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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: Retired, dividend-income investor. Following up on your answer to my earlier question. I hold AQN in an RRSP and am considering replacing it. You suggested the following stocks = PPL, NPI, BEPC, BIP.UN, BLX

I have researched their metrics (P/E, Beta, P/B, P/CF, P/S, ROE, Payout, Market Cap) and technicals. My ranking, based on a desired conservative holding, Is = PPL, NPI, BEPC, BIP.UN, BLX.

My rationale is I hold FTS, TRP and AQN representing 8.6% of my portfolio vs NNRG and NRGI at 7.3%. I am leaning towards adding a more conservative name...such as PPL.

Q#1 = Is there an overlap between TRP and PPL, to the point that I only need one? What % do each of these names have in Nat gas vs oil? I know TRP is heavier to NG, not sure about PPL.

Q#2 = based on my above notes, what would your suggested ranking be?

Thanks....Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on March 24, 2023
Q: Retired, dividend-income investor. I hold AQN in my RRSP, bought it in 2011 at $5.60 (not a typo) and have trimmed it multiple times due to asset allocation. Not that it matters, but I am still up 15% over my ACB.

Looking forward is what really matters. AQN is up roughly 20% from it's low of around $9/share. Q#1 = Do you think AQN can continue their short term performance?

I hold AQN, FTS, TRP, NNRG, NRGI, and utility-energy stocks held within CDZ, ZLB, ZWC. Q#2 = What conservative utility or infrastructure stocks should I consider that might "fill the gap" in my current holdings? Please list 4-6 stocks for me to do further research on.

Q#3 = Should a component of "renewables" be a consideration? That was one of the reasons for holding AQN. Ideas?

So the bottom line is = what's done is done. AQN appears to be starting to recover and there is always the chance of being bought out.
1. Hold of sell,
2. Replace with what,
3. Include renewables?

Thanks for your help....Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on March 22, 2023
Q: hi, can I get your thoughts on earnings, thoughts on AQN going forward, etc.
I still own large position, suffered the downturn in price/dividend, with a potential good size tax loss advantage if sell. do you see this as a buy, sell or hold for an average investor? and in my case, if selling for the tax advantage, can I get 5 or so names of mid/higher dividend yield/some dividend growth/decent company earnings growth and decent ROE, with lower risk and lower volatility? names do not need to be utilities (I own plenty). further, if you have high conviction on any growth stock (CDN companies) right now I could consider, eg BN?????
cheers, chris
Read Answer Asked by chris on March 20, 2023
Q: Holding AQN in a dividend portfolio and down like many others. Pondering a switch to BEPC and looking for your thoughts on this move based upon prospects for total return over the next 2-3 years. I understand that in these situations looking forward is what matters but must admit I think my bitterness at the fall of AQN might be clouding my rationality a bit.
Read Answer Asked by Robert on February 10, 2023
Q: I have an unregistered account with about 12 CDN blue chip stocks. The purpose of the account is to generate dividend income for the next several decades, while providing slow and steady capital growth.

I have taken the decision to exit ENB, LIF, NTR and TCL.A and to increase holdings in AQN, NPI, PMO205, XTR.

I know timing will never be perfect, but just looking for some timing guidance due to current market conditions and cyclicality of some of these stocks.

Trying to avoid horrible hindsight commentry: that was OBVIOUSLY a poor time to make that change....
Read Answer Asked by Jim on February 06, 2023
Q: My Tfsa has the following three losers (each down by 50%). Are these sell, hold or buy more with new money?
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by satish on January 20, 2023
Q: Hi, I’m curious and very intrigued as to how an AQN takeover might happen. Could it be bought whole and if so who has the resources to pull this off? I’m thinking Brookfield/ BEPC or perhaps another Private Equity company like KKR? Or could it be sold off in parts perhaps renewables to a NPI or Brookfield and the Power Gen/Transmission/Water to a Fortis? Thanks in advance.
Read Answer Asked by Anthony on January 19, 2023
Q: Hello All,

Is it possible to rank my list of utility companies sorting via most financially vulnerable therefore most likely to underperform because of the increased cost of financing. i.e worst to best please.

Is that a blunt but reasonable filter?

Could it be that the "worst" companies have been so badly beaten up that they may be worth adding to for the long haul?


Many thanks
Read Answer Asked by Arzoo on January 16, 2023
Q: I'm not sure if you planned to take in the conference call today or not. RBC put out a one-pager on what Mgmt planned to do, which included a 40% cut to their dividend (creating a new yield of 6%).

Q#1 = As a result of Mgmt's plans going forward, what are your thoughts on AQN now?

I am fortunate that I bought AQN years ago at $5.60 (held in RRSP) and have trimmed (for asset allocation reasons) several times on the way up...as high as $21.10. However I do confess I added recently at $14.75. I still have some funds ready to top-up, but I am on hold for now...just watching.

Q#2 = would you add, hold or sell at this time?

Q#3 = my personal speculation is that AQN will probably just hang around the $9-10 range for a while. My hope is that a potential buyer will show up and take them out. In a November question, you thought the take-over chance was around 25%. With this new information in hand, do you have a new percent chance that they will be bought out?

Q#4 = if AQN does get taken out, would the usual ballpark premium of 30% apply? This would entice me to hang around for awhile.

Thanks...much appreciated.
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on January 12, 2023
Q: I don't understand. A recent 5i answer on AQN stated:
"On an operating cash flow basis, the dividend was still coverered in the 12 months to Sept 30."
As I look at the Balance & Income Sheets as of Q3:
Working capital is $-579,890,000
Net income for the 3 quarters this year is $-182,000,000.

AQN will payout $0.92 per share in dividends for the year. They've already committed to $0.22 for Q4
676 million shares x $0.92 = $616,400,000 payable in dividends for the 2022 year ($154,000,000 to be paid in Q4)

Somehow, somewhere isn't it true that the dividend payments must be impacting that negative working capital, the negative net income, the increasing debt amount and increasing interest to service the debt? In essence, aren't the dividends coming from borrowing, whether directly or indirectly?

Thanks, always appreciate 5i's perspective.
Read Answer Asked by Mark on January 10, 2023
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