Current Commentary
December 1, 2023
Dear friends,
Welcome to December. Welcome to Winter. It’s my favorite time of the year, despite the post-Covid haze that has enveloped me all week. Augustana is increasingly festive, ringing with the sounds of holiday concerts and celebrations, as well as the definite “click” of another semester coming to its close. My students, with their hummingbird-like metabolisms, are loathe to surrender their shorts and sandals even now.
We annually share the same simple reminder. Winter has always been a dark and drear span. The weather turns against us, and we retreat inward for protection. Gardens lay frozen. Workdays are framed by darkness: dark when we arise, dark when we Continue reading →
Our Mission
The Mutual Fund Observer writes for the benefit of intellectually curious, serious investors— managers, advisers, and individuals—who need to go beyond marketing fluff, beyond computer- generated recommendations and beyond Morningstar’s coverage universe.
We are non-profit, non-commercial, independent and accessible. Our special focus is on innovative, independent new and smaller funds. MFO’s mission is to provide readers with calm, intelligent arguments and to provide independent fund companies with an opportunity to receive thoughtful attention even though they might not yet have drawn billions in assets. Its coverage universe has been described as “the thousands of funds off Morningstar’s radar,” a description one fund manager echoes as “a Morningstar for the rest of us.”
What the Observer Provides
A monthly commentary, featuring a variety of voices that speak from many different perspectives but who all share the same values: intelligence, respect, civility.
Profiles of funds you ought to know more about. We ask three questions to start:
- Is there any reason this fund should even exist, other than because the manager needs a job?
- Is there any reason to believe that the manager can execute the strategy?
- Is there any reason to believe that the manager will end up sabotaging it?
If we find satisfactory answers to all three, we start digging through the public record, proceed to speak with the managers and end up defending a judgment.
Rich analytics focusing on risk, as well as rosters of distinguished and disastrous funds.
A lively discussion board, whose active members are diverse, lively, passionate …and occasionally hilarious.
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