After 35 years with Ariel Investments, effective May 1, 2025, John P. Miller is retiring from his role as portfolio manager for the Ariel Fund.
RiverNorth/Oaktree High Income Fund (RNHIX) won the 2025 LSEG Lipper Fund Award for Best General Bond Fund for the five-year period ended November 30, 2024. RiverNorth is a closed-end fund specialist that has collaborated with other “A” managers on several funds. The fund embodies three strategies. RiverNorth manages Continue reading →
CrossingBridge was recently named “Best Fixed Income Small Fund Family Group” at the 2025 U.S. LSEG Lipper Fund Awards Ceremony. As of February 28, 2025, CrossingBridge managed over $3.6 billion, specializing in investment grade & high-yield corporate debt with an emphasis on ultra-short & low-duration strategies as well as credit opportunities. The Firm’s core philosophy is “Return of Capital is more important than Return on Capital”. The accompanying picture on their website is very calming.
While MFO has not gotten to the point of sponsoring an award (much less a fancy-dansy awards banquet), we do Continue reading →
Parnassus International Equity Fund is in registration. The fund, managed by Ken Ryan, CFA, will be a large cap fund that invests in equity securities of non-U.S. companies. Expenses have not been stated.
Profunds has launched its Ether ProFund. The fund does not invest directly in ether, but rather ether future contracts. According to the prospectus, the fund has a Continue reading →
Dana Emery, Chair and CEO of Dodge and Cox Funds, has decided to retire on December 31, 2025. Effective January 1, 2026, David Hoeft will succeed her as the Chair while continuing his CIO role. Roger Kuo will succeed as the Chair while continuing to serve as President of the firm.
Harbor Capital plans to launch eight subadvised ETFs across several asset classes in the coming months, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
There will be Continue reading →
The Intrepid Small Cap Fund was reorganized into the Intrepid Capital Fund on November 22. Eric Cinnamond managed the Intrepid Small Cap Composite from 1998-2010 and the Intrepid Small Cap Fund from 2005-2010. Jayme Wiggins took over the Intrepid Small Cap Fund upon Eric’s departure in 2010. Jayme Wiggins managed the fund using the same absolute return investment strategy until September 2018. Both are now part of Palm Valley Capital Management.
The Oakmark U.S. Large Cap ETF is in Continue reading →
AKRE Focus ETF is in registration. The Fund invests primarily in securities of companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Investments consist primarily of common stocks of companies of any size market capitalization. John H. Neff will be the portfolio manager. Expenses have not been disclosed. Mr. Neff also comanages Akre Focus Fund, which was founded by the namesake Charles Akre. Mr. Akre was remarkable, engaging, and … well, old. He retired from day-to-day management about three years ago. Since then Akre Focus Fund has performed in the way it was designed: exceptional in down markets, reasonable in up markets. In the absence of Mr. Akre, that seems not to have convinced shareholders to stay:
In the fund’s three “laggard” years, including 2024, it’s made an average Continue reading →
SEC slaps GQG: The US Securities and Exchange Commission levied a $500,000 fine against GQG Partners and Rajiv Jain for violations of whistleblower protection laws and issued a cease-and-desist order against the illegal practices. At base, GQG required (some?) new hires and one former employee to sign agreements which would make it difficult for them to disclose wrongdoing on GQG’s part. “Whether through agreements or otherwise, firms cannot impose barriers to persons providing evidence about possible securities law violations to the SEC, as GQG did,” said Corey Schuster, Co-Chief of the Division of Enforcement’s Asset Management Unit.
As of 27 September 2024, GQG’s website did not reflect any discussion of the action. Reports in other media note that GQG “acknowledged the SEC’s jurisdiction in the case Continue reading →
Tortoise Capital Advisors is merging three closed-end funds, with combined assets of over $300 million, into a single actively managed ETF. The current funds are Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund (TPZ), Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund (TTP), and Tortoise Energy Independence Fund (NDP). They will be supplanted by the Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure ETF which will adopt TPZ’s strategy for its own. As a warning Continue reading →
As of July 19, 2024, the Amplify High Income ETF went from passively tracking an index of the top 45 US closed-end funds to tracking the top 60.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission reserves the right to study any proposed fund offering for 70 days before the adviser is permitted to offer the fund for sale to the public. During that time, (a) the SEC might require substantive or editorial changes to the fund’s prospectus and (b) the adviser is permitted to Continue reading →
Effective June 3, 2024, David Baron and Michael Baron became Co-Presidents of Baron WealthBuilder Funds and of Baron Asset Management. Ron Baron remains Chairman, CEO, and Portfolio Manager.
On or about August 28, 2024, IQ Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and IQ Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF will change from semi-transparent active ETFs to fully transparent active ETFs which will publicly disclose all of its actual portfolio holdings on a daily basis. Continue reading →
Morningstar expresses concerns with Akre Focus (AKREX).
On March 31, 2024, this portfolio had double-digit stakes in four different stocks … Such hefty positions aren’t the only concerns here, though. The transition from firm founder Chuck Akre to younger managers and analysts has been rocky, featuring several unexpected departures. The investment team currently consists only of manager John Neff and two research analysts.
There has been a serious problem with outflows from the fund, in almost a quarter since Mr. Akre formally separated himself from day-to-day management at the end of December, 2020. Firm assets Continue reading →
Fidelity Investments is planning to charge a $100 servicing fee when placing buy orders on exchange-traded funds issued by nine firms. The new servicing charge, which may be imposed on ETFs issued by Simplify Asset Management, AXS Investments, Day Hagan, Sterling Capital, Cambiar, Regents Park, Rayliant, Adaptive, and Running Oak, is set to take effect on June 3. The new fee will apply to ETFs that do not participate in a maintenance arrangement with Fidelity. Fidelity may update its “Surcharge-Eligible ETF” list again.
Poster Rforno noted that Calamos Investments LLC announced the launch of 12 structured protection exchange-traded funds which seek to provide 100% protection and equity upside to a predetermined cap over one-year outcome periods (before fees and expenses). The ETFs are Continue reading →
The marriage is off: the planned merger of BlackRock Capital Appreciation Fund and BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth Fund has been canceled. No word on why.
Morningstar Magazine featured GoodHaven Fund, which we profiled in July 2023 (“The Rise of GoodHaven Fund”), in their March 2024 issue. Our quick summary: Continue reading →
Beware of big promises! Several articles have been written recently about BOXX ETF. Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF which tries to outperform an ultra-cheap vanilla ETF by using an option swap strategy. In theory, the game will allow investors to pay the long-term capital gain rate on their games rather than the ordinary income rate.
Here’s the advisor’s description of their Continue reading →
Vanguard is introducing new and enhanced intergenerational wealth and legacy planning capabilities through a partnership with Vanilla, an innovative provider of digital estate planning tools and solutions. The offer was successfully piloted to a small group of eligible advised clients in Vanguard Personal Advisor Wealth Management over the past year and will Continue reading →
The merger of the BlackRock Capital Appreciation Fund into the BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth Fund, originally scheduled to occur by the end of 2023, has been delayed.
Several iShare ETFs, iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF, iShares Expanded Tech- Software Sector ETF, iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF, iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF, iShares U.S. Financial Services ETF, iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF, iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF, iShares U.S. Transportation ETF. and iShares Semiconductor ETF will undergo a stock split. Shares of Continue reading →
BenWP, a member of MFO’s discussion community, contributed that the Capital Group has several new equity and fixed-income ETFs. One of the newest ETFs is the Capital Group Core Balanced ETF, an active multi-asset ETF. Some of the other active equity ETFs are the Capital Group International Equity ETF, Capital Group International Focus Equity ETF, Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF, Capital Group Dividend Value ETF, Capital Group Global Growth Equity ETF, Capital Group Core Equity ETF, and Capital Group Growth ETF. The Capital Group has several new fixed-income ETFs: Capital Group Core Bond ETF, Capital Group Core Plus Income ETF, Capital Group Short Duration Income ETF, and Capital Group U.S. Multi-Sector Income ETF. There are two municipal ETFs: Capital Group Municipal Income ETF and Continue reading →
Matthews Asia has named Sean Taylor as its incoming chief investment officer, taking over from Robert Horrocks at the start of next year. Taylor was CIO for Asia Pacific and head of emerging markets at DWS and will assume his new role at Matthews on January 1, 2024. Mr. Horrocks, who has been with Matthews Asia since 2008, will retain his portfolio management responsibilities, which include Matthews Asia Dividend and Matthews Asian Growth & Income.
Matthews hired a new CIO, Cooper Abbott, in the summer of 2022. Since then, the firm has undergone Continue reading →
One of the two managers at Akre Focus (AKREX), Chris Cerrone, has resigned. Effective September 27, 2023, John Neff is listed as the sole manager of the consistently excellent, $13 billion large-growth fund. The fund has seen steady performance, but also steady outflows, since the retirement of founder Chuck Akre. Morningstar has placed the fund “under review,” which is certainly sensible and appropriate. That said, Mr. Neff has been co-managing the strategy since 2014. The portfolio holds fewer than 20 stocks, and the historic turnover ratio is 1%. The fund has trailed its large-growth peers on two occasions (2020 and 2023). In both cases, the market was narrow and frothy, and the fund produced entirely respectable absolute returns (20% and 10% YTD) for its investors. We do not believe that’s any immediate cause for concern.
Keith Long, co-founder Continue reading →
The AXS 1.25X NVDA Bear Daily ETF underwent a 1-5 reverse stock split on or about August 14.
The Champlain Strategic Focus Fund is in registration. The fund invests primarily in securities of mid- to large-capitalization companies. Annual fund expenses will be 1.10% for the advisor share class and 0.85% for the institutional share class. The fund will utilize several portfolio managers with Champlain Investment Partners, LLC.
The GMO U.S. Quality ETF is in registration. Expenses have not Continue reading →
