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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.
  • ⇒ All Things Boeing ... Machinist Union Accepts Latest Boeing Contract Offer
    They recently announced 10% layoffs across the board. So, there should be enough productivity gains.
    Or they may simply be producing 10% fewer planes.
  • ⇒ All Things Boeing ... Machinist Union Accepts Latest Boeing Contract Offer
    As a shareholder, I am fine with the wage increases. Co initial offer was 30%. They recently announced 10% layoffs across the board. So, there should be enough productivity gains. I am happy they will be back to work soon.
    I just need the execs to get back to fixing the culture.
    Side bar, There is a possibility, it is going to be M Bowman and not Powell’s world. In any case, Powell term ends in a year or so.
  • ⇒ All Things Boeing ... Machinist Union Accepts Latest Boeing Contract Offer
    First the port workers, now Boeing: 1.35^0.25 = 1.078 or +7.8% wage growth annualized, not counting other goodies. Powell won't be happy.
  • August MFO Ratings & Flows Posted
    Just posted all ratings and flows to MFO Premium site, using Refinitiv data drop from Friday, 18 October, reflecting risk and return metrics thru 3Q24 and fund flows thru 18 October, as applicable.
  • Social Security C.O.L.A. for 2025 at 2.5% increase/ADDED calculations
    For a boomer couple consistently earning high salaries over their careers, the SS annual benefit for next year, MC paid for = ~$120k.
    A good system after all, and a (partial) triumph for socialist democracy.
  • BONDS The week that was.... December 31, 2024..... Bond NAV's...Most positive. FINAL REPORT 2024
    @WABAC, that looks like stale info for USFR.
    Website shows 30-day SEC yield 4.75%, 10/18/24.
    https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/etfs/fixed-income/usfr
    Treasury shows FRN Index at 4.567%, 10/18/24. This is the variable rate for FRNs.
    USFR has ER of 15 bps.
    Thanks @yogibearbull. I pulled that number from Yahoo because M* seems to be stuck on Thursday asset prices for OEF's, so I wasn't sure what else was wrong there. Looks like %5.38 is the TTM yield. M* shows 4.75% for the SEC rate, if M* can be believed.
    Of main importance to me is that total return for the week and four week periods shows USFR ahead of MM's available to me. I had been rocking along with XONE, but bailed recently, as I describe elsewhere. If conditions change, it's easy enough to change with them.
  • Bloomberg Real Yield
    18 Oct, '24:
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2024-10-18/bloomberg-real-yield-10-18-2024-video
    ...Good idea for bond investors to extend duration, but not out to the far end.
    Suggested: single-B Loans. "Not for upside, but for Carry."
  • BONDS The week that was.... December 31, 2024..... Bond NAV's...Most positive. FINAL REPORT 2024
    For comparison, 7-day yield for SUTXX Treasury MM at Schwab is currently 4.71%.
  • BONDS The week that was.... December 31, 2024..... Bond NAV's...Most positive. FINAL REPORT 2024
    @WABAC, that looks like stale info for USFR.
    Website shows 30-day SEC yield 4.75%, 10/18/24.
    https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/etfs/fixed-income/usfr
    Treasury shows FRN Index at 4.567%, 10/18/24. This is the variable rate for FRNs.
    USFR has ER of 15 bps.
  • BONDS The week that was.... December 31, 2024..... Bond NAV's...Most positive. FINAL REPORT 2024
    NOTE:
    My intention, at this time; is to present the data for the selected bond sectors, as listed; through the end of the year (2024). This 'end date' will take us through the U.S. elections period, pending actions/legislation dependent upon the election results, pending Federal Reserve actions and market movers trying to 'guess' future directions of the U.S. economy. As important during this period, are any number of global circumstances that may take a path that is not expected; and/or 'new' circumstances. In the 'cooking pot' we currently have the big ingredients of the middle east and also, how much damage Ukraine may inflict upon Russia and the response.
    NOTE TWO: I am feeling decent after gall bladder removal on Friday morning. I'll take this opportunity for my P.S.A. If you or yours need this surgery and are in decent health; all will be well. My surgery was required due to 'polyps' in the bladder, which is always a removal of the bladder. There will be the normal biopsy of this tissue. Four small incisions in the tummy area; and the camera view found all the surrounding area to be 'happy'. I've used only 3 'hydrocodone' pills for pain on Friday, but none needed for Saturday (today); as I don't have discomfort at this point; but will take more meds if needed. So, if you have a need for this surgery (laparoscopic), and have a competent surgeon, as I did; please don't be overly anxious.
    FIRST: The NEWS is very full of elections info and the terrible hurricane(s) reports and the resulting suffering that remains. Ukraine and Russia are still busy with war. And is Lebanon entering a period of becoming a GAZA-fication relative to infrastructure and death? Song lyrics arise: "No where to run to, no where to hide."
    W/E October 18 , 2024..... Every which way for bond NAV's this week
    --- Generally, the U.S. economic reports news was positive this week; which added impact upon some bond sectors. 'Course, all the bond sectors in the list find their reasons for price movements, and we find 'a very mixed bag' for this weeks pricing. Monday was a retail holiday, with mid-week finding various directions. Many of the bond funds found positive moves on Friday. So, depending on where you're 'hanging' your bond market monies, will find both smiles and otherwise. The MINT etf, to the best of my recall, has maintained a positive price for the year, each and every week; and these remains for this week.
    A few numbers for your viewing pleasure.

    NEXT:
    *** UST yields chart, 6 month - 30 year. This chart is active and will display a 6 month time frame going forward to a future date. Place/hover the mouse pointer anywhere on a line to display the date and yield for that date. The percent to the right side is the percentage change in the yield from the chart beginning date for a particular item. You may also 'right click' on the 126 days at the chart bottom to change a 'time frame' from a drop down menu. Hopefully, the line graph also lets you view the 'yield curve' in a different fashion, for the longer duration issues, at this time. Save the page to your own device for future reference. NOTE: take a peek at the right side of this graph to find the yield swings of the past week, and for the current yields for the last business day.
    For the WEEK/YTD, NAV price changes, October 14 - October 17, 2024
    ***** This week (Friday), FZDXX, MM yield continues to move with Fed funds/repo/SOFR rates; and ended the week at 4.67% yield (no change). Fidelity's MM's continue to maintain decent yields, as is presumed with other vendors similar MM's. Theoretically, a new yield bottom is in place, until the next FED action. SO, one is still obtaining a decent MM yield. MOST MM's found a few hundreds basis drop in yield for the week.
    --- AGG = +.02% / +3.06% (I-Shares Core bond), a benchmark, (AAA-BBB holdings)
    --- MINT = +.08% / +4.84% (PIMCO Enhanced short maturity, AAA-BBB rated)
    --- SHY = +.06% / +3.64% (UST 1-3 yr bills)
    --- IEI = +.08% / +3.05% (UST 3-7 yr notes/bonds)
    --- IEF = +.08% / +2.14% (UST 7-10 yr bonds)
    --- TIP = -.11% / +3.91% (UST Tips, 3-10 yrs duration, some 20+ yr duration)
    --- VTIP = -.08% / +4.69% (Vanguard Short-Term Infl-Prot Secs ETF)
    --- STPZ = -.11% / +4.60% (UST, short duration TIPs bonds, PIMCO)
    --- LTPZ = -.04% / +2.06 % (UST, long duration TIPs bonds, PIMCO)
    --- TLT = +.18% / -2.23% (I Shares 20+ Yr UST Bond
    --- EDV = +.27% / -5.16% (UST Vanguard extended duration bonds)
    --- ZROZ = +.63% / -7.20% (UST., AAA, long duration zero coupon bonds, PIMCO
    --- TBT = -.15% / 11.80% (ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (about 23 holdings)
    --- TMF = +.20% / -19.93% (Direxion Daily 20+ Yr Trsy Bull 3X ETF (about a 2x version of EDV etf)
    *** Additional important bond sectors, for reference:
    --- BAGIX = +.10% / +3.56% Baird Aggregate Bond Fund (active managed, plain vanilla, high quality bond fund)
    --- LQD = -.05% / +3.44% (I Shares IG, corp. bonds)
    --- BKLN = +.14% / +6.54% (Invesco Senior Loan, Corp. rated BB & lower)
    --- HYG = +.29% / +7.94% (High Yield bonds, proxy ETF)
    --- HYD = +.11%/+5.48% (VanEck HY Muni)
    --- MUB = +.11% /+1.78% (I Shares, National Muni Bond)
    --- EMB = +.32%/+7.67% (I Shares, USD, Emerging Markets Bond)
    --- CWB = +.32% / +9.07% (SPDR Bloomberg Convertible Securities)
    --- PFF = +.69% / +12.42% (I Shares, Preferred & Income Securities)
    --- FZDXX = 4.67% yield (7 day), Fidelity Premium MM fund
    *** FZDXX yield was .11%, April,2022. (For reference to current date)
    Comments and corrections, please.
    Remain curious,
    Catch
  • The Week in Charts | Charlie Bilello
    The Week in Charts (10/19/24)
    The State of the Markets, including...
    00:00 Intro
    00:14 Topics
    00:26 Stocks
    08:35 Free Wealth Path Analysis
    09:17 Bonds/Fed
    16:54 Real Estate/Housing
    21:15 Commodities
    23:57 Currencies
    26:17 Crypto
    27:52 Intermarket
    33:56 Economy
    Video
    Blog - 10/19 blog not currently available
  • WealthTrack Show
    Part 2 with Christine Benz:

  • Why Stay in Medigap Plan F?
    When it works, it's fine. It is a front end for two pharmacies, Truepill and HealthDyne. (Wikipedia, as it is wont to do, has wrong information, listing only Truepill.)
    The price you pay is cost + 15% + $5/prescription + $5/order. This information is on its homepage.
    https://costplusdrugs.com/
    Sometimes it doesn't have the best prices, once you add in the $10 ($5 + $5) fixed cost. It is only slowly getting into nonsolid (i.e. liquid) medications. Shop carefully. I check with half a dozen different discount card price lists as well as with CostPlus.
    When CostPlus added HealthDyne last year it literally lost track of my prescription. Upon contacting them (which can only be done via email), it claimed that it no longer carried the drug. That was wrong information and many weeks later (after I'd filled the prescription elsewhere) the prescription magically reappeared. 
    Operating in the US, it cannot sell gray market drugs. If you want to buy a generic that is only available outside of the US, you still have to go to "Canadian" pharmacies or elsewhere.
  • Why Stay in Medigap Plan F?
    does any one have experience filling prescriptions with Cost Plus (Mark Cuban)? I think they sell all drugs at cost plus 15%.
  • Buy Sell Why: ad infinitum.
    @WABAC Thanks for the link, I enjoyed the read.
    @sma3 I'll contribute this tid bit of info. In 1908 there were 253 active auto manufacturers in the USA.
  • Preparing your Portfolio for Rate Cuts
    @Junkster,
    Yes, the dividend was 14.4 cents.
    Thanks for catching my error. I crossed off the erroneous info in my last post so others are not mislead. My bad for not remembering that EMPIX has switched to monthly dividends. Obviously, I do not own it and would like to own it if I had access to it.
    CBYYX pays annual distribution. SHRIX pays quarterly distribution. and EMPIX pays monthly.
  • Preparing your Portfolio for Rate Cuts
    For the day, CBYYX +0.7%, SHRIX +0.66%, EMPIX - 0.77%. That is a big divergence between CBYYX and EMPIX. With today's divergence, EMPIX fell behind CBYYX by 0.8% in Milton effect. I hope CBYYX is not going to give back today's gain on Monday.
    Attention to detail. EMPIX down 8 cents -0.77%. You did not take into account that EMPIX paid its monthly dividend today. The second to last Friday of the month. So if the dividend was close to last month September 11 cents+ or July 12 cents+ it was up today. But if like August 4 cents +, then down for today.
    Edit - Looks like after the dividend EMPIX was up 6 cents. So the dividend must have been around 14 cents.
  • ⇒ All Things Boeing ... Machinist Union Accepts Latest Boeing Contract Offer
    Seems like overlapping regulatory bodies with neither of them being held accountable for the ultimate outcome. When parents bicker, kids take advantage, which is what BA is doing. May be the bigger problem is our non-functioning / non-effective Government and not Boeing.
    Six years after those crashes, I do not see any real progress. Break it up. It has a rotten culture and it needs to start as a different company.
    Disclosure: I own BA.
    BTW, RTX had some product problems in the past 12 months and it fixed the issues enough that its stock recovered very well. If a company has a good culture, it can recover well from mistakes.
    I agree with Old Joe about ascribing the issue to the supplier and not to BA in that one instance. Thanks to him for the detailed and objective reporting.