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.
Thanks @Mark - Excellent piece.
One news report alluded to military U-2s circling the balloon while over the country. LOL - We used those in the 60s before satellites became common to spy on Russia. Very high ceiling. Had no idea they were still i…
In support of @JD_co I do think it’s “unhealthy” for your investments to be constantly tinkering or to buy / sell anything based on something you read or heard recently or some “hunch” gleaned from the media talking heads. Additionally, not everyo…
Today is a prime example of why its best not to watch the stock market daily, let alone intra-day. It's simply not healthy.
Thanks. It certainly wasn’t my intent to make people sick with the post or the Rubenstein / Powell summary. Will try to be …
David Rubenstein (Bloomberg) preempted Powell’s speech by interviewing Powell in front of an audience at 12:45. Really pressed him on a number of issues. Especially the 2% inflation target. Near as I can recall, Powell said it was a firm target. He…
@Derf, I agree with @Old_Joe. First time at this - better to drop it over water. If another one comes by I think we’ll probably be ready to snag it in mid-air or override its controls and land it at Langley.
Thought folks might enjoy Ed Wynn’s hil…
I think military / national security decisions should be left to the national security agencies and the military chain-of-command, including the President and his Defense Department advisors. The R’s bitching about the balloon don’t know piddly s*…
Great analysis everyone. To support Mark’s point, Berkshire is not a mutual fund. Were it one, its valuation (NAV) would closely correlate with its holdings and AAPL’s effect on price would be more apparent. Instead, the stock is bought and sold on …
”I liked the "old" Barron's far better. I could leisurely mull over the articles all weekend … Unfortunately, I can't even get the print edition delivered at my house anymore. Now it is mailed so it doesn't arrive until Tuesday some weeks.”
Not in …
”Not for the timid.”
Hell no. Nearest thing to gambling available under the guise of “investing” I know of. Getting burnt badly a few times is probably part of the game. To demonstrate what can happen, following are the M* returns over a bad 3 yea…
Interesting. The numbers on gold & silver appear incorrect. Gold finished at $1865.19 and silver at $22.36 Friday according to Bloomberg. But the linked chart is showing their current values a bit higher than Friday’s close while at the same t…
@0ld_Joe,
Your initial remark here was “I can't help but wonder what "information" it supposedly acquired that was so important that their satellite systems couldn't see.”
I took time to run down and post for your benefit and for that of other p…
Ouch! I must say his (print) recommendations late in December to buy BCAT and GUG has panned out. Both have done nicely since that article published. Up roughly 10% each. And he does not, as a rule, generally promote individual securities.
@yogibearbull - Thanks for a comprehensive answer. From your following remark it sounds like the article might have appeared online before the end of the trading week: ”Weekend Barron's articles start trickling in at Barron's Online about midweek”.…
@yogibearbull - Do you know the earliest time on Friday Barron’s might be available to select readers? I watched a mining stock Friday hoping to catch it on a decline. But it lost very little compared to most. I just discovered it’s one of 3 miner…
The Following excerpted from source
”What might it be spying on? According to Layton*, the suspected Chinese balloon is likely collecting information on US communication systems and radars. “Some of these systems use extremely high frequencies tha…
”but boy is it more volatile than the gold” / That is correct. Silver is a lot more volatile. That’s its reputation among traders. I’ve never been able to get a good answer as to why. Apparently it is more thinly traded.
Most interesting. Of course it was relaying mountains of data by way of satellite link right back to China. I’m sure it was a tough call when to shoot it down. As it was, 3 airports in the area, including very large CLT, were shut down for safety …
Thanks @msf / Your math has always been impeccable. And the idea of using tax deferred money (and paying taxes on such) to do a conversion is flawed as your math has shown before. OTOH, I wouldn’t discourage someone from doing so if they felt it m…
Down to 21.5% left in Traditional IRA (compared to 100% when I retired over 20 years ago). Most now in Roths. Some in TOD. When you pull necessary funds from a Roth w/o the immediate tax-hit it’s kind of reminiscent of a Yogi Berra expression: ”And…
The first couple guests were above average. Provided the typical “hem & haw” about various assets, interest rates, employment numbers, Fed policy, etc. Neither went out on a limb very far. What caught my attention was the gal who recently succ…
Most hedges fell apart today. Some consumers staples did well. Watched a gold & silver miner I’d sold a few weeks ago off & on - but didn’t bite. It’s only down a couple % since I sold it. Some predominately gold oriented mining funds lo…
Looks like my backyard minus the ship.
”There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer si…
That's the original, not the sequel or rebooted ones!!
Photo pretty much sums up the day - “On the rocks.”
I’ll say the ice looks appealing … in a somewhat different context however.
Wouldn’t ya know? Apple’s up nearly 3% today (with NASDAQ down 1.5%). One of the few things I watch that’s up today.
Strange day. Broad based selloff - equities and bonds. Gold’s off more than $50 to around $1860 - one of the biggest one-day dol…
Probably stating the obvious here - but the waivers became necessary several years ago as short term rates sank to near 0 to keep money market fund yields from potentially going negative. I get the print version of Barron’s. Don’t recall seeing the…
”Don’t think I am going out on a limb here by saying … the bulls will finally be in charge … If there is a worry, it is what wall of worry is left to climb as price action recently has usurped any and all of the walls.”
Thanks @Junkster. Wasn’t …
Whatever Powell said, it sure turned markets around. Most everything’s popping after a weak morning. The 10-Year Treasury has fallen to just over 3.4% having been over 3.5% earlier this week. Gold modestly up to $1960 - but nice 2%+ pop in the miner…
They had some pretty decent stores in northern Michigan. Used to visit / shop in them occasionally. But, how does one compete with the likes of Amazon? (on small appliances especially.) And with inflation, it’s likely now that more low-income folk…
@MikeM - Thanks for clarifying. New to brokerages here - but notice that Fido puts up “gain” & “loss” figures for individual holdings, as well as total invested sum. Doesn’t move me a lot. It’s the whole ball of wax with all the parts workin…
Yes, of course. Don’t follow right wing propaganda. But they’ll twist / distort the truth any way they can. False “equivalency” very common on many levels.
I still think something doesn’t sound right with the whole bleeping episode. Was Baldwi…
Glad to see @MikeM keeps such punctilious records. FWIW I record only year-end portfolio change. As long as my office app doesn’t get hacked, I’m well fortified (with numbers). But couldn’t tell you what happened in any particular month. Of cour…
@catch22 / Above, @MikeM and I were discussing when the S&P “peaked.” My earlier statement that it was in early 2022 was cast in doubt. Mike said late 2021 - which Wikipedia seems to agree with. But now, I come across a CNN article saying it pe…
I think +0.25% rate rise is baked-in. Was the ending on 31 Jan before the market-closing a reaction to yesterday's stinky poopy day?
I think the markets were (prematurely) celebrating tomorrow’s FOMC decision to raise the overnight lending rate by…
From CNN
”The top index of US stocks hit an all-time high in January 2022. It was downhill from there. The S&P 500 lost 19.4% over the past 12 months, notching its worst year since 2008.”
Strange? Is CNN wrong here - or are we possibly talkin…
