ Take as many credits as necessary.
Read Answer Asked by Edgar on April 27, 2016
Q: I am a retired, conservative dividend-income investor looking to add to the stocks I hold in the telecom-pipeline-utility sector. My current holdings are ALA, AQN, BCE and those contained within ZLB.

The candidates include ENB, FTS, IPL, KEY, PPL, TRP. I then filtered these down by using the following criteria = Beta < 1.0, Dividend yield > 5.0%, P/CF < 10.0, P/BV < 2.0. The result is TRP.

I am looking for a blue-chip, stable, dividend-payer, dividend grower, with obviously some capital growth potential.

Do you agree with my methodology? Any other filters to use? For diversity within the sector, should I included other candidate stocks?

Thanks for your help,
Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on December 07, 2015
Q: I am looking to both reduce both my exposure in the energy infrastructure portion of my portfolio and also materialize the capital loses. Holdings consist of ENB PPL and IPL with a total sector weight of 7.8%. Current thinking is to sell PPL and IPL purchasing either TRP of KEY with half of the proceeds. Assuming my thinging is sound would you concur with keeping ENB and which of TRP of KEY would you purchase.
Read Answer Asked by Lynda on December 01, 2015
Q: Looking to bolster my income names. The pipelines/util are languishing near there lows and the price targets on the names are much higher not to mention the juicy dividends. They look really good on the surface.I have modest positions in TRP,ALA,VNR. ENB, BEPand IPL are also on my watch list. VNR is the one that has held up the best. All solid companies, But are these names good value at these levels, some still trading at high teen p/e . Or do the banks offer better risk reward?
Read Answer Asked by Albert on November 23, 2015
Q: Please comment on where 5i stands as a whole in regards to the needs for pipelines and on the Fed environment department giving a green light to build an LNG plant on Lelu island (Petronas). In regards to pipelines, specifically on ‘Energy East’ and ‘Trans Mountain’. There certainly is a lot of red tape with the Fed/Prov, Environmentalists, FN’s, etc; but isn’t it time Canada “became whole” on important infrastructure (ie. pipelines/LNG) issues to move our “trapped” resource to tide water/abroad? 5i has a very savvy investor base, a moderated forum would be a good thing to “open the floor” so to speak to hear all views on a variety of issues...

Thanks and regards,
Evan
Read Answer Asked by Evan on November 18, 2015
Q: I currently hold ENB IPL and PPL for a total weighting of 8.4% each having a capital loss. I am considering selling IPL outright and reinvesting an other sectors. Am also considering selling either ENB of PPL replacing with TRP. Is this a reasonable strategy and witch of ENB or IPL would you sell. Thanks!!!
Read Answer Asked by Lynda on November 09, 2015
Q: Peter, while I have several energy companies in my well-diversified portfolio, as well as some utilities, the only pipeline company I own is Enbridge (1% of total portfolio). With some cash to put to work, do you think that adding a second pipeline company makes sense - or perhaps just add to Enbridge. If so, which company would you suggest (for a 'forever' hold period)? Thanks, James
Read Answer Asked by James on July 11, 2015
Q: I have traded a number of investment-grade preferred shares (fixed-resets and floating-resets) over the past 9 - 12 months, and have generally done quite well despite the BoC rate cut in January. One major exception however has been the ENB preferreds, where I have lost quite a bit of money.

When ENB announced their plans to drop down assets into Enbridge Income Fund and US entities, the credit agencies put ENB on negative review, leading to a big drop in ENB.PR prices (they trade now like Pf-3(high)/Pf-3 rated prefs).

This is very disheartening: I buy investment grade prefs in order to avoid such non-interest-rate-related losses.
In your view, what is the danger that other "utilities", such as TRP, FTS, etc., might also institute similar changes to their capital structure (and hence credit ratings), leading to precipitous drops in their pref shares?

Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Gregory on June 25, 2015
Q: I've held TRP as a major position in my portfolio for years and it has increased only 3.5%. I always hope the XL pipeline will be approved, or the pipeline to the east coast, but I'm getting tired of waiting. Should I keep hoping or sell now and spread the $30 Gs around to better things? I also own PPL and IPL. What is your opinion on ENB? It always seems to me that the PE ratio is too frothy.
Read Answer Asked by Edward on June 10, 2015