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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: At any given time I have between 10-20% of my portfolio in cash to take advantage of dips in the market . I do worry about this cash sitting "idle". Several years ago a broker recommended I keep the funds in a money-market fund but I found it actually lost money... Not sure what I should do with the cash. I need quick access to it and would be happy with anything beyond a 0% return! Looking forward to hearing your advice. Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Chad on May 20, 2014
Q: Hi Peter and Team,

Quick thoughts on Ligand Pharmaceuticals, LGND.
Read Answer Asked by Graham on May 20, 2014
Q: Hi Peter/team,could u please comment on Q results smart sma/t and especially their guidance,stock had been on tear but hammered today,I was lucky and had sold a while ago but would be interested on re-entry at today's level depending on your view; buy/hold/sell. thanks as always,jb
Read Answer Asked by John on May 20, 2014
Q: Hi Peter and Team,

Quick thoughts on OptimizeRx, OPRX based on their recent quarter and other activities. I know you didnt like it in February 2014 when i initially asked about it. But their recent Q1 2014 release seems positive. http://seekingalpha.com/pr/9951653-optimizerx-corporation-q1-2014-operating-results
Read Answer Asked by Graham on May 20, 2014
Q: dear 5i team: I know stocks are the best way to go compared to mutual funds but if an investor wanted a hands off approach to investing to save himself from himself could you advise for a core allin one holding would you compare phn balanced D seires .88 mer and btg772 balanced 1.21 mer and steadyhand founders fund 1.34mer. this would be a retirment holding. of note btg seems to beat phn inspite of higher mer.and if i buy steady hand with my capital my mer would be 1.07 and with a lower unit price i would get far more units for capital appreciation.hope this is not to vauge a question thank you larry
Read Answer Asked by Larry on May 20, 2014
Q: Peter and crew:
At year end in your model portfolio, you made some adjustments to the equities held. As a new subscriber I was wondering if this ever occured during the course of the year (i.e. if you felt a company was no longer worth holding). If this was the case would you put out an updated report prior to the switch, or give your subscribers any sort of warning/justifications about upcoming changes to the portfolio.
Thanks as always for a great service!!

Phil
Read Answer Asked by Phil on May 19, 2014
Q: Re Timbercreek, I had hoped to hear whether the dividend from this mortgage company would be treated as interest or capital gain.
Read Answer Asked by Phyllis on May 19, 2014
Q: Hello Y'all
I hold a lot of Twin Butte(TBE) and am concerned about the sudden departure of the CFO as well as their forecast. Is it possible he did not agree with the co.s wish to report the numbers as they were presented for the report and chose to resign? Is the reaction realistic or overdone?
Great service and thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Harry on May 19, 2014
Q: CBOE on the nasdaq. To me CBOE has a high P/E, however ROE is very high as well. Is this company expensive. Do they have good growth prospects and do you see any looming risks out their for the company, that one should know about.
Read Answer Asked by Anthony on May 19, 2014
Q: Liquor Store. I am just wondering from a valuation perspective - it's starting to look like a good value play, and new management is in place to improve fundamentals. They are shifting towards products that sell faster/more common. Cf ratio < 10. P/S < 0.5, price to book ~0.8. Used a dcf valuation and I'm getting values in the range of $14-18 using different growth values (negative and positive) based on management targets. CF can cover the dividend but i wish they would cut it. What is your thoughts on this value play? I read the past comments and I've steered away from this stock!
Read Answer Asked by Michael on May 19, 2014
Q: BAD was B+ in the June 2013 report and A- in the April 2014 5i summary. Do you log when and why the rating was changed somewhere?

Please provide your top 5 growth stocks that I can buy over the next month and hold for a few years.

Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Willie on May 19, 2014
Q: Preferred Shares
Why do some companies use "Series" and "Letters" thereby making the nomenclature very confusing?
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by David on May 18, 2014
Q: Hello Peter and Co,
In my opinion, stock prices have gone up in the last few years because economic prospects were improving; by bringing more liquidity in the system, quantitative easing has greatly contributed to the rise in stock values.
QE will fade away soon (in the fall? early next year? don't know for sure; when that happens,it would stand to reason that stock values would correct. How does one prepare for such an eventuality? I could raise some cash, say 20-30%. For your info:
my long term objective was to get a growth rate of 7% pa; however, my portfolio has gone up by 14.6% pa in the last 3˝ years whereas the benchmark has gone up by only 5.4% pa in that same period.
I value your opinion.
Thanks
Tony
Read Answer Asked by Antoine on May 18, 2014
Q: Peter and all,

A pointed question on AVO: I took a small position at the end of 2013 and between the curious equity raise, the poorly handled executive exits and the rotation out of growth stocks I am down 36 per cent. But I still like the company's technology, and its most recent numbers were solid. The question: I am considering doubling down to cost average around $25. Would you do it if you were in my shoes? Or is there more rotation downside and/or taint to the stock from the various blunders?

Thank you!
Read Answer Asked by Kim on May 18, 2014
Q: The following is what I discovered when searching for TSX rules for odd lots. It seems in general there is no discount or premium for less than board lots, but in practice, it's probably pretty easy for a M.M. to get around; the powers can't even agree on how to spell the word(s)!

Policy 4-604 Responsibilities of Market Makers
(3) Maintenance of a Two-Sided Market
3. Odd-lot Responsibilities—General—Market Makers shall maintain an odd lot market at the board lot quotation for immediately tradeable incoming oddlots. Booked oddlots which become tradeable due to a boardlot quote change will execute at their original limit price.

Special Circumstances—.......... If a Market Maker wishes to call an odd-lot market at a different price than the board lot market, the prior consent of a Market Surveillance Official must be obtained.


In view of the above would I have a case for a fill on a mixed lot open limit order where my board lot was filled and the odd lot part unfilled? This happened to me on CM. Thanks, J.
Read Answer Asked by Jeff on May 18, 2014