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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.
  • Goldman Plans ETF To Mimic Hedge Funds… With A Delay
    FYI: You can make an ETF out of anything. Even hedge fund positions that are at least 45 days old.
    Goldman Sachs Group Inc. earlier this month filed a prospectus for a new exchange-traded fund it plans to launch. The product it’s proposing, dubbed the Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund VIP ETF, will track an index of some of the most popular positions held by U.S. hedgies. It’s plan: To track an index of 50 stocks that appear the most in the top 10 holdings of U.S. hedge funds that rely on “fundamental” stock analysis.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2016/02/19/goldman-plans-etf-to-mimic-hedge-funds-with-a-delay/tab/print/
  • Can Mutual Funds Be Too Big To Fail? NY Fed Says Yes…Sort Of
    (This is a follow-up article)
    FYI: Just when mutual-fund managers thought the systemic-risk talk was over, the New York Fed has stoked the fire. Sort of.
    In a post published Thursday on the New York Federal Reserve’s Liberty Street Economics blog, economists argued that mutual funds are at risk of fire-sales and runs.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2016/02/19/can-mutual-funds-be-too-big-to-fail-ny-fed-says-yes-sort-of/tab/print/
  • Quality Dividend ETFs Outperform
    FYI: Investors may be turning to the quality and value investment themes as dividend exchange traded funds lead the recent rebound.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://www.etftrends.com/2016/02/quality-dividend-etfs-outperform/
  • Ted missing the big stories ... I need to go back to work! You'll Need $2 Million to Retire!
    http://www.thestreet.com/story/13465544/1/you-ll-need-2-million-before-you-can-think-of-retirement.html
    Retirement is really post WWII concept that people still believe is possible for them. But if you are 30 or under prepare for living on the street or in the boondocks (read up on BLM land) in your 60s.
    Thank you for paying your SS taxes - I'll be enjoying them.
  • Meet Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30, a Midsize Marvel
    Objective & Overview
    The Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing in 30 Mid Cap companies, screening for undervalued stocks with above-average growth potential.
    Investment Strategy
    The Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund formula marries value with momentum, seeking growth at a reasonable price. Stocks for the portfolio are selected by strict adherence to the following time-tested, quantitative formula:
    Market capitalization between $1 and $10 billion, excluding foreign stocks/ADR's
    This market cap spread allows for inclusion of a broad range of mid-cap companies. Foreign stocks/American Depositary Receipts, or “ADR's” are excluded as they do not generate additional returns for the additional associated risk.
    Price to sales ratio below 1.5
    This value metric helps to uncover relative bargains. The formula chooses sales as its guide because sales figures are more difficult for companies to manipulate than earnings and frequently provide a clearer picture of a company's potential value.
    Annual earnings higher than the previous year
    While sales may be the best indicator of a company's value, the formula considers improvement in earnings as an indicator of a company's financial strength.
    Positive stock price appreciation, or relative strength, over 3 and 6-month period
    Historically, relative strength has been one of the most influential variables in predicting which stocks will outperform the market.
    Select the 30 stocks with the highest 12-month price appreciation
    Limiting the portfolio to 30 stocks allows just the top performers to be included, while providing ample diversification
    The portfolio is rebalanced once annually, generally in the Fall
    https://hennessyfunds.com/funds/equity/individual/f_3/sc_investor/cornerstone_mid_cap_30_fund/p_Quarterly/overview.fs
  • Two Top Health-Care Funds
    @msf: U.S. News & World Report ranks PSPHX #2 & ETHSX #16. My problem with ETHSX is it's load. There are many excellent health-care fund that are no-load. On the positive side is ETHSX's manager, Sam Isely, who's steady hand has managed the fund since inception in 1985
    Regards,
    Ted
    ETHSX Category Percentile Rank:
    http://performance.morningstar.com/fund/performance-return.action?t=ETHSX&region=usa&culture=en-US
    FSPHX Category Percentile Rank:
    http://performance.morningstar.com/fund/performance-return.action?t=FSPHX&region=usa&culture=en_US
    PRHSX Category Percentile Rank:
    http://performance.morningstar.com/fund/performance-return.action?t=PRHSX&region=usa&culture=en_US
    JAGLX Category Percentile Rank:
    http://performance.morningstar.com/fund/performance-return.action?t=JAGLX&region=usa&culture=en_US
    VGHCX Category Percentile Rank:
    http://performance.morningstar.com/fund/performance-return.action?t=VGHCX&region=usa&culture=en_US
  • Tax ?
    John, H&R Block's Deluxe with State (under $30 at Amazon) worked very well after we jumped through some hoops. But our return wasn't complicated. Easy to navigate and to go back and correct or change earlier input when necessary. I think you can e-file federal for free, but we printed ours (to mail with a check).
    Had trouble getting it to install on 5 year old MacBook which we hardly ever use. After entering the data, it calculated the tax but refused to print return because it was in a "read only" configuration. Phoned HR and got tremendous walk-through support for properly installing. Included downloading a newer OS from Apple. So in our case, the HR support was great.
    http://www.amazon.com/Block-Deluxe-State-Software-Refund/dp/B01617VVCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455995456&sr=8-1&keywords=tax+preparation+software+2015
    Several of the negative reviews mention issues running the Mac version. If you have a Mac, you need Apple's 10.6 SnowLeopard OS to run it. But it's also available in the Windows version if that's what you use.
  • Two Top Health-Care Funds
    "(ETHSX) is one of just a handful of funds that has consistently beaten the market over virtually every time period."
    Statements like this always leave me wondering what "consistent" means, and what "market" means.
    As an example, has a fund that underperformed by 2% in each of 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, but outperformed by 15% in 2015 "consistently" outperformed? Its 1, 3, 5 year records say that it has done well, but I'd hardly call it consistent.
    ETHSX's record is somewhat like that, only it has done well in the past three calendar years. Though it has done poorly this short YTD (as has the entire sector) relative to "the market". It did not fare well relative to "the market" in 2012, while 2010 and 2006 were relative disasters. Here I'm using the S&P 500 and MSCI ACWI to represent "the market".
    IMHO more significant (for any fund) is how well it has done relative to its sector. ETHSX's rankings are in the bottom half (M* category) for 3, 5, 10, and 15 year periods. With this statement I'm guilty of the same cherry picking as Barron's - I'm not looking year by year (or rolling periods). Though year by year, still it has ended only two of the last ten calendar years in the top two quintiles.
    Lipper says pretty much the same thing, ranking it a 3 on consistency (3, 5, 10, and overall) within its Lipper category.
    Note that Lipper divides the health care fund universe into two parts - domestic and global. This is another illustration of why defining terms, i.e. "the market" matters. Lipper considers ETHSX a global fund (JAGLX being a more consistent peer), while Lipper considers FSPHX to be a consistent domestic health care fund.
  • Rule # 1
    "For U.S. short-term reserve returns, we used the Ibbotson 1-Month Treasury Bill Index from 1926 through 1977 and the Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Bill Index thereafter."
    It's nice they inform us of that. However, all 9 of their suggested models contain 0% allocation to short-term reserves.
  • Two Top Health-Care Funds
    FYI: (Click On Article title At Top Of Google Search)
    This year’s market has not been good for anyone’s health. After the rockiest start ever to a new year, the volatility has continued such that even the recent three-day rally still has stocks down more than 6% as of Thursday. Health-care stocks, after five years of market-beating gains, have been hit particularly hard, down 8.6% for the year so far. The only sector in worse shape is financials, down 12.3%.
    In our Jan. 30 cover story, Barron’s told readers it was “Time to Buy Bank Stocks.” Investors would be wise to look at health-care funds as well.
    Regards,
    Ted
    https://www.google.com/#q=Two+Top+Health-Care+Funds+Barron's
  • Jason Zweig: When Stock Pickers Stop Picking Stocks
    FYI: Picking stocks has become so hard that some stock pickers have given up pretending to try.
    Pry open the hood of a mutual fund, and you might be startled by what you find. In the past, you would have seen roughly 100 stocks, each painstakingly selected by a portfolio manager passionate about beating the market. Today, you’re increasingly likely to find a few handfuls of exchange-traded funds — those autopilot portfolios that seek to mimic the market rather than beat it.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2016/02/19/when-stock-pickers-stop-picking-stocks/tab/print/
  • Collins Alternative Solutions Fund to liquidate
    @MFO Members: Created 4/30/12, with assets of only $21.7 million, and a 90th percentile perfomance record, with 2.36% ER. Management requests you don't sent flowers.
    Regards,
    Ted
    M*: CLLIX Performance Record:
    http://performance.morningstar.com/fund/performance-return.action?t=CLLIX&region=usa&culture=en-US
  • Collins Alternative Solutions Fund to liquidate
    http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1141819/000089418916007712/collins-tpm_497e.htm
    497 1 collins-tpm_497e.htm SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS (497E - STICKER)
    Filed pursuant to Rule 497(e)
    Registration Nos. 333-62298; 811-10401
    Collins Alternative Solutions Fund
    A series of Trust for Professional Managers (the “Trust”)
    Supplement dated February 19, 2016
    to the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information dated June 28, 2015
    The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Trust for Professional Managers (the “Trust”), based upon the recommendation of Collins Capital Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”), the investment adviser to the Collins Alternative Solutions Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Trust, has determined to close and liquidate the Fund. The Board concluded that it would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders that the Fund be closed and liquidated as a series of the Trust effective as of the close of business on February 19, 2016.
    The Board approved a Plan of Liquidation (the “Plan”) that determines the manner in which the Fund will be liquidated. Pursuant to the Plan and in anticipation of the Fund’s liquidation, the Fund will be closed to new purchases effective as of the close of business on February 19, 2016. However, any distributions declared to shareholders of the Fund after February 19, 2016 and until the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on February 26, 2016 will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund unless a shareholder specifically requests that such distributions be paid in cash. Although the Fund will be closed to new purchases as of February 19, 2016, you may continue to redeem your shares of the Fund after February 19, 2016, as provided in the Prospectus. Please note, however, that the Fund will be liquidating its assets as of the close of business on February 26, 2016.
    Pursuant to the Plan, if the Fund has not received your redemption request or other instruction prior to the close of business on February 26, 2016, the effective time of the liquidation, your shares will be redeemed, and you will receive proceeds representing your proportionate interest in the net assets of the Fund as of February 26, 2016, subject to any required withholdings. As is the case with any redemption of fund shares, these liquidation proceeds will generally be subject to federal and, as applicable, state and local income taxes if the redeemed shares are held in a taxable account and the liquidation proceeds exceed your adjusted basis in the shares redeemed. If the redeemed shares are held in a qualified retirement account such as an IRA, the liquidation proceeds may not be subject to current income taxation under certain conditions. You should consult with your tax adviser for further information regarding the federal, state and/or local income tax consequences of this liquidation that are relevant to your specific situation.
    The Adviser will bear all of the expenses incurred in carrying out the Plan.
    Shareholder inquiries should be directed to the Fund at 1-855-55-ALT-MF.
    Please retain this Supplement with your Prospectus and
    Statement of Additional Information for reference.
  • Rule # 1
    @MFO Members: "Volatility is not the same thing as risk, and investors who think it is will cost themselves money." .....Warren Buffett
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-on-risk-and-volatility-2015-4
  • Rule # 1
    In investing is to determine your risk tolerance. This is a good basis from which to start. Scaled from 100% down to 0.
    https://personal.vanguard.com/us/insights/saving-investing/model-portfolio-allocations
  • Soft close for Oppenheimer International Small-Mid Company Fund
    Here's the Prospectus Supplement (it explicitly says that if you're working through an advisory-fee program you can continue to purchase shares).
    As I posted before, Oppenheimer is trying to raise its management fee by 1/3. Total ERs, including the management fees, would rise about 20% (Y shares would go from 0.95% to 1.18%; A shares would go from 1.20% to 1.43%). Here's the proxy statement on this.
    The rationale given is that the lower management fee is no longer in line with those of the fund's peers (and gosh darn it, managing this kind of fund is hard work). IMHO that might fly, except that this is, as slick noted above, a humongous fund.
    The closest direct peer is LAIAX, with a virtually identical ER (before raising the rate). The other two jumbo ($4B+) small/mid cap international growth funds are MIDAX (which will be about 11 basis points cheaper after the hike in ER), and PRIDX (which costs about the same as OSMAX, before the ER hike).
    It's not a done deal yet - they failed to get a quorum and had to adjourn the shareholder meeting until March 11th. But when it happens, the ER increase will make the fund less attractive.
  • Soft close for Oppenheimer International Small-Mid Company Fund
    Fund now has $6B in assets, all classes. the A shares OSMAX is available load waived as NTF. I own OSMYX, institutional version. I called them and if fund is held with financial advisor, can still add. Nice fund.
    January 29, 2016
    OPPENHEIMER INTERNATIONAL SMALL-MID COMPANY FUND TO SOFT CLOSE ON APRIL 1, 2016
    Dear Oppenheimer International Small-Mid Company Fund Shareholder:
    In an effort to continue to provide our shareholders with a long-term strategy for success, we are placing limitations
    on certain investor purchases into Oppenheimer International Small-Mid Company Fund. We believe
    these new limitations will help position the Fund for continued sustainable long-term growth.
    Effective as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on April 1, 2016, the Fund will no longer accept
    purchase orders from new investors and existing Fund shareholders will no longer be able to purchase new
    shares or exchange shares of other funds into the Fund, subject to certain exceptions including:
    • If you own shares in certain types of employer-sponsored retirement plans you can continue to purchase
    shares and exchange into the Fund.
    • If you own shares through an OppenheimerFunds Portfolio BuilderSM account you can continue to purchase
    shares and exchange into the Fund.
    • If you own shares in any 529 Plan that currently includes the Fund within one or more of their investment
    options, those existing 529 portfolios are not affected.
    Distribution and capital gains set to reinvest in Oppenheimer International Small-Mid Company Fund will continue
    to reinvest after the close date. If you have automatic purchases established for this Fund and one of
    the above exceptions does not apply, your auto purchase feature will be turned off before the effective
    date. This will include purchases you make through Asset Builder, exchanges from another Oppenheimer fund
    into this Fund (including dividend exchanges) and other automatic purchase methods. If you wish to continue
    your automatic investments after the effective date, you will need to choose a different investment to receive
    the purchases. Your financial advisor can help you make changes to your account.
    We will continue to monitor the Fund to determine if we need to further modify these restrictions on investment
    purchases. Please see the prospectus supplement, which is available on our website at oppenheimerfunds.com
    for additional details on these and other changes to the purchase restrictions for the Fund.
    If you have any questions, please speak with your financial advisor or contact us at 1 800 CALL OPP (225 5677)