Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

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.
  • Investors dodge U.S. dollar and Treasurys, scared by Trump’s trade war
    The IMF reports that the US dollar's role as a reserve currency has gradually declined over the last two decades.
    Interestingly, this decline was not matched by increases for the euro, yen, or pound.
    "Dollar dominance—the outsized role of the US dollar in the world economy—has been brought into focus recently as the robustness of the US economy, tighter monetary policy and heightened geopolitical risk have contributed to a higher greenback valuation. At the same time, economic fragmentation and the potential reorganization of global economic and financial activity into separate, nonoverlapping blocs could encourage some countries to use and hold other international and reserve currencies."
    "Recent data from the IMF’s Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves (COFER) point to an ongoing gradual decline in the dollar’s share of allocated foreign reserves of central banks and governments. Strikingly, the reduced role of the US dollar over the last two decades has not been matched by increases in the shares of the other 'big four' currencies—the euro, yen, and pound. Rather, it has been accompanied by a rise in the share of what we have called nontraditional reserve currencies, including the Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Chinese renminbi, South Korean won, Singaporean dollar, and the Nordic currencies. The most recent data extend this trend, which we had pointed out in an earlier IMF paper and blog."
    https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/06/11/dollar-dominance-in-the-international-reserve-system-an-update
  • Investors dodge U.S. dollar and Treasurys, scared by Trump’s trade war
    Oh - It involves much more than the relative value of the dollar vs other currencies on the FX. We’ve had a weak dollar at times during the past 75 years while the reserve status remained intact. I can’t ever remember it being seriously questioned in my lifetime.
    As the source here cited explains, the reserve currency status has been conferred on the U.S. Dollar since the end of WW II by other nations largely because of the size of its economy, its ability to issue debt, its respected financial regulatory system, its geopolitical power and - yes - by the stability of the currency. If you told me several of those requisites were in decline, I’d not argue with you, but let’s acknowledge that a somewhat diminished value of the dollar (vs other currencies) by itself is not enough to cause a loss of the reserve status.
    Thanks for the linked podcast @Observant1 / Listened to it partially. I’m a big fan of Reuters and a subscriber.
  • Investors dodge U.S. dollar and Treasurys, scared by Trump’s trade war
    I recently posted the following in another thread.
    The US has the exorbitant privilege of the dollar being the world's reserve currency.
    No other currency in history has been so globally dominant.
    Foreign exchange reserves are most often denominated in US dollars.
    Three quarters of global trade and 85% of all currency swaps involve dollars.
    Recent policy actions have incentivized governments, central banks,
    and financial institutions to question their dependence on the dollar.
    The podcast features an informative discussion with Paul Blustein who authored
    "King Dollar: The Past and Future of the World’s Dominant Currency."
    Podcast
  • Investors dodge U.S. dollar and Treasurys, scared by Trump’s trade war
    Currencies fluctuate. You can find / make arguments for and against a strong dollar. For that matter, if your goal is to profit from currency movements you can invest in foreign currencies thru etfs. Both FXY (invests in the Japanese Yen) and FXF (invests in the Swiss Franc) are up by more than 10% YTD (at today’s end) according to M*. Not a bad return for 3.5 months.
    Some perspective provided by J.P. Morgan / January 3, 2025 -
    ”The U.S. dollar has continued to defy gravity, rising 7% in 2024 despite two Fed rate cuts. While the DXY Index peaked in September 2022, the U.S. real broad effective exchange rate (REER), which measures the dollar’s value relative to a broad basket of currencies adjusted for inflation differentials, remains near all-time highs. Dollar strength is expected to stabilize or persist into 2025 for several reasons …
    ”Even with the factors supporting the dollar, its ascent is unlikely to continue indefinitely. Currently, the dollar is two standard deviations above its 50-year average, suggesting limited room for further appreciation. Historically, the dollar has alternated between periods of strength and weakness, making a downturn likely at some point, though the timing is uncertain. Additionally, the U.S.'s persistent trade balance deficit, at 4.2% of GDP as of September 2024, poses a long-term constraint, highlighting a structural challenge that could eventually pressure the ,. but think so.
    “A strong dollar can hurt international company performance for U.S.-based investors. It can also negatively impact U.S. companies with significant international exposure and U.S. exports by making goods more expensive abroad. While a stronger dollar could bolster the 'U.S. exceptionalism' narrative in 2025, investors should carefully assess its potential impact on their portfolios.”

    Thanks for posting @Old_Joe / I’m not FD - but am sometimes mistaken for him. :)
    PS - You make a good point re foreign travel OJ. I recently heard someone from California remark that it was cheaper to book a week-long ski trip / vacation in Japan last year than in nearby Colorado. Not sure if that included air fare, but believe it did.
  • Oakmark International Funds
    BIEAX/BIIEX, Brandes International, a LCV fund despite Lipper calling it a multi-cap, deserves comparison with ARTKX. It stacks up very favorably in the respects that matter to me (performance, ER, seasoned managers, boutique firm). Brandes has 22 different iterations (classes) of their funds and 11 of them are 5-stars, the other 11 are 3 and 4. Their relatively new ETFs have not been around for long, but I own BINV, a clone of BIEAX which has a long record.
    It’s a pleasure to find a thread in which members talk about funds.
  • Investors dodge U.S. dollar and Treasurys, scared by Trump’s trade war
    @FD1000: Please pay no attention to this information- it obviously has no connection to investing whatsoever.
    Below are excerpts from a current report in The Washington Post:
    The dollar has lost almost 10 percent of its value since Inauguration Day with more than half of that decline coming this month.
    image
    The U.S. dollar is an early casualty of President Donald Trump’s us-against-the-world trade war. The dollar has lost almost 10 percent of its value since Inauguration Day, with more than half of decline coming this month after the president’s decision to lift taxes on imported goods to their highest level since 1909.
    The weaker dollar — now near a three-year low against the euro — is bad news for Americans traveling abroad and could also aggravate inflation by making foreign goods more expensive. U.S. exporters, however, should gain.
    “The administration’s approach to policy and its lack of transparency in terms of motivations have all led to a distinct sense of unease in financial markets,” said David Page, head of macro research for Axa Investment Managers in London, which manages $1 trillion in investments. “It doesn’t look like what we have been used to in terms of well-thought-out policy.”
    Those concerns last week sent investors fleeing from the dollar and U.S. government securities, historically a haven during financial crises. This week, after markets quieted, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed those concerns. In an interview Monday with Bloomberg Television, he said there was “no evidence” that foreign investors were abandoning U.S. assets, saying they had been active participants in recent auctions of government debt.
    “The dollar is incredibly entrenched in the global financial system in ways that no other currency is. Importing, exporting, borrowing, hedging, using the dollar for collateral, all of these things that major actors in the international economic system use the dollar for, would be so difficult to modify,” said Paul Blustein, author of “King Dollar: The Past and Future of the World’s Dominant Currency.”
    As the president’s enthusiasm for tariffs made the United States look riskier, investments in other markets became more attractive. In Europe, the German government last month abandoned a constitutional borrowing limit and made plans to spend heavily to spur the economy and fund a military buildup, raising growth prospects. China encouraged higher consumer spending to better balance its export-heavy economic model. And Japanese 10-year government debt offered its highest return in 15 years.
    Recent gains by the Swiss franc, the euro, Japanese yen and gold, which is up more than 7 percent in the past five trading days, support the idea that investors are looking for new ways to ride out the turmoil unleashed by the president.
    Yet for major institutional investors, giving up on the dollar is not feasible. The $28 trillion Treasury market is the world’s largest and most liquid, meaning that investors can quickly sell their holdings if they need to raise cash. In contrast, there are only $1.4 trillion in German government bonds outstanding. Alternative currencies likewise fall short. The Chinese yuan is assuming a greater role in global commerce. But the Chinese government does not allow capital to move freely across its borders, meaning investors could find their funds trapped.
    The euro also is handicapped. Nations that use the euro share a central bank in Frankfurt, which governs the zone’s monetary policy. But they lack a common fiscal authority akin to the U.S. Treasury and a common bond market.
    Even if the era of global dollar supremacy survives the trade war, the currency’s short-term outlook might be poor. Trump’s imposition of widespread tariffs has made a recession more likely, economists say, which could hurt stock prices and prompt the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. That would make investing in dollar-based assets less appealing.
  • Tariffs
    "Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that the central bank could have less flexibility
    to quickly cushion the economy from the fallout of President Trump’s trade war,
    sending stocks down on Wednesday."


    "Powell also hinted that the central bank could give priority to its inflation goal
    over its labor-market mandate if the two were in conflict.
    The Fed would attempt to balance the two goals, 'keeping in mind that, without price stability,
    we cannot achieve the long periods of strong labor market conditions that benefit all Americans,' he said."

    "The Fed’s focus, he said, will be to ensure that any one-time increases in prices
    from tariffs don’t fuel more persistent price increases."

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/powell-warns-of-challenging-scenario-for-fed-as-trade-war-rages/ar-AA1D3auD
  • Bond yields leap connected to sell-off
    AND, for today only (Wednesday, April 16, 6 pm); although you've probably already looked. Decent gains in light of recent events. Bonds acted a bit more 'normal', relative to the equities sell off today. ADD: Fed. Chair Powell stated today, that the FED can't provide any help at this time. Pressure upon the administration and friends IMHO, to fix 'their plan'.
    --- AGG = +.32% (I-Shares Core bond), a benchmark, (AAA-BBB holdings)
    --- MINT = +.01% (PIMCO Enhanced short maturity, AAA-BBB rated)
    --- SHY = +.13% (UST 1-3 yr bills)
    --- IEF = +.43% (UST 7-10 yr bonds)
    --- TIP = +.28% (UST Tips, 3-10 yrs duration, some 20+ yr duration)
    --- TLT = +.76% (I Shares 20+ Yr UST Bond
    --- BAGIX = +.41% Baird Aggregate Bond Fund (active managed, plain vanilla, high quality bond fund)
    --- LQD = +.42% (I Shares IG, corp. bonds)
    --- HYG = -.01% (I Shares High Yield bonds, proxy ETF)
  • FPA Crescent fund‘s - Steve Romick on M*
    That is not an accurate comparison. VWINX focuses on income (bonds) as the primary objective, and capital appreciation (stocks) as the secondary objective. Holding more long bonds is Wellington choice. FPACX is the other way around, and cash is treated as their tactical position.
    When LC tilting growth beat value for 15 years, many claimed it's not an accurate comparison instead of admitting their selection did that.
    FPACX beat VWELX (similar % in stocks) by over 60% in the last 5 years: 90+% vs 56+%.
    If you invested in VGIT=treasuries in the last 10 years, you made just over 1% per year.
    My point about VWIAX is the fact that even with 20% less in equities, PFACX did a much better job in general because performance was 3+ times better.
    See chart of all 3 funds (https://schrts.co/KjQvIJBP).
  • Oakmark International Funds
    "At present, ARTKX is closed to new investors while ARTGX is still open."
    David Samra is the Managing Director for ARDBX but he doesn't make final investment decisions for the fund.
    The fund's investment process resembles that of ARTKX.
    Both ARDBX comanagers previously worked with Mr. Samra on ARTKX and ARTGX.
    Mr. Zhou was an analyst for Artisan International Value and Global Value from 2005 to 2012.
    Mr. Vasagiri was an analyst for Artisan International Value and Global Value from 2007 to 2010.
  • Oakmark International Funds
    Second ARTKX - good international value fund.
    FMIJX - an international value fund choice if you are extremely patient and purchase at the right price. Over last 10 yr FMIJX provided index like (VXUS) return with less volatility.
    VWIGX - International growth fund that had a wild ride recently (during COVID timeframe).
  • Policy Financial Implications
    [snip]
    Basically, there are 5-7 posters that turn this site into a political rant in many threads.
    I participate in several investment sites and this is the only one that keeps doing it
    and this site used to be one of the best.
    I also participate in several investing forums and, without question, you bleat the most by far.
    Please stop your incessant whining!
    These activities are extremely disruptive and impede MFO participants' ability to fully leverage forum resources.
  • Oakmark International Funds
    OAKIX annual returns were often inconsistent.
    It wasn't uncommon for 1 yr., 3 yr., and 5 yr. fund category returns
    to alternate from top decile to bottom decile and vice versa.
    I haven't paid close attention to Oakmark funds for quite some time.
    I just checked OAKIX and noticed it hasn't been doing well in recent years.
    OAKIX returns in 2022 and 2024 were in the bottom 5% of the Foreign Value category according to M*.
    I have an article about Morningstar's International-Stock Fund Manager of the Year nominees in 2013.
    Here's a snippet which references David Herro and Oakmark International.
    "Herro is no stranger to internationally minded investors.
    He won the 2006 Morningstar International-Stock Fund Manager of the Year award
    and also received Morningstar's Manager of the Decade prize for international funds in 2010.
    Herro has been running this fund, on his own and with comanagers, since its 1992 inception,
    and its long-term record is certainly attention-getting.
    It hasn't slowed down, either: Oakmark International has ranked in the top 3% of its category
    in four of the past five calendar years.
    Not surprisingly, money has poured in, and the fund now has $28 billion in assets."

    Note: I've previously owned OAKIX (exited July 2014).
  • Policy Financial Implications
    From Crash - “...And now, 90 day delay. What will happen next? Who knows? Does Donald even know? Clearly, there is not any plan at all. Fly by the seat of your pants. Throw the dice.”
    Why guess? You might invest $19.95 in a Talking President Predictor. Best for basing long term investment decisions on the next words from above …
    From Amazon - “Talking Trump President Predicto Fortune Telling Ball - Lights Up & Responds - Ask Questions …”
  • Policy Financial Implications
    Observant1:
    Anyway, can you please focus on the potential economic/investing impacts
    of current policies as stated in the OP?
    You already answered it
    We are in total agreement regarding your second point.
    Portfolios should be constructed with an asset allocation tailored to an investor's goals
    and subsequent trading should be minimized.
    It's truly refreshing when you reference evidence-based investing for a change!
    Now, if you think that Trump is deranged and chaos is everywhere, why not sell everything?
    It's not a secret that I'm not a B&H investor. I invest based on current markets, not any prez or politics. If it's not reflected in the price and charts, I don't do anything.
    So, if you guys are serious and want to discuss what you are actually doing with your portfolios, then it belongs in the investment forum.
    All I see is political discussion. Look back at this thread and tell me where you discussed your portfolio. From the 3rd post it's about bashing the prez.
    Basically, there are 5-7 posters that turn this site into a political rant in many threads. I participate in several investment sites and this is the only one that keeps doing it and this site used to be one of the best.
  • Policy Financial Implications
    The US has the exorbitant privilege of the dollar being the world's reserve currency.
    No other currency in history has been so globally dominant.
    Foreign exchange reserves are most often denominated in US dollars.
    Three quarters of global trade and 85% of all currency swaps involve dollars.
    Recent policy actions have incentivized governments, central banks,
    and financial institutions to question their dependence on the dollar.
    Podcast
  • FPA Crescent fund‘s - Steve Romick on M*
    At David. I have lots of respect for Romick and I hold lots of Cash too. . I don’t need to pay 1% to hold my cash.
    To repeat myself, either you trust a manager or you don’t trust a manager. Let him do his thing and leave him alone, or get out. Why post about it? You obviously don’t have a lot of respect for him. So go do it yourself, if you don’t think his decisions and judgment will be helpful in the long run.. The end.
  • Policy Financial Implications
    [snip]
    TDS is a major lib illness.
    What can you do now
    1) stop reading the same sources that claim the US is close to destruction.
    2) most investors should hold their asset allocation according to their goals and hardly trade.

    Trump Denial Syndrome is a major MAGA malady.
    What is a proven remedy for this toxic disease?
    1) Extricate yourself from right-wing media echo chambers (e.g., Fox News) and seek actual facts.
    Using Media Bias / Fact Check as a reference, the following article lists reliable news sources
    to help facilitate your search for the TRUTH.
    https://www.skepticallibrarian.com/2024/07/25/most-reliable-news-sources/
    We are in total agreement regarding your second point.
    Portfolios should be constructed with an asset allocation tailored to an investor's goals
    and subsequent trading should be minimized.
    It's truly refreshing when you reference evidence-based investing for a change!
    Anyway, can you please focus on the potential economic/investing impacts
    of current policies as stated in the OP?