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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: Regarding the much anticipated new portfolio picks: I am not looking to put words in your mouth, but is part of your thinking here related to the periodic tendency of the market to swoon/ re-trench around this time of year ..... commonly phrased as "Sell in May and Go Away." .... except you will add a new wrinkle to it and step in when others are abandoning stocks at attractive "buy" prices?

Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Donald on April 11, 2016
Q: Hi Peter and Staff
This isnt really a question on a stock(s) but on approach. I was waiting like a lot of people for todays portfolio changes. There were a lot of deletions and not many additions and a build up of cash which I am not used to hearing as advice from you. Other than AYY and PMH ,a lot of deletions were not due to being upset at the stock.....If I sold what you sold, and do not believe in keeping cash,how long will it be until you uncover new gems for us to use the cash or should I just hold off selling some of your deletions/reductions until we know?
Thanks for all you do
Dennis
Read Answer Asked by Dennis on April 04, 2016
Q: I am hoping to retire in the next couple of years. If I can get a 4% return on my portfolio, I believe I'll be in great shape for many years. Recognizing that National is not your favourite bank, I can't help but look at the 6% return and wonder why I wouldn't buy this as a solid income producer. Canadian Banks (including NA)are very well regulated and if they all go under, we'll all have very big problems. Am I missing something or perhaps to ask the question another way, do you see a better place to get a fairly secure 6% return for many years into the future?
Read Answer Asked by Dave on February 11, 2016
Q: Hi All. I went to sell some MDA this morning in my Investorline account. The price quoted was 82.80 and the bid/ask quotes were 82.49/82.81. I noticed on my phone however a price of 83.71. Going to Stockwatch.com, I saw the last trade at 83.71. Had I not back-checked the information, I potentially could have sold at quite a discount based on the BMO information. What's going on here? Is this a typical situation that I just wasn't aware of?
Read Answer Asked by Rick on February 11, 2016
Q: Hello 5i:
another comment on Paul's question re: filling up the truck; now $58, used to be $80, and why is there not more of a saving. First, that is a 27.5% decrease. Stated another way: its like being paid 27.5% more. Who would not take that?
Additionally, that is $22 on one fill. How many times do you fill the truck per week, per month, per year. The savings really begin to accumulate (or more money to spend). I lived in samll town BC for quite some time, and remember paying $1.42/litre. Try that one on for size and watch the paycheque disappear.
just my opinion, publish if you feel like it
Paul L
Read Answer Asked by Paul on January 22, 2016
Q: I would like your opinion of selling NA (my current holdings of NA are 13.3% of a total CDN-Margin A/C dedicated to financials of 42.9 (RY & TD). The only other holding is CNR (56.2%)... I know it is way overweight for a single holding, but suffice to say I know this and am prepared to carry this risk (it has worked out well for 20 years)
My thoughts are to buy BCE (1000 shares) & EIF (1000 shares) to diversify a bit from financials. I currently hold no telecoms, and I like the dividend paid by EIF (assuming it is fairly secure).
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. My capital gains on NA would be offset by losses on BB.

Thanks in adavance,
Scot
Read Answer Asked by Scot on November 27, 2015
Q: Are we seeing early warning signs of more downside to the stock markets given some of the recent bank results. National and CIBC in Canada, HSBC and Deutche Bank come to mind.
If we can legitimately connect the dots between these banking numbers and some of the softer US data numbers and the decision to hold off on interest rate increases might lead one to look for more safe havens if not head for the sidelines for a while.
I would appreciate your assessment of this environment.
Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Donald on October 08, 2015
Q: 8:29 AM 10/6/2015
Hi Peter

In your comment to Robert today you said with reference to Fiera : " Its association with National Bank has not helped recently, with the bank's very bad news."

Comment to Linda yesterday : "We do not like the news, and do not like the dilution from the equity issue. We are also believers in the cockroach theory: i.e. there is usually not just one problem. Shares are also already $1 below the issue price, not a good sign."

Comment to Margot : "We do not think the bank is in 'trouble' but clearly it is concerned about the economy enough to want to shore up its capital."

So My Question is : Can you clarify your opinion? NA makes up 3% of my portfolio. I own 4 other banks in larger amounts. Do you really think NA is headed for serious trouble and should I just sell it [at a 7% loss] or is it safe to hold for years expecting nothing more than the dividend income?

Thank you..... Paul K
Read Answer Asked by Paul on October 06, 2015
Q: How much would National Bank have to fall for you to consider it an overreaction to the Oct 1 news?

Knocking off 19 cents for the restructuring charge and taking off a little more for the dilution still has the shares trading below 10x earnings. Also, the Maple Financial Group, as ugly as those headlines are, only represents less than 1% of net income. Is the news as bad as it initially appears?

Your insights would be appreciated.

John
Read Answer Asked by john on October 02, 2015
Q: Hi

Just my 2 cents on "Josh" and when to sell. I believe this service, while one of the better ones, does not distinguish between a good company and a good stock price to buy that company.

If you could sharpen your pencil to tell members if the stock is attractively priced at the moment, Josh may not have purchased when he did.

Regards
John
Read Answer Asked by John on September 29, 2015
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