Exploring Three New Investment Opportunities: Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (IVN), ARC Resources Ltd. (ARX) and Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS)

I was off this past Friday and went hunting. This year, hunting hasn't been easy. The weather has been too warm. Even if I start to complain about the "cold" weather, it's not our typical cold autumn weather. I didn't closely follow the TSX this past Friday, which closed the week at 19,115.64 points, so I'm not exactly sure why it closed on a lower note. I suppose it's due to a mix of different reasons. My US portfolio closed today's session at $4,907.09, my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $57,816.39, my TFSA portfolio at $119,920.27, and my non-registered portfolio at $130,041.30.

My margin debt is currently at $28,741. I had to borrow a couple of hundred dollars from my margin to pay my credit card bill, which came to... $3,500. I don't remember the last time I spent so much, but I know exactly where my money went, and I don't regret any of those expenses. Ready? I got a haircut and some highlights for my hair, I bought a Kobo Sage eReader and its matching pen, Timberland boots for autumn, two pairs of winter boots, I spent on clothes, visited Sephora, purchased bus tickets for my visit to New Brunswick. The weather was exceptionally warm in Montreal during the month of September, so I renewed my pass for the swimming pool, went to the movies several times, and so on. I had a very enjoyable time.

I recently received over $300 in my TFSA portfolio as a dividend. I transferred that money to pay down my margin debt. My dividend income from both my TFSA and non-registered portfolio now totals $932 per month. It's a good extra income to have at my disposal. Currently, I mostly use the money to pay down my margin when I don't use it to pay my high credit card bills. Generally, I manage my spending quite well. Despite having spent a considerable amount, my margin account is still in a favorable position. Back in July, my margin debt was at $36,095, so I'm doing alright. I should have a good amount to put towards paying it down. However, in mid-November, I'm returning to Montreal for a minor dermatologist intervention which will cost around $1,200. I received a quote, but I forgot to ask if it includes taxes or not.

I have a few dollars in my RRSP portfolio from dividend distributions available for investment. Whether I have money to invest or not, I like to remain open to new stock investment ideas. Technically, I always have funds available for investment due to my margin account. However, since I'm focused on paying down my margin account, I'm trying to exercise restraint and not dip into it too much. Recently, on BNN Bloomberg, the show Market Call featured Rick Rule of Rule Investment Media as a guest. It was a highly engaging episode. Two stocks discussed by Rick Rule caught my attention: ARC Resources Ltd. (ARX) and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (IVN). Between the two, I prefer Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (IVN) because its overall chart appears stronger and more stable. The overall chart is something that is really important for me.

I'm not particularly interested in the mining sector, and currently, I don't have any mining companies in my investment portfolio. However, I can envision investing a small sum of money in Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (IVN), even though it's not a dividend-paying stock. When evaluating a potential stock for my portfolio, I like to examine the overall chart, but the 5-year and 1-year charts are also important. As for ARC Resources Ltd. (ARX), the overall chart is somewhat challenging to assess.

The 5-year chart for ARC Resources Ltd. (ARX) looks quite good, actually very good.

But don't let that fabulous 5-year chart cloud your judgment. Typically, ARC Resources Ltd. (ARX) would be a big no-no for me, mainly because at the moment, ARC Resources is trading lower than what appears to be its highest value ever, at $33.95, which it reached somewhere around 2008. It seems to me that ARC never fully recovered from the 2008 stock crash, and many stocks never did. While considering its impressive 5-year chart and what Rick Rule had to say about the stock, I wouldn't completely rule out ARX, but it would only be a small investment. When it comes to investing in stocks, it's okay to step out of your comfort zone, but it should be done in moderation. I always find it enjoyable to introduce newcomers to my investment portfolio. I have a passion for stocks and the TSX.

Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) wasn't recommended by Rick Rule, but it's an investment idea that was suggested by another guest on Market Call. At one point, I was trading silver through the Sprott Silver Gold Trust. That was many years ago, and since then, I haven't held anything related to silver or gold in my investment portfolio. I find the idea of getting back into the Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) to be a good one, especially for my RRSP portfolio. Gold is gold, and in my view, it surpasses Bitcoin in terms of quality investment for the long term. These days, it may seem like gold isn't receiving as much attention, but it still has its place in any well-rounded portfolio.

The overall chart for Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) is, in my view, quite appealing. You can see that it can offer growth with stability, which is precisely what I need.

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