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.
Are software stocks ever going to stop dropping? I keep thinking they cannot go any further, and each day they sink more.
The two that I hold, that are annoying me greatly, are TRI and ADBE. I understand this is about AI fears to their business mo…
@Crash that's been my philosophy since the GFC. That said, I'm actually eyeballing a China ETF b/c I think if the US continues to screw around, China may well become a beneficiary of our self-inflicted chaos as the world seeks more 'reliable' tra…
Bell Labs was incredible. Invented the transistor, lasers, solar cells, MOSFET, UNIX, C-language, fiber optics, cellular technology, digital signal processing, satellite communications, radio astronomy, information theory, voice recognition.
WeCo …
Interesting view from Morgan Housel.
"This is more hope than prediction, but I wouldn’t be surprised if in 20 years we look back
at this era of political nastiness as a generational bottom we grew out of."
"When times are good, people get complac…
Ha - that's funny. I too find the SA comments often more entertaining and informative than the articles. AND I own a Magic 8-ball. All it ever answers is "outlook cloudy", though.
Yeah, I don't know what to think. The unknown is certainly prone to trigger anxiety. It isn't rational that so many people cheer the demise of steady white collar jobs. And, at the same time, no one wants the available blue collar jobs.
As evidenc…
I don't know about the investment thesis. I am not interested in taking that sort of risk on. I do own YUMC. It spun off of YUM. I made a lot on it initially, lagging since then. Up 16% YTD. I am thinking of selling.
The only paid services that I use are M* and Kiplinger's, and TRP pays for it.
CNBC for relevant daly news. YBB's Weekly Business Digest for weekly summary.
Occasional free SA articles. Barron's is probably the only other one that I'd consider as …
Oh yeah!
K-Mart ruled their space at one time.
GE arguably collapsed as a conglomerate.
Montgomery Ward no longer exists in brick and mortar.
Interestingly, NCR transitioned into a software company. At one point AT&T bought them. The joke was…
This is just a guess but here goes. A. It’s an easy target. B. Weakening the Cuban regime rewards S. Florida Cuban ex pats who have been loyal repugnants. C. In the before times it was fashionable for GOP presidents to be hostile to socialist coun…
The Guess Who was the first rock band I ever saw live. And my first "real" date with a girl!
It was at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago 1974. And a very good show. Thanks @Sven
Great clip about the origins of The Guess Who. I have a lot of Guess…
@gman57
Like, no shiat, right? It seems like common sense that when you enrage your customers they stop frequenting your establishment. It takes a ridiculous amount of hubris to entertain the notion that the 95% of the world have no choice in the m…
As an early fan of BOC, I was not initially a big fan of Don't Fear The Reaper. It has really grown on me though, so thanks @sven
This is, by far, my favorite BOC tune. Such superb lyrics and guitar work in this live version:
Expectation can be rough. Maybe had you just walked in, not knowing anything about the band, the experience would have been totally different? I am not huge fan of all-instrumental arrangements, I like vocals.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/europe-aims-rely-less-us-defence-after-trumps-greenland-push-2026-02-15/
Starting to look like a coordinated effort.
"With the war (Ukraine) about to enter its fifth year and Moscow viewed as an …
"...Mr. Carney has emphasized that Canada will no longer acquire 70 to 75 percent of its weapons from the United States, as has been historically the case."
"...directing 70 percent of military spending to domestic companies and increasing arms exp…
Given the very minimal trade deficit we have with Canada, it appears that strong arm tactics are backfiring spectacularly. Was there something wrong with the awesome USMCA that this administration negotiated only a few years back? To replace that te…
It is presently thought that the potential capacity of existing fiber is only 1/60,000 of its theoretical capacity. The equipment that will avail itself of that potential is another battleground.
@WABAC
I have "plate of shrimp moments" all of the…
Possibly with everyone rushing to get into the game, competitive advantage is neutralized for all but the ones who execute extremely well?
I also suspect that slashing white collar jobs is absolutely a high priority for U.S. corporates. Will these…
This does nothing to give me faith in those supposed to be the "smartest people in the room". Investment banks and private credit both getting swindled for big money?
Round up the usual suspects!
What might trigger a correction, or a severe downturn? A weak consumer? Can wealthy consumers keep it all elevated? IDK
The recent numbers are unsettling. In addition to what the above article cites about the consumer, slower than expected economic…
Recent article on K-shaped economy. Is it still "...the economy, stupid!" ?
How will this severely weakened consumer impact markets? Job growth appears to be key here. But, we know that all of 2025 was revised severely downward. And the January 202…
Which takes us right back to the beginning. If the OP is looking for "safety and low risk", with decent return, they should be looking at a fund high in IG bonds and of short-to-intermediate duration. Maybe something multi-sector or core.
I concur…
Holding a lot of well-chosen high yield corporates has apparently served them well.
A quick look seems to indicate a heavy emphasis on luxury goods, real estate, travel, gaming, agri-business, business services. Interesting mix.
Top ten holdings:…
I might add that @gman57 has illustrated adroitly, the complexity of bond funds.
ICMUX is a shorter duration bond fund of mainly non-IG corporates (93%) and appears to have decent returns over an extended period. He raises a great point abound qua…
Well, that's interesting. @gman57
I was speaking in more general terms, based on ICMUX credit quality. Not seeking to disparage it. I didn't go any further than what was posted above about its holdings. Thanks for that clarification. Not recommendi…
Totally agree. The reason that funds like ICMUX are current favorites, is that they are higher risk. And right now, this is a risk-on environment for bond funds. The smarter folks that hold them will sell them at the first sign of trouble, be it rat…
For me, it is not complicated, When a fund I hold starts underperforming the S&P for several months, I am watching it. If that continues for 6 months, I either find a substitute or roll it into the S&P index funds that I hold. Performance (a…
That is not me. But, I'll add my two cents. As @larryB said, bond returns are directly/positively correlated with risk.
You should look at bond funds that suit your risk tolerance. BOND is a great starting point. Bonds rated BBB or above are consi…
