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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.
  • Lipper apparently begins its 1-5 ratings at 3y of performance, like M* [edited]
    "Lipper Ratings for Total Return reflect funds' historical total return performance relative to peers. Lipper Ratings for Consistent Return reflect funds' historical risk-adjusted returns relative to peers. Lipper Ratings for Preservation are relative, rather than absolute. Lipper Ratings for Tax Efficiency reflect funds' historical ability to postpone taxable distributions. Lipper Ratings for Expense reflect funds' expense minimization relative to peers. Lipper Ratings DO NOT take into account the effects of sales charges. *Overall Lipper Ratings are based on an equal-weighted average of percentile ranks for each measure over 3-, 5-, and 10-year periods (if applicable)."
    (Source: Lipper)
    I've always preferred Lipper. M* impresses me as too cute by half. While technically Lipper doesn't use stars, their bar graph appears to be a similar apparition. Of course it's best to consult a number of ratings organizations. I try to look at 5. I buy new funds rarely. When Oppenheimer closed one of mine several months ago, I was forced to look for an alternative with them or move the money elsewhere.
  • Lipper apparently begins its 1-5 ratings at 3y of performance, like M* [edited]
    title says it
    M* just started w DSEE(N)X, its having been three years as of last week.
  • Interval funds
    Morningstar should track most, though I think Bloomberg.com would have all of them. They are not traded intraday, think of them like a mutual fund with daily NAV once a day at the close. Identifying can be tricky. I have not seen a publicly available screen for them. If you have a Bloomberg terminal you can get creative with some searches to find them. Plus, some are really marketed to RIA's and not retail investors so minimums can be quite high and permission has to be given to get into some. Below are 15 to come off a quick screen from the Bloomberg terminal:
    Ticker Name
    XCAPX - ACAP STRATEGIC FUND-A
    WESFX - WILDERMUTH ENDOWMENT STRAT
    VSLAX - INVESCO SENIOR LOAN-A
    VCMRX - VERSUS CAP MM REAL ESTATE-F
    VCAPX - VERTICAL CAPITAL INCOME FUND
    SRRIX - STONE RIDGE REINSUR RISK PRE
    RCIAX - RESOURCE CREDIT INCOME-A
    PSOIX - PALMER SQ OPPORTUNISTIC INC
    PRIVX - SHARESPOST 100 FUND
    NRSZX - NEXPOINT REAL ESTATE STRAT-Z
    MSFDX - MULTI-STRATEGY GROW & INC-A
    LENDX - STONE RIDGE ALT LENDING RISK
    AVRPX - STONE RIDGE ALL ASSET VAR RK
  • Interval funds
    Very familiar with interval funds. They are becoming more popular as they have the look and feel of traditional 40 Act mutual funds (5 letter tickers, on traditional custodians (Schwab, Fidelity, TD, etc), 1099's. Performance like all funds and asset classes can vary, though some that are focusing on very niche areas have performed very well. In theory, you should get compensated for the semi- illiquidity (a premium). Gates of 5-10% of the total fund AUM typically exist on the way out. For the right asset class these can be a good solution.
  • M*: Fund Managers Who Are Buying Their Funds
    FYI: Some managers have boosted their investment in their funds. I name names.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=779111
  • Ben Carlson: How Investors Develop Bad Habits
    FYI: One of the hardest parts about investing is that prudent advice doesn’t always work. Risk management doesn’t always add value. Legitimate strategies can go long stretches where they don’t work very well. Diversification means you’ll always hate something in your portfolio. Junk stocks can outperform high quality companies depending on the starting prices and valuations.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://awealthofcommonsense.com/2016/11/how-investors-develop-bad-habits/
  • Interval funds
    @Alban & MFO Members An interval fund is a type of investment company that periodically offers to repurchase its shares from shareholders. That is, the fund periodically offers to buy back a stated portion of its shares from shareholders. Shareholders are not required to accept these offers and sell their shares back to the fund.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20140506/BLOG09/140509948/the-rise-of-interval-funds-mutual-funds-for-alternative-investing
  • MFO Ratings Updated Through October 2016

    This month there are 12 funds that are both 20-year Great Owls (top quintile risk adjusted return for past 3, 5, 10 and 20 years) and Honor Roll funds (top quintile absolute return for past 1, 3, and 5 years).
    The 20-year GO designation is a remarkable accomplishment in itself ... long-term consistently high returns while mitigating drawdown. Add-in Honor Roll designation, which means these funds have continued to generate top returns presently.
    Here are four:
    T Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund (PRWCX)
    Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund; Investor Shares (VWINX)
    Fidelity Select Retailing Portfolio (FSRPX)
    Vanguard/Wellington Fund Inc; Investor Shares (VWELX)
    The remaining are munis:
    Vanguard Ohio Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund; Investor Shares (VOHIX)
    Fidelity Michigan Municipal Income Fund (FMHTX)
    Fidelity Ohio Municipal Income Fund (FOHFX)
    Fidelity Arizona Municipal Income Fund (FSAZX)
    Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund; Investor Shares (VPAIX)
    Fidelity Pennsylvania Municipal Income Fund (FPXTX)
    New York Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund; Investor Shares (VNYTX)
    Nuveen Minnesota Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund; Class I Shares (FAMTX)
  • SEC Must End Mutual Fund Paper Chase
    FYI: Even amidst the rancor and divisiveness that currently blanket Washington, the federal government has a bipartisan opportunity to reduce costs and improve disclosures for investors, while in the process helping the environment, and eliminating expensive, unnecessary papershuffling. Unfortunately, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) struck out on an opportunity to get it done at its public meeting last month.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/11/03/sec-must-end-mutual-fund-paper-chase/print/
  • Fund Managers: No, The Election Won't Wreck Your 401(k)
    FYI: Worried that the election will ruin your 401(k)?
    Don't be, fund managers say, no matter who wins the White House. As long as you're a long-term investor willing to ride through whatever market bumps occur after Election Day, and there certainly could be scary ones, presidential elections historically haven't had much impact on stocks over the long term. Other factors, such as how expensive stocks are relative to their earnings and what the Federal Reserve is doing with interest rates, are more important factors for the market than who sits in the White House.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/a7d30c817fb74ec0a55e10889156df7d/fund-managers-no-election-wont-wreck-your-401k
  • MFO Ratings Updated Through October 2016

    David designates funds between 1 and 2 years of age as "Rookie Funds." Here are some top performers based on risk adjusted return in category, specifically Martin Ratio ... max absolute return with min drawdown since inception through October:
    SPDR S&P 500 High Dividend EtF (SPYD)
    Intrepid Select Fund; Investor Class Shares (ICMTX)
    Fidelity SAI US Minimum Volatility Index Fund (FSUVX)
    T Rowe Price Global Unconstrained Bond Fund (RPIEX)
    Restaurant EtF (BITE) ... Ha!
    Intrepid International Fund; Investor Class Shares (ICMIX)
    Grandeur Peak Global Micro Cap Fund; Institutional Class Shares (GPMCX)
    Eventide Multi-Asset Income Fund; Class I Shares (ETIMX)
    Grandeur Peak Global Stalwarts Fund; Institutional Class Shares (GGSYX)
    SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical EtF (TOTL)
    AQR Equity Market Neutral Fund; Class R6 Shares (QMNRX)
    Grandeur Peak International Stalwarts Fund; Institutional Class Shares (GISYX)
    Artisan Developing World Fund; Institutional Shares (APHYX)
    JOHCM Emerging Markets Small Mid Cap Equity Fund; Institutional Class Shares (JOMMX)
    Vanguard Alternative Strategies Fund; Investor Class Shares (VASFX)
    Brown Capital Management International Small Company Fund; Inst Shares (BCSFX)
  • Weekend videos hosted by Barron's: EM fund managers
    @MFO Members: (Click On Article Title At Top Of Google Search)
    Here is the text that goes with the two videos. "Emerging+Markets+Roundtable"
    Regards,
    Ted
    Emerging markets snapped out of a three-year rout this year, against an unlikely backdrop. Brazil was gripped by a scandal worthy of a telenovela, George Soros predicted Russia would be bankrupt in a year, and China and Mexico became punching bags amid a wave of antiglobalization sentiment. Despite the negative headlines, the MSCI Emerging Markets index is up 31% from a low in late January. That move far outpaces the Standard & Poor’s 500 index’s 13% advance, and marks the MSCI index’s best performance relative to developed markets since 2009.
    https://www.google.com/#q=Emerging+Markets+Roundtable:+Where+to+Invest+Now+Barron's
  • Barron's Cover Story: Active Stockpickers Are Outpacing Passive Funds
    FYI: (Click On Article Title At Top Of Google Search)
    Passive investing had been declared the winner in the race for returns, beating stockpickers. But the race is still on, and suddenly, the stockpickers are surging ahead. After a slow start to the year, 60% of actively managed funds are beating the Standard & Poor’s 500 index since July 1, the highest level in nearly two decades. This at a time when money has been pouring into index funds at record rates.
    Regards,
    Ted
    https://www.google.com/#q=Active+Stockpickers+Are+Outpacing+Passive+Funds+Barron's
  • MFO Ratings Updated Through October 2016

    Dodge & Cox Balanced Fund (DODBX)
    Dodge & Cox Global Stock Fund (DODWX)
    Dodge & Cox Income Fund (DODIX)
    All on Honor Roll, which means they are top quintile in category the past 5, 3, and 1 year periods on an absolute return basis.
  • MFO Ratings Updated Through October 2016
    All ratings have been updated on MFO Premium site, including MultiSearch, Great Owls, Fund Alarm (Three Alarm and Honor Roll), Averages, Correlation, Dashboard of Profiled Funds, and Fund Family Scorecard.
  • The Closing Bell: U.S. Stocks Post Longest Slide Since 1980,
    @Old_Skeet
    If this down draft continues,you might have to revive these threads.Your observations and insights were appreciated and well recieved by many of us.
    From January 2016...............
    Day Six & Day Seven ... Recent Selling Stampede Might Soon Be Ending
    It's Day Eight /// Surprise ... Surprise ... Surprise!!
    It's Day Nine ... Selling Stampede Continues ... Perhaps Plunge Protection Team Will Step In
    Market Day Eleven ... It's Off to the Races
    http://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/profile/discussions/472/Old_Skeet
    ARBITRAGE CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES ACFIX
    Q3 2016 COMMENTARY
    With several quarters of positive market performance
    behind us, the fourth quarter could introduce new
    volatility and opportunities given the upcoming US
    elections, increased news flow detailing the UK’s plan
    to exit from the EU, and the specter of December
    interest rate hikes. As we saw during 2014 and 2015,
    market gains can quickly reverse as investor
    sentiment and direction rapidly change. While we may
    not be able to predict political or economic outcomes
    with certainty, we are aware of the risks and
    outcomes that can result from changing events
    https://arbitragefunds.com/restricted/get/Credit_Opportunities_Commentary.pdf
    The death of retail isn't a problem for Starbucks
    Nov. 4, 2016 3:50 PM ET By: Clark Schultz, Seeking Alpha News Editor
    Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) CEO Howard Schultz delved into some interesting large-scale retail issues during the company's earnings call yesterday.Schultz first noted that FedEx CEO Fred Smith shared some research with him confirming the significant drop in store traffic globally amid the 'Amazon Effect" across industries -- before he really turned up the retail bear rhetoric.
    Q and A from SBUX conference call. Earnings Call Transcript (page 14-15)
    John William Ivankoe - JPMorgan Securities LLC
    Hi. Thank you. Howard, I was going to ask you to maybe apply the current environment in terms of what we're seeing both in the U.S. and around the world in the consumer environment,
    Howard S. Schultz - Starbucks Corp.3rd Q
    I was talking to Fred Smith just a couple of weeks ago about his situation at FedEx and he shared with me a piece of research which showed a significant drop in foot traffic on Main Street and in malls, not only domestically and around the world, as a result of e-commerce, the Web, and what I'll loosely describe as the Amazon effect. As a result of that, you're certainly seeing large companies and small companies not only not open new stores, but announce closures.
    And let me just speak to that. I know this is a little long-winded but I think it's important. There's no doubt that over the next five years or so, we are going to see a dramatic level of retailers not be able to sustain their level of core business as a traditional bricks-and-mortar retailer, and their omni-channel approach is not going to be sustainable to maintain their cost of their infrastructure. And as a result of that, there's going to be tremendous amount of changes with regard to the retail landscape.
    We believe, as we look down that pipe and look at the future, that our ability to maintain our growth in terms of new stores domestically and internationally, coupled with the fact that Starbucks still maintains a very special place in terms of a sense of community, the third place environment, and people looking for and seeking out human contact and a place to go, that as these store closures occur, and they will, that we are going to be in a very unique position five years, 10 years down the road because there's going to be a lot less people competing for those customers. I'm not talking about the coffee category; I'm talking overall.
    But we are in the very, very early stages of a tremendous change in the bricks-and-mortar footprint of retailers domestically and internationally as a result of the sea change in how
    people are buying things, and that's going to have, I think, a negative effect on all of retail.
    http://seekingalpha.com/article/4019416-starbucks-sbux-q4-2016-results-earnings-call-transcript?page=15
    Highlights of the Week:© 2016 Payden & Rygel
    Equities Investors have been risk averse in light of the macro uncertainties, ignoring the first positive quarterly earnings growth in seven quarters.
    Corporates: Corporate fund flows had a $2 billion out flow from mutual funds and ETFs
    Securitized highlight of the week’s deal flow was the
    $1 billion refinance of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas by Blackstone Real Estate
    High Yield despite short-term volatility, the economic fundamentals that drive capital markets’ performance remain solid.
    Municipals: Municipal issuance in October totaled approximately $53 billion, the largest total in 30 years and up 57% year-over-year...demand remained robust and municipal funds received approximately $1.7 billion of inflows during the month
    .https://www.payden.com/weekly/wir110416.pdf