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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.
  • ABRTX/ABRVX
    @little5bee,
    Good Luck to all, but I wouldn't touch these funds with anyone's 10 foot pole.
    Done learnt my lesson in IQDAX playing around with volatility derivatives etc.
    See my latest post...looks like holders of IQDAX will lose ~35% of their monies (if we are lucky?)
    Also, their was another vol fund run in Chi-town...LJM partners...more geniouses...I think they were down 56% in a day and then down more before they went kaput....it was all good until it wasn't.
    Well at least they were men about it and were honest unlike what appears to have happened at Infinity Q...freaking shyster
    I also have sold out of TMSRX...I know some on this board still like this fund but no more "Level 3" holdings in funds for me.
    Best,
    Baseball Fan
  • IQDAX- If it's opaque, just maybe there's a reason?
    On February 18, which was the last day Infinity Q calculated the net asset value for the fund, it was valued at nearly $1.73 billion, the announcement said. This is compared to an asset value of almost $1.25 billion — before considering liabilities and other deductions required for calculating net asset value — as of Thursday.
    The difference between the two valuations — which are not perfectly comparable — is $477.7 million, or nearly 28 percent. The fund attributed the differences primarily to over-the-counter positions, including variance swaps and other options positions, which represented roughly 29 percent of the fund’s net asset value as of February 18, according to the announcement.
  • IQDAX- If it's opaque, just maybe there's a reason?
    @zenbrew
    just saw this on Institutional Investor, dated March 29th article
    The firm said Friday that the fund had nearly $1.25 billion in cash and cash equivalents. This is compared to the fund’s last-calculated net asset value of $1.73 billion as of February 18.
    So...maybe 25-30-35% haircut for holders of this kaka....we'll see...how much do you think the vigorish of the wonderful law firms will be...
    Oy Vey, could have spend a couple nice weeks in Miami on the beach with the monies...
    Sheet.
    Best,
    Baseball Fan
  • For Bonds, Add Safety by Venturing Abroad
    Thank you
    Mama largest holdings Fidelity 2015 lsbrx jnk and many private individual bonds like Macy's kolhs and Ford
    Also couple private munis and American bonds previously
    Kind regards
  • For Bonds, Add Safety by Venturing Abroad
    @johnN,
    Not sure if the class would agree that these are bond funds per se but as best as I can answer your question, in order of largest holding to less of:
    PMEFX (Penn Mutual AM 1847 Income) - some would argue more of a balanced income fund
    I-Bonds - let's see what inflation rate portion is come May 1st...I'm thinking this could pay out over 2.5%, no state taxes, indexed to inflation, US Govt has printing press and nuclear aresenal and reserve currency so likely amongst safest investment avail.
    FPFIX - FPA Flexible fixed income
    Good Luck to you and all,
    Baseball Fan
  • Artisan High Income Fund to close to most new investors
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/935015/000119312521118559/d36840d497.htm
    497 1 d36840d497.htm ARTISAN PARTNERS FUNDS, INC.
    Filed pursuant to Rule 497(e)
    File Nos. 033-88316 and 811-08932
    ARTISAN PARTNERS FUNDS, INC.
    Artisan High Income Fund (the “Fund”)
    SUPPLEMENT DATED 16 APRIL 2021
    TO THE FUND’S PROSPECTUS
    CURRENT AS OF THE DATE HEREOF
    Effective after the close of business on 30 April 2021, the Fund is closed to most new investors. The Fund will accept new accounts from certain investors who satisfy new account eligibility requirements. Eligibility requirements are described in Artisan Partners Funds’ prospectus under the heading “Investing with Artisan Partners Funds—Who is Eligible to Invest in a Closed Fund?”
    Accordingly, effective 30 April 2021, the following changes will take effect:
    1. The following paragraph is added under the heading “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares” on page 33 of Artisan Partners Funds’ prospectus:
    The Fund is closed to most new investors. See “Investing with Artisan Partners Funds—Who is Eligible to Invest in a Closed Fund?” in the Fund’s statutory prospectus for new account eligibility criteria.
    2. The following replaces the text under the heading “Who is Eligible to Invest in a Closed Fund?” on pages 101-102 of Artisan Partners Funds’ prospectus in its entirety:
    Artisan High Income Fund is closed to most new investors. From time to time, other Funds may also be closed to most new investors. The Funds do not permit investors to pool their investments in order to meet the eligibility requirements, except as otherwise noted below.
    If you have been a shareholder in a Fund continuously since it closed, you may make additional investments in that Fund and reinvest your dividends and capital gain distributions in that Fund, even though the Fund has closed, unless Artisan Partners considers such additional purchases to not be in the best interests of the Fund and its other shareholders. An employee benefit plan that is a Fund shareholder may continue to buy shares in the ordinary course of the plan’s operations, even for new plan participants.
    You may open a new account in a closed Fund only if that account meets the Fund’s other criteria (for example, minimum initial investment) and:
    ∎ you beneficially own shares of the closed Fund at the time of your application;
    ∎ you beneficially own shares in the Funds with combined balances of $250,000;
    ∎ you receive shares of the closed Fund as a gift from an existing shareholder of the Fund (additional investments generally are not permitted unless you are otherwise eligible to open an account under one of the other criteria listed);
    ∎ you are transferring or “rolling over” into a Fund IRA account from an employee benefit plan through which you held shares of the Fund (if your plan doesn’t qualify for rollovers you may still open a new account with all or part of the proceeds of a distribution from the plan);
    ∎ you are purchasing Fund shares through a sponsored fee-based program and shares of the Fund are made available to that program pursuant to an agreement with the Funds or Artisan Partners Distributors LLC and the Funds or Artisan Partners Distributors LLC has notified the sponsor of that program in writing that shares may be offered through such program and has not withdrawn that notification;
    ∎ you are an employee benefit plan and the Funds or Artisan Partners Distributors LLC has notified the plan in writing that the plan may invest in the Fund and has not withdrawn that notification;
    ∎ you are an employee benefit plan or other type of corporate, charitable or governmental account sponsored by or affiliated with an organization that also sponsors or is affiliated with (or is related to an organization that sponsors or is affiliated with) another employee benefit plan or corporate, charitable or governmental account that is a shareholder of the Fund at the time of application;
    ∎ you are a client, employee or associate of an institutional consultant or financial intermediary and the Funds or Artisan Partners Distributors LLC has notified that consultant or financial intermediary in writing that you may invest in the Fund and has not withdrawn that notification;
    ∎ you are a client of a financial advisor or a financial planner, or an affiliate of a financial advisor or financial planner, who has at least $2,500,000 of client assets invested with the Fund or at least $5,000,000 of client assets invested with the Funds or under Artisan Partners’ management at the time of your application;
    ∎ you are an institutional investor that is investing at least $5,000,000 in the Fund and the Fund or Artisan Partners Distributors LLC has notified you in writing that you may invest in the Fund and has not withdrawn that notification (available for investments in Artisan International Value Fund only);
    ∎ you are a client of Artisan Partners or are an investor in a product managed by Artisan Partners, or you have an existing business relationship with Artisan Partners, and in the judgment of Artisan Partners, your investment in a closed Fund would not adversely affect Artisan Partners’ ability to manage the Fund effectively; or
    ∎ you are a director or officer of the Funds, or a partner or employee of Artisan Partners or its affiliates, or a member of the immediate family of any of those persons.
    A Fund may ask you to verify that you meet one of the guidelines above prior to permitting you to open a new account in a closed Fund. A Fund may permit you to open a new account if the Fund reasonably believes that you are eligible. A Fund also may decline to permit you to open a new account if the Fund believes that doing so would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, even if you would be eligible to open a new account under these guidelines.
    The Funds’ ability to impose the guidelines above with respect to accounts held by financial intermediaries may vary depending on the systems capabilities of those intermediaries, applicable contractual and legal restrictions and cooperation of those intermediaries.
    Call us at 800.344.1770 if you have questions about your ability to invest in a closed Fund.
  • For Bonds, Add Safety by Venturing Abroad
    @JohnN
    Largest: RPSIX. 22.4% of portfolio.
    2nd largest: PRSNX. 21.5% of portfolio.
    3rd: PTIAX. 7.25% of portfolio.
    I'd recommend PTIAX ahead of the others.
    RPSIX holds a slice of equities, to "juice" the profit just a bit. Right now, the yield on it is below 3%. But you might make up the difference with cap. gains at the end of the year. RPSIX holds some TRP bond funds that are just plain sub-par. RPSIX is a fund-of-funds.
    PTIAX yield is not far from 4%, actually. (3.87.) And as for PRSNX: it's over 3%, which no one should complain about, these days.
    My only complaint with PTIAX is that they are slow to vest shares after you buy them. I once asked a Supervisor on the phone: "Is that because you don't have enough people hired to do the job of recording these items in a timely manner?" ..... After I asked the question, he went silent. Which told me a LOT. But the money they make for me is a good thing.
  • bernie hangover led to indexing
    Yep, although I will always maintain that the greatest crimes are generally the legal ones. Much of what occurred with mortgage backed securities prior to and during the 2008 financial crisis was legal, and that behavior nearly destroyed capitalism in the U.S. That's why Madoff is so despicable in retrospect. During the period in which he ran his funds, there was so much money to be made legally that to actually employee a Ponzi scheme like he did was just pure greed. The other striking thing is that his wife still was allowed to keep $2.5 million after all of this calamity. What an ordinary working person would do for that kind of "punishment!"
  • Amazon Versus the Unions
    @Crash While it's true that an ethical corporation is somewhat of an oxymoron, there are ways to invest, not to leave a behemoth like Amazon out of the portfolio, yet insist that it behave better than it has in the past towards labor and the environment:
    https://morningstar.com/articles/1002749/how-big-fund-families-voted-on-climate-change-2020-edition
    https://barrons.com/articles/sec-says-esg-fund-proxy-voting-disclosure-needs-an-upgrade-51617119803
    If eliminating the company feels impossible without accepting underperformance, engagement, real public engagement, with the company can happen.
  • For Bonds, Add Safety by Venturing Abroad
    PRSNX. Bonds in my portfolio = 51% of total. PRSNX = 21.55% of total portfolio. It is below the zero-line so far in 2021 by just a fraction. RELIABLE. Owned it for several years, now. Other bond funds in portfolio are RPSIX, at 22.46% of total. And PTIAX at 7.25% of total. PRWCX and BRUFX hold bonds, too. I have so far, regretted putting money into those three funds not for a moment.
  • bernie hangover led to indexing
    I’ve long been convinced that there is a link between the end of Madoff’s scheme and the overwhelming popularity of index-fund investing in the aftermath of the financial crisis. It’s not simply that, as the Wall Street Journal theorized, people realized pricey money managers hadn’t seen what was coming. Nor was it merely that the regulators’ cursory investigations into Madoff’s fund left many dubious of all sorts of investments (and the officials tasked with overseeing them). Instead, Madoff demonstrated the lie that almost any savvy individual investor could produce steady gains in a way that nothing else could. By destroying the retirements and dreams of so many, he inadvertently performed a much-needed service.
    I'm not so convinced. Outside the realm of the ultra-rich, Madoff was hardly known before the scandal because it was an exclusive hedge fund. Meanwhile, Bogle was already practically a household name by the time of the scandal. I would say the growth of no load funds and fee-only/fee-based financial advisers had more to do with the shift to indexing. Instead of selling high cost active management with a commission or load based fund, advisers were charging a percentage of asset fee, typically 1%. Combine that fee with a high cost active fund charging 1.5% and you've got a 2.5% drag on returns each year. A 0.05% index fund combined with the 1% was far more palatable and produced better results. The whole advice model has shifted dramatically.
    Any bull market of course will drive investors to index too, and of course Bogle's own presence, his constant evangelizing and having the numbers to back it up. If there was any fund's fall that might have done more harm to active manager's influence on retail investors it would be Bill Miller's Legg Mason Value when it got completely crushed during the 2008-09 crisis after 15 straight years of beating the market. He was one of the last great heroes of active management in the retail world. Who by contrast in retail-land heard of Madoff before everyone who had heard of him lost their shirts?
  • Why Index Funds are Nuts
    Wouldn't an equally weighted S&P 500 Index take care of that for you?
  • Why Index Funds are Nuts
    Interesting story. If you invest in the S&P 500 Index (I do) - then over 25% of your money in that fund is on 6 companies: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook and wait for it... Tesla.
    If you invest in the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund... it's 19%.
    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-index-funds-are-nuts-11618425937
  • Best No Load and NTF Funds Available at Fidelity

    As a retired and somewhat conservative investor, I am also "mixing and matching to have a consistent performance over time" by using the following funds in my portfolio which M* classifies as "Low" or "Below Average" risk:
    ARBIX, NVHAX, VWINX, JHQAX, RCTIX, and TSIIX
    Good luck,
    Fred
    Hi @fred495, Mac from old M* days here. I've been following RCTIX for a while and am just about at the point of putting some $ in it. I'm curious what you think of the asset mix, the volatility, the day-to-day performance (fairly steady or not?) etc.
    It looks reasonable to me from the outside, another good mostly securitized credit option, but it'd be good to hear your perspective. How has it met (or not) your expectations?
    Thanks, AJ
  • Morgan Stanley Inception Portfolio fund already closed to new investors
    Sorry if this is a repeat. I don't remember posting/seeing this filing.
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/836487/000110465921032581/a21-8652_3497.htm
    497 1 a21-8652_3497.htm 497
    Prospectus and Summary
    Prospectus Supplement
    March 5, 2021
    Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc.
    Supplement dated March 5, 2021 to the Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Prospectus and Summary Prospectus dated April 30, 2020
    Inception Portfolio (the "Fund")
    Effective at the close of business on April 5, 2021, the Fund will suspend offering Class I, Class A, Class C and Class IS shares of the Fund to new investors, except as follows. The Fund will continue to offer Class I, Class A, Class C and Class IS shares of the Fund:
    (1) through certain retirement plan accounts,
    (2) to clients of certain registered investment advisers who currently offer shares of the Fund in their asset allocation programs,
    (3) to directors and trustees of the Morgan Stanley Funds,
    (4) to Morgan Stanley affiliates and their employees,
    (5) to benefit plans sponsored by Morgan Stanley and its affiliates and
    (6) omnibus accounts sponsored or serviced by a financial intermediary that currently hold shares of the Fund in such accounts.
    Retirement plan accounts (including new retirement plan accounts) investing through platforms that trade omnibus by plan for Fund shares as of April 5, 2021, fall under the exception for "certain retirement plan accounts" set forth above.
    Existing omnibus accounts (accounts offered on platforms that aggregate all underlying client-level transactions into one account) that are shareholders of record are considered one type of existing shareholder. Therefore, shares of the Fund will continue to be offered to underlying clients (including new clients) through such existing omnibus accounts.
    The Fund will continue to offer Class I, Class A, Class C and Class IS shares of the Fund to existing shareholders. In addition, the Adviser, in its discretion, may make certain exceptions to the suspended offering of Class I, Class A, Class C and Class IS shares of the Fund.
    The Fund may recommence offering Class I, Class A, Class C and Class IS shares of the Fund to new investors in the future. Any such offerings of the Fund's Class I, Class A, Class C and Class IS shares may be limited in amount and may commence and terminate without any prior notice.
    The Fund has suspended offering Class L shares to all investors. Class L shareholders of the Fund do not have the option of purchasing additional Class L shares. However, existing Class L shareholders may invest in additional Class L shares through reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
    Please retain this supplement for future reference.
    IFIINCEPTPROSPSPT 3/21
  • Best No Load and NTF Funds Available at Fidelity
    @hank : PRSIX appears to be holding close to 13.5 % cash at this time. Is this a (normal) % for cash or are they building some dry powder ?
    Just wondering , Derf
    @Derf - It may be a bit of an illusion. Lipper puts the stock holdings today at 40%, which is the fund’s target equity allocation. More likely, the cash buildup represents a retrenchment from bonds into cash / shorter duration securities. No doubt, however, they’ve also moved away from equities to a lesser extent (from a slightly overweight position).
    Here’s what I’ve been able to dig up .....
    From T. Rowe’s website on (April 14) https://www.troweprice.com/personal-investing/tools/fund-research/PRSIX / Click on “Portfolio” option at top.

    Domestic Bond 26.90%
    Domestic Stock 26.40%
    Foreign Bonds 16.10%
    Foreign Stock 13.40%
    Cash 10.80%
    Other 5.80%
    Convertibles 0.50%
    Preferred Stock 0.10%

    Here’s the fund’s Semi-Annual Report from November 2020. Reserves are listed at 10%. Contains a foot-note stating that reserves include the “cash underlying futures positions such as the Russell 2000 futures” https://www.troweprice.com/literature/public/country/us/language/en/literature-type/semi-annual-report/sub-type/mf?productCode=PSI¤cy
    Here’s its published March 31, 2021 update . https://www.troweprice.com/literature/public/country/us/language/en/literature-type/portfolio-update/sub-type/portfolio-update?productCode=PSI¤cy=USD
    Curiously, above March update puts “cash benchmarked” at 23%. Some of the 23% reflects cash underlying futures positions . I’d take that 23% number with a large grain of salt. Especially since It appears the linked March 31 report was intended for professionals and not ndividual investors. Stated cash gets “funky” sometimes when funds engage in derivatives, short sales, futures trading, etc. (all a bit beyond my comprehension).
    Lipper puts cash now at 14%. And M* has it at 13.5%. T. Rowe’s own investor website lists cash as 10.8%.
    Note: Money managers and individuals generally have shifted from longer duration bonds into shorter duration bonds, and cash / cash alternatives over the past 3 months. So the cash build for PRSIX likely reflects a similar move by PRSIX’s managers.
    *** I’m still puzzled by that high “benchmarked cash”. Wondering if it might reference the cash held by the fund’s benchmark index)? I can’t imagine one of their conservative allocation funds getting that high. TRRIX, by comparison, has virtually no cash, preferring to use intermediate / short duration TIPS in that spot.
  • Best No Load and NTF Funds Available at Fidelity
    @hank : PRSIX appears to be holding close to 13.5 % cash at this time. Is this a (normal) % for cash or are they building some dry powder ?
    Just wondering , Derf