skip to content
  1. Home
  2. >
  3. Investment Q&A
You can view 3 more answers this month. Sign up for a free trial for unlimited access.

Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: Hello

I recently submitted a question on TD, expressing concerns about possible lingering ill effects due to the money laundering episode. In a nutshell, 5Is position was that there was little concern on their part about TDs future and that most banks are subjected to the same money laundering threats. Just received this presser:

"Toronto-Dominion Bank's anti-money laundering program will take longer to cure and could have a greater and more damaging impact on the bank's franchise and earnings power. After confirming TD Bank's AA credit rating in May, additional shortcomings in the program, controls and operational risk-management practices have surfaced. Morningstar expects additional investment in risk and control infrastructure and expected monetary and non-monetary penalties, as well as the ongoing attention of leadership on remediation efforts, will act as earnings headwinds. There also is a risk regulators conducting investigations will reveal other related and/or unrelated issues, it says."

Still little concern on your part?

I did sell a third of my TD holdings after receiving your input. It was my largest holding.

Carl
Read Answer Asked by Carl on June 14, 2024
Q: I recently read an interview with Jensen Huang from back in 2017 where he went on record stating that AI will eat the software industry. It's a bold statement, but it appears many are expecting this thesis to play out. So my question is 2 fold.... do you see the larger upside within Tech on the chips side (picks and shovels) vs software going forward? And, is the acquisition and vertical software integration model with CSU the safer play within the software industry and more immune to declining margins like we recently saw with large enterprise software companies like CRM. Thank you!
Read Answer Asked by Nick on June 14, 2024
Q: Hi,

The last question asked in 5i about this company was by me nearly a year ago. Since then they have purchased a few companies some of which are loss making and that they seem to have overpaid for, They blew most of the $541 million they had and the companies they purchased are in India/Italy where they can't use their tax losses. Admin. expenses have skyroccketed. Now there's a proxy fight. I'm thinking I should vote my shares with the minority (26%) shareholder to replace the management of the company. It seems like they are a bloated, self serving group of directors/managers that should be booted. They still have around $100 million that they haven't blown yet. What do you think?

Dave
Read Answer Asked by DAVE on June 14, 2024
Q: Hi 5i - how would you rank the following tech companies at todays prices for new positions:

LSPD, LMN, KXS, SHOP, CSU, GOOG, DSG

Thanks, Neil
Read Answer Asked by Neil on June 14, 2024
Q: Hello,

I have done very well and am very happy with my investment in CSU - thank you.

I would appreciate your insight on characterizing the return one receives from a co. like this.

Einstein called compound interest the 8th wonder of the world and IMO the return from CSU seems to be a phenomena beyond that.

With SHOP your return is based on capital appreciation. If it goes up you win - goes down you lose.

With BCE your return is based on a dividend and possible capital appreciation. Almost a paid rent for your money invested and with a hoped for capital gain.

With CSU the actual dividend (rent) is miniscule, however the spin-offs are like a special dividend (equity rent?) with a shared equity multiplier plus capital appreciation of the mother co.

In the past 4 yrs my CSU stock has tripled in capital value and spun off co's that their current value works out to 16% annual return. The annual growth of these co's are also expected to grow.

You have long spoke positively of CSU and maybe now, with some data, I am just seeing why.

Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Delbert on June 14, 2024
Q: Are any of the other large Canadian Banks similarly exposed to investigation/prosecution in the U.S. for the same activity that TD was convicted? Also, can to tell me what % of each banks total business revenue comes from U.S. sources?
Read Answer Asked by Will on June 14, 2024
Q: Hi
I recently learnt about the AI energy consumption issue. What opportunities/threats does this issue pose to investors? Are there specific subsectors or types of companies (within the energy sector) that will benefit from or be hit through the course of the AI story?
Any specific recommendations ETFs or stocks?
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Ahmed on June 14, 2024
Q: Jason D. mentioned PRL uses AI & credit unions to make loans rather than the usual face to face. Presume there are cost savings. Can you expand on these details?

Now that GSY has reached a loan book of $4bill. & has a $6bill. target for the end of 2026, can you make a guess as to what that might mean for earnings? Has there been a relationship on their journey from $1bill. to $4bill.?

Jason D. mentioned whispers CSU is getting set to do another spinoff. Hear anything? Maybe that accounts for current weakness in LMN.
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on June 14, 2024
Q: Which Canadian companies will be most impacted by the new capital gains tax. Appreciate your insight.
Read Answer Asked by Nancy on June 14, 2024
Q: gthp is listed otcqb u.s.
i know its small but i like the space
would appreciate your opinion
many thanks
Read Answer Asked by howard on June 13, 2024
Q: Hi guys,

I have the above in my portfolio at 2.5%, please rank them as to moving them into a FULL position (4%).
thanks
Jim
Read Answer Asked by jim on June 13, 2024
Q: The Ukraine Recovery Conference happening in Berlin had me wondering how someone might be able to participate in reconstruction as an investor, beyond a Ukraine-specific ETF.

This of course assumes a Russian defeat and (hopefully) longer term stability.
Read Answer Asked by Marc on June 13, 2024
Q: Good morning,

I currently own a number of different energy stocks of which most are in the OIL sector. In this current investment environment, the Gas sector seems to offer a better risk reward ratio and I would like to better balance my Oil/Gas stock split.

Question 1. Do you agree that Natural Gas stocks currently offer a better potential return than OIL stocks over the next few years?

Question 2. If so, which of the these OIL stocks would you replace with Natural Gas stocks?

Question 3. Which Natural Gas stocks are currently your best ideas?

Thank you for your sage advice.
Read Answer Asked by Francesco on June 13, 2024