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Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
  • Where a Global Bond Fund Finds Yield in a Low-Rate World -- Barron's/Lewis Braham
    (Sorry I can’t access Lewis’ article at this time.)
    DODLX lost 6.21% In 2015 according to Yahoo Finance. That must be the year I bought in, as I remember taking a substantial “drubbing” on my initial investment. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/DODLX/performance/
    My own quick perspective - For many years now DODLX has elected to maintain heavy exposure to North American issuers - especially the U.S. That NA exposure is typically north of 50%. I like this fund as companion to RPSIX in my “Diversified Income” sleeve. The differences are substantial however (and DODLX is arguably less risky).
    Never mentioned on the board, but of great value to me, is that D&C writes very comprehensive narratives as part of their annual and semi-annual fund reports. These provide thoughtful insights into how the fund is positioned, the process of investing as a study, and their current macro-thinking.
  • *
    It seems that there has been a lot of interest Muni bond options for taxable accounts recently. It is hard to generalize about whether it is best to purchase a Muni bond fund, or if a taxable bond fund might be a better, or at least an acceptable choice. For some years, I have used Tax Cost Ratios of each fund to help decide if I want to seriously consider it. In case you are not familiar with Tax Cost Ratios, here is its definition from the M* Glossary.
    "Tax Cost Ratio
    The Morningstar Tax Cost Ratio measures how much a fund's annualized return is reduced by the taxes investors pay on distributions. Mutual funds regularly distribute stock dividends, bond dividends and capital gains to their shareholders. Investors then must pay taxes on those distributions during the year they were received.
    Like an expense ratio, the tax cost ratio is a measure of how one factor can negatively impact performance. Also like an expense ratio, it is usually concentrated in the range of 0-5%. 0% indicates that the fund had no taxable distributions and 5% indicates that the fund was less tax efficient.
    For example, if a fund had a 2% tax cost ratio for the three-year time period, it means that on average each year, investors in that fund lost 2% of their assets to taxes. If the fund had a three-year annualized pre-tax return of 10%, an investor in the fund took home about 8% on an after-tax basis. (Because the returns are compounded, the after-tax return is actually 7.8%.)"
    You can find what the average Tax Cost Ratio is by category, with Munis being 0, short term bonds being .88 Nontraditional bond oef being 1.38, HY bond oefs being 2.06 etc. but you have to go to each fund to find out the Tax Cost Ratio specifics for it. Here are a few examples of TCR for some funds in various categories:
    HY Munis: NVHAX and SDHAX (0)
    NonTraditional Bond OEFs: MWCRX (1.36), SEMPX (2.13)
    Short Term Bond OEFs: DHEAX (1.38), DBLSX (1.13)
    HY Bond oefs: ZEOIX (1.20), RPHYX (1.01)
    The above TCRs are for 3 years, but at Schwab you can also get them for the last year.
  • Where a Global Bond Fund Finds Yield in a Low-Rate World -- Barron's/Lewis Braham
    Discusses DODLX - actively manged vs. lower yielding BNDX; offered by low cost, team managed D&C; flexible but with some guardrails; how it uses that flexibility.
    I'm able to read w/o tricks or subscription, but Barron's is generally paywalled, so YMMV.
    https://www.barrons.com/articles/global-bond-fund-yield-in-a-low-rate-world-51578968494
  • looking for the board member who was interested in LDVAX
    I believe this is the post you are referring to...
    https://mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/54889/leland-funds-ldvax
    Perhaps the MFO search tool only looks at the body of the post and not the title.
  • How to position your portfolio for 2020 in bonds + stocks
    A great article (link). Below are several quotes from this link.
    ========================
    What do you expect to be the key driver of stock market performance over the course of 2020?
    Markets climbed a wall of worry in 2019 and nearly all risk assets did very well - essentially the opposite of 2018. We believe we have entered the fear of the fear of missing out. One thing we are watching closely are equity fund flows that were down last year. It's very rare for fund flows in stocks to be negative when the market is up so strongly. But recent data suggests that may be turning. It would be a bearish signal for us to see a large amount of new money flow into equities.
    According to Goldman Sachs, two thirds of the market move since 2009 has been earnings growth. However, in 2019, just 8% of the S&P 500 move is explained by earnings growth.
    We tend to be bullish when others are bearish and tend to get bearish when others are bullish. Last year, investors were maybe not bearish but definitely cautious given the trade worries and other geopolitical issues. However, today we seem to be moving toward a more euphoric phase which does have us concerned.
    What do you expect out of the yield curve in 2020 and what impacts will that have on the bond market and the economy in general?
    On the long-end of the curve, we think rates could inch higher but shouldn't jump significantly like we saw in 2017. If I had to make a bet where the 10-year yield will be at year end, I would say around 2.15%.

    What are some portfolio tilts and sub-sectors you think investors should focus on this year?

    We believe this year could look a lot like 2017 with some minor changes. First and foremost, we think the dollar rolls over and starts to decline. Dollar strength was largely due to the Federal Reserve raising rates for the last few years through 2018. With the Fed lowering rates three times last year (-75 bps) that should start reverberating throughout the markets this year, especially the dollar.
    If the dollar does start to decline, we think international equities could finally shine. They have drastically underperformed US equities in the last 10 years. However, they should rebound. Europe and Japan have experienced much slower growth than the US during the recovery and continue to have worse demographics.
    In fact, from a valuation standpoint, US stocks have never been more overvalued relative to the rest of the world. This is eventually likely to mean revert and we think a lot of it is due to the negative sentiment regarding the euro and Brexit.
    Value stocks may finally do better than growth stocks thanks to the steeper yield curve. The thesis of owning growth stocks during a flattening yield curve and value stocks during steepening could prove true here. We also like small caps more so than large caps (and especially mid caps) given the 20-year low relative valuations. Emerging markets look particularly interesting.
    I would still stay away from energy which looks like is going through a secular shift away from fossil fuels.
    In fixed income, where are you allocating capital for 2020?
    1) Municipals: We've been pushing munis for most of the last year as rates appeared poised to drop. Even today, we think rates pushing 2.00% are not a bad place to put capital. And when you factor in the tax equivalent yields of munis (especially muni CEFs), and consider the risk of these securities which is extremely low, it's hard to beat this sector.
    (2) High Yield / Floating Rate: . At these levels, we would say investors in high yield are coupon clippers, meaning that you are likely to receive the yield only with little to no capital gains. The risk is to the downside.

    Our favorite area of the market remains mortgages
    (for the third year in a row). We place them into the high yield/ floating rate sector simply because of our focus on non-agency MBS, which tend to be unrated or lumped into non-investment grade/high yield. Many of these mortgages also are floating rate. Our thesis remains that the investors tend to fight the last battle, which with the Financial Crisis centered on the mortgage market.
    (3) Real Assets / REITs: The sector was an under performer in 2019 and we think could be one of the best performers in 2020 as rates stabilize. The fourth quarter of 2019 was the driver of that underperformance as investors moved back to a risk-on environment and away from the "bond proxies."
    Total cash returns could be as good as 9% in 2020 with approximately half coming from the yield and 4% to 6% earnings growth. If we see rates meander lower, we think there will be renewed interest in the sector which could help push up prices further. Fundamentals in the sector are strong with property values continuing to move higher.
    (4) Preferreds:The asset class is small and has low liquidity which tends to exacerbate the moves lower. It's when these liquidity-induced selloffs occur that you should be buying shares of high quality names. While most talking heads poo-poo preferreds when rates are rising due to their perpetual maturities, this can be an advantage for retail investors. When rates fall, the issuer can call the shares at their discretion and replace them with a lower yielding issue. Today, we are seeing "refinancings" occur even if they can save just 50 bps of interest expense. If rates rise, while the "perpetual value" of your shares may go down, it does lock in your income stream for longer.
    =====================
    FD: and this is why most of my money is in HY Munis + Multisector specializing in MBS/Securitized
  • Avoiding The Perils Of Behavioral Investing Mistakes
    https://www.fa-mag.com/news/avoiding-the-perils-of-behavioral-investing-mistakes-53613.html
    Avoiding The Perils Of Behavioral Investing Mistakes
    JANUARY 15, 2020 • MATTHEW WILSON
    There’s no shortage of research showing how investors are often their own worst enemies, sabotaging themselves by making emotional decisions or resorting to market timing and performance chasing (Source: 2018 Dalbar Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior).
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    @VintageFreak - Treasuries and Treasury MMFs generally pay less than corporate bonds and prime MMFs. VUSXX is no exception.
    I was addressing the comment that Vanguard Prime MMF was safer than anything other than a bank account (which also implies that bank accounts are the safest possible places for money).
    Prime MMFs, whether Vanguard's or anyone else's can break a buck. To lessen this possibility, they are required to freeze withdrawals and/or impose a redemption fee in times of stress. That's not a requirement imposed on VUSXX or any MMF that holds exclusively federal obligations (even if not backed by the full faith and credit of the government). Those funds are safer.
    In term of safety, prime money market funds are less safe than bank accounts (backed by FDIC, not full faith and credit) and MMFs holding government debt, which in turn are less safe than Treasury debt and Treasury MMFs.
    Conversely, Treasury debt would be expected to pay less than government debt which would be expected to pay less than corporate debt. Same for MMFs: prime MMF pays more than gov MMF pays more than Treasury MMF.
    The greater the risk, the greater the reward.
    Though in a taxable account in a state with a 10% income tax, that 1.7% yield, after taking out state income tax, leave one with just 1.53%, just about what one gets with the Treasury MMF. Extra safety at no extra cost, depending on one's situation. Occasionally, rarely, there is a free lunch.
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    @msf I thought VMMXX provided a higher yield than VUSXX. I will take a look. If difference not substantial, I should switch.
    EDIT: VMMXX --> 1.7%, VUSXX --> 1.54%
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    It is interesting that this fund reopened now, after a significant slow down: During the last 1/2 year it reached a plateau with almost zero slope (no return). The only time it happened in the past it was in 2015, see M*
    @finder - Right on. I noticed the same, that the Vanguard Money Market VMMXX has a higher one year return than RPHYX. RPHYX lost its magic?
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    It is interesting that this fund reopened now, after a significant slow down: During the last 1/2 year it reached a plateau with almost zero slope (no return). The only time it happened in the past it was in 2015, see M*
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    Schwab reported the same 46% cash & equivalent. If six % is actual cash where is the other 40 % positioned. With all the hot money leaving, a big reason to hold more cash ($) !
    Fwiw I think keeping it closed is the way to go for the investors not so much so for the fund company.
    AA returns for 5years. 2.2 % Investor class
    Yes I do hold a position in this fund.
    Derf
  • MFO Premium’s Best Funds of the Decade
    @Jim0445. HICOX was a close 2nd. Actually has better risk numbers.
    2 questions.
    Is this only for Colorado residents?
    M* says most of the holdings are "Not Rated". Isn't that a problem?
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    RPHYX also reduces risk by holding a much higher percentage in cash (about 46%),
    I try to go the horse's mouth. The latest annual report, Sept. 30, 2019, Statement of Assets and Liabilities (according to GAAP, see note 2 for the statement) gives the cash and cash equivalent holdings as $4.56K out of $809K, or less than 6% in cash.
    When giving secondary source figures, it helps to cite the source. I'll guess that you're looking at M* (47% cash as of Dec 31). M* has its own definition for cash that distorts figures for funds like RPHYX.
    Cash encompasses both actual cash and cash equivalents (fixed-income securities with a maturity of one year or less) held by the portfolio plus receivables minus payables.
    https://www.morningstar.com/InvGlossary/percentage_cash.aspx
    Certainly much of what RPHYX buys has short maturities. That's by design. But they still have non-cash-like attributes.
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    The issue I have with ZEOIX is it isn't on NTF transaction free platforms at brokers. My understanding is this is by design as the managers don't want hot money or to pay to be on those "free" platforms. The problem is this is a low returning cash-like/short-term bond investment. So if you're a retail investor who maybe puts in a few thousand, say $5,000, and end up paying a $50 transaction fee, well that's 1 percentage point of your return over the next year and ZEOIX might deliver 3% on a year, so you've lost one-third of your return. Then because it is cash-like, let's say the stock market dips or falls flat on its face, well you might want to move some of your money out of cash or ZEOIX to buy some stocks. Well, then you've lost another 1/3 of your return doing that with the transaction fee. It's lack of liquidity for a short-term bond fund at brokers is problematic. And even if you buy it directly from Zeo and don't pay a fee, well again, let's say you see an opportunity to buy stocks, do you have to call Zeo to liquidate, transfer that money to your broker to buy the stocks? To me the hassle seems not worth it for many investors. I think if the managers want to prevent hot money, they could employ a short-term redemption fee that makes investors hold for a few months but lets them trade freely once that period ends.
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    "wxman123">What would be the argument to choose this fund over Zeoix (better performance) or BBBMX (better and even safer)?
    When I compare the 2 funds, RPHYX is less risky compared to ZEOIX. RPHYX has a portfolio credit rating of using BB rated corporate assets, compared to B rated for ZEOIX. RPHYX also reduces risk by holding a much higher percentage in cash (about 46%), compared to about 5% cash for ZEOIX. Also RPHYX does not require redemption fees compared to ZEOIX. When you look at performance charts, you see the lower volatility/standard deviation in RPHYX, and in the toughest downmarket for the 2 funds (2015/2016), RPHYX showed almost no dip, compared to a slight dip for ZEOIX. As a result of the 2 similar funds, you get a safer fund in RPHYX that performs more like a Money Market fund than RPHYX, but with ZEOIX you get more yield, with a bit more long term return, and a fund that stays largely invested in corporates. For an investor, who wants a fund more like cash, RPHYX is a bit more similar without redemption fees.
  • Should You Own a Muni Fund?
    I've read elsewhere that $50K is a bare minimum for muni diversification, which would mean 10 bonds, not 20. Still not the same thing as picking up a couple of T-bills.
    Munis, like Treasuries, have become more attractive for middle income couples, who may no longer be deducting state income taxes because of the $24K standard deduction and/or the the $10K cap on SaLT deductions.
    While technically munis have had a negative correlation with the S&P 500 over the past decade (mentioned in M* article), it may be more accurate to say there's been no correlation at all, positive or negative. The coefficient of correlation was -0.02, making the R-squared 0.0004.
    https://www.lordabbett.com/en/perspectives/marketview/municipal-bonds-look-beyond-tax-free-label.html
  • *
    Gary1952">Who is buying ZEOIX and where? Schwab has a $49.95 transaction fee plus a 1% redemption fee. Seems restrictive for a $1500 min. purchase amount.
    I looked at ZEOIX closely at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020, as a possible landing spot, for some RMD money I was depositing in my taxable account. From my perspective, it is a very good option as a cash alternative fund, with a very smooth and solid history of consistent performance. However, I opted to pass on it for now, as I do not like funds with redemption fees, and as you noted at Schwab you are also required to pay transaction fees. I decided to put that money into some existing non-traditional bonds I own, and continue keeping it on a watchlist for possible future investing.
  • RiverPark Short Term High Yield (RPHYX / RPHIX) reopened to all investors today
    Here is the link:
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1494928/000139834420000731/fp0049672_497.htm
    497 1 fp0049672_497.htm
    RiverPark Funds Trust
    RiverPark Short Term High Yield Fund
    Institutional Class (RPHIX)
    Retail Class (RPHYX)
    Supplement dated January 14, 2020 to the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (the “Disclosure Documents”) dated January 28, 2019.
    This supplement provides new and additional information beyond that contained in the Disclosure Documents and should be read in conjunction with the Disclosure Documents.
    IMPORTANT NOTICE ON PURCHASE OF FUND SHARES
    Effective as of the close of business on January 15, 2020 (the “Re-Opening Date”), the RiverPark Short Term High Yield Fund (the “Fund”) will be publicly available for sale without limitation.
    The Fund may from time to time, in its sole discretion, limit the types of investors permitted to open new accounts, limit new purchases or otherwise modify the above policy at any time on a case-by-case basis.
    PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
  • BlackRock C.E.O. Larry Fink: Climate Crisis Will Reshape Finance
    By Andrew Ross Sorkin at the NY Times. Jan. 14, 2020.
    "Laurence D. Fink, the founder and chief executive of BlackRock, announced Tuesday that his firm would make investment decisions with environmental sustainability as a core goal.
    BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager with nearly $7 trillion in investments, and this move will fundamentally shift its investing policy — and could reshape how corporate America does business and put pressure on other large money managers to follow suit."
    Article Here
  • *
    @Gary1952,
    I was addressing your inquiry about ZEOIX above. Should have stated that in my first post.