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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: With so many potential valuation and growth metrics available, it's hard to know which ones are REALLY important. I would love to use a handful (3 to 6?) of metrics that I could use to screen companies in order to create a "to buy" list.
Do you have any recommendations for a group of "must-use" metrics?

(Some that I am considering are: EV/EBITDA, PEG, Price/Cash flow, P/B, Price to Sales, P/AFFO for REITs, Debt/Equity, Dividend yield, Dividend Payout ratio, and a company's history of raising the dividend)

Would I want to use different metrics for growth vs. value companies?

Also, is there some place that I can look up a company's metrics (i.e. EV/EBITDA, P/B, etc)?

Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Jonathan on August 08, 2017
Q: I have held Kelso for quite some time and have seen the ups and downs for this company. With the down turn in oil (railcar shipping) and delays in regulations for those railcars, do you think there are any catalysts in the near to get things going again for this company. I keep hearing about other products to try to diversify what they offer, but the stock seems to be stuck. I hold a small position and wonder if I should hold on for a little longer or move on. Your thoughts please.
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Rudy on August 08, 2017
Q: Since your last perhaps somewhat tepid though tending towards positive comments on this stock (May) it has basically doubled and has just broken out of a consolidation pattern on strong volume. I read the release on the last quarter and was not impressed given the 'adjusted' this and thats and the explanation (if it was one)for the small revenue decline (but I am certainly not knowledgeable on such things). Obviously 'the street' liked it (up 8% today).
Given the above and your previous, could you please provide an update on your thoughts on this one.
Thanks as always.
Read Answer Asked by Neil on August 08, 2017
Q: Hello 5i Team

1 - Is there a readily available list of all the Sector and Industry classifications which are assigned to companies. I have had no luck finding it on the internet.

2 - Are the Sector and Industry classifications the same for the Canadian and US markets?

The only method I have found is checking the individual companies on the TMX Money website. A slow tedious process.

Thank you for the great service.
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on August 08, 2017
Q: BNN sited a report(back tested 20 years) that stated free cash flow yield was the best indicator of how a how a stock will perform in the future. Are there any US or Canadian etf's that use free cash flow yield as the key metric for stock selection. Also can you provide the top 10 FCF yielding stocks in Canada. Is there a stock screener that provides this information. Thank you for your great service.
Read Answer Asked by Ian on August 08, 2017
Q: Further to my Aug 2 question, I did consider XRE but RIT seems the better choice as it has superior returns for all time periods, admittedly at more than double the MER. In case I decide that increasing my company count is OK would you please recommend your top 5 choices for direct company investment.
Read Answer Asked by Ross on August 08, 2017
Q: AT.v should be reporting next week. Street estimates please.
Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Richard on August 08, 2017
Q: Greetings Peter and team,

Again, thank you for your logical answers to my previous questions.

In the 60s, a self-made, wealthy graduate of the Benjamin Graham, Columbia University program which warren Buffett praises, recommended that investors keep half of their portfolio in cash. When the market drops 10%, he recommended that they use a third of that cash to buy stock bargains. Today, that would be a US market index ETF. If the market drops another 10%, he recommended that they use all their cash to buy bargains, again, say a US market index ET. And if the market drops another 10%, he recommended the investors margin their portfolio fully.

I would appreciate your views on this seemingly risky approach to investing money not needed for near-term use.

Thank you,

Milan
Read Answer Asked by Milan on August 08, 2017