Investment Q&A

Q: After reading many comments to Josh's disappointment, I like to add is I am happy with your service even I have been a member for less than a year and I still have some 16 credit points left. I find that your answers to members' questions very helpful and it educates me a lot. Your portfolio holdings are just models and it is our own decision which ones to buy.
What I want to do is to make the best out of the loss position: Since I had gains last year, I would like to sell the big losers (including some on your portfolio that I had bought before I joined in 5i) to carry back to last year income tax. Also, I can rebuild part of my portfolio. I would like to hear your comments. Thank you.

Q: Hi Peter, it seems that AYA is continuing its downward move do you think its going to continue, is there a specific reason, will we see it return to $30.00 anytime. Would you average down at any point and do you still like it for the long term. Thanks

Q: reading the questions and answers to this massive downturn-
I think by far the best response comes from jerry who says I don't follow 5i's long term advice or their portfolios, I get my value from specific recommendations, answers to questions, and the basic integrity of 5i.
the key part of jerrys quote is long term advice--peter has been very clear that 5 years is his time frame and yet during this downturn especially with cxr everyone is in a panic.
as for me my time frame is far far shorter than 5 years-- and I think a stock like knight and currency exchange-- I own lots of both we will be rewarded long before 5 years is up and if I am not I always have the option to sell.but every investors temperament is different and if this downturn is too painful then sell and wait it out. dave

Q: Hello,

Can you tell me where a retail investor can find the credit ratings for US & CDN companies?

Thanks

Q: In your August report you thought the stock was interesting at the $33 level. Keeping in mind they own 6 VW dealerships representing 13% of revenue which seems to add an new element of uncertainty. Would you consider it reasonable to add to a small position at today's price.
Many thanks
Mike

Q: Hello Peter,
If one owns Concordia Healthcare and Valeant Pharma, is the best course of action to stay put? I hope it does not take shape as in the oil stocks sector. Once the sector took a hit, it just kept on declining and has not recovered? For some reason, I do not feel it is the same and both companies should recover after a few months of volatility. Can you please shed light on this? Thanks

Q: Hello Peter,
I own some Home Capital group, about 2 percent of weight. I also own bank of nova scotia, TD, and Royal all of which represent 17 percent of my weighting. I also have Ailment Couch Tard and Auto Canada which represent 2 to 3 % each. I am breaking even on HCG. I was thinking of selling it and putting the proceeds towards Auto Canada or Ailment Couche Tard or one of the existing banks as mentioned to take advantage of their lower stock values. Which one would make sense to you? I was thinking of splitting my proceeds to Auto Canada and Ailment Couche Tard as I have enough weighting in the banks. Why am I thinking of this? Simply to diversify away from stocks that could potential be hit due to a housing bubble. Your comments please.

Q: Hi- I hold a bit of XHY but it has been crashing and I hear a lot of negative comments on it- liking it to holding the mortgage backed securities of 2008- what do you think?

Q: Why is the stock so weak? Is the dividend safe and is it ok to hold for the long term? Thank you.

Q: Hi my earlier question was not answered. What replaced FSV in the model balanced portfolio when it was sold in April. ( I think)

Thx Blake

Q: I currently have a 3% position in AD and want to increase it to 5% to improve my retirement income. The stock has been falling recently. Would this be a good time to increase my position, or do you see further declines? Do you think the businesses that Alaris is invested in (1) are "recession-proof" and (2) can grow their earnings, enabling AD to increase its dividend over time?
Thanks,

Q: With all of this selling, looks like a good time to chip away a some of the Names on the Balanced Portfolio.

Which next 5 would you recommend at these prices in order?

Already own CSU, CGX, BNS, AYA, ENB, CXI, WSP, BIN, SYZ.

Q: any idea what caused the large drop today

Q: With the volatility happening in Healthcare stocks, can you recommend a Canadian ETF that covers the US Healthcare Sector? I think ZUH is one, what is your opinion on this ETF, are there better ones out there?

Thanks,
Paul

Paul

Q: On this latest pullback I am looking at adding the following. How would you rank them in order of attraction? Progressive Waste Solutions (BIN), Royal Bank (RY), Stella Jones (SJ) and Sienna Senior Living (SIA). My portfolio now is well diversified so just consider total future gains with medium to low risk.

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

Q: Just wanted to add a note of encouragement to the discouraged ones out there. I used to feel as Josh feels when I was out there on my own, but then 5 I came along.

Through 5I

Bought ATD.B at $30. It's now $61.09, as I write this.
Bought BYD.UN at $35. It's $59.65
Bought CXI at $21.22 It's $26.77
Bought ESL at $30. It's now $53.22
Bought WSP at $31.65. It's now $44.95

These are awesome returns -- by anyone's standards.

Certainly, I've had a few losses, but by and large, the gains outweigh the losses by quite a margin. Additionally, I would add that these losses tend to come from my lack of patience -- or my fear. I end up selling too soon, then kicking myself all over the block once the stock bounces back to all-time highs.

I realize the frustrations that may come in the investment world, but sometimes we get so disappointed in a few things that we end up flinging the baby out with the bathwater. Our money -- which is always hard-earned is a very emotional thing to us all: we end up taking the losses much too personally, and glossing over the wins by patting ourselves on the back too much, and not giving credit where credit is due.

If I make a 60% return on a stock, I tend to take the credit. If I make a 15% loss, I'll blame Peter (smile) ... or in my case, my brother Frank, the famous Frank Effect guy. ; )

This is simply a note of encouragement to Josh, to hang in there. ... And an extra note of thanks to the "swamis" at 5I, who though they do not claim clairvoyance, I swear they must at least have been reading the tea leaves!

Q: In response to Gerald's question about Amaya and New Jersey approval, David's reply during the Q4'14 earnings call on April 1, 2015 was:

"As it relates to New Jersey, I would say that we feel that this is coming. We would expect to receive and launch, I would say, in the next quarter."

David followed up on this in the Q1'15 earnings call on May 14, 2015 with:

"I think we’re still on track from what I said on the last call in terms of New Jersey."

Those statements (in my opinion) in no way guarantee a launch in Q3. Investors seem to have unfortunately taken it as fact though.

Q: To me the key to knowing when to sell is knowing one's temperament. Once you know it, you can listen to what 5i suggests or google "when to sell stocks" and get a bunch more ideas. Choose the ideas that align with your temperament. I don't think an investor is going to be happy following some stranger's temperament. You have to follow your own.

I see a lot of people writing 5i, unhappy with their 30% and 40% losses. What they're saying is that their temperament can't handle those losses. No law says they had to suffer those losses. They were free to say, "Screw this, I'm getting outa here." But they didn't. They were aligning with 5i's temperament, not their own.

For me, I don't follow 5i's long term advice or their portfolios. I get my value from specific recommendations, answers to questions, and the basic integrity of 5i.

Q: Andrew McCreath on BNN this morning had some very negative comments on CXR's debt in relation to being forced to reprice its drugs. How do you view this potential problem?