FYI: I spend a large amount of time researching mutual funds and ETFs for my investment advisory clients and for writing investing stories like the one you’re reading now. But I also periodically run across what I call “outlier funds” with abnormal returns. Whether it be for curiosity or for strategic reasons, investors are wise to dig beneath the surface to understand such outliers.
Regards,
Ted
http://investorplace.com/2014/11/bond-etf-zroz-35-percent/print
M* Snapshot Of ZROZ: http://etfs.morningstar.com/quote?t=ZROZ

Search: Bank of England report backs mood to delay rate rises ft.com
or
UK November Inflation Report
"In the short term, the bank thinks inflation is “more likely than not to fall temporarily below 1 per cent at some point over the next six months”
"But it thinks extremely low inflation will end within 2015, rising to 1.2 per cent by the end of 2014 and gradually higher to 2 per cent by the end of 2017"
My thoughts - this does not bode well for Europe/UK growth - not a good indicator for the US.
I'm wondering when the 'D' word will be discussed in public.

Good stuff bee.
Hey, attached is link to spreadsheet of SP500 companies by state (HQ resident in UsA)...
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zQLGEjAd-gf19k5eMr46im_wsg19zahFd1pNOcO6ssE/pubhtml
or
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zQLGEjAd-gf19k5eMr46im_wsg19zahFd1pNOcO6ssE/edit?usp=sharing
Maybe you can create your own EtF...or, proxy.
c

This is totally Cray Cray:

“Over 60% of investors aren’t quite sure what a liquid alternative is, but over 50% would buy it if their [financial adviser] would recommend it ... ”
Oh, and let me complete the math: 100% of the managers of liquid alternative funds will pay themselves handsomely with generous management fees.
Sorry, but I have yet to see any objective evidence that common investors must own alternative funds as part of a diversified portfolio.
Kevin

comments from my ealier posts @ morningstar forum.
--PORTFOLIO NOT UPDATED = TUES 7:25 PM EST -- fpacx showing monday nav-- ---- same for prwcx
Ralph

Bridgeway Funds (Bridgeway Ultra Small Company Fund...Ouch!!)
http://bridgeway_web.s3.amazonaws.com/cms/documents/b4d881e1a865760e/2014_Distribution_Estimates.pdf
Dodge and Cox Funds
https://www.dodgeandcox.com/pdf/shareholder_services/dc_estimated_distributions_2014.pdf

Hello,
It is now after 7:30 PM EST as I write and M* Portfolio Manager has failed to up date all positions with Tuesday's 11/11/2014 market close even though the respective fund reports have updated held within the portfolio.
All positions held in the Yahoo Finance Portfolio have updated along with the portfolio report itself.
Old_Skeet
Interestingly, at about 7:45 PM EST M* Portfolio Manager updated.

While I did notice the registration filing for Driehaus and post it above; I did not notice the minimum investment required when posting the link. Initially, my thoughts were it was a new fund from Driehaus and it was strange that Driehaus was coming out with a new fund in the frontier markets despite closing its International Discovery Fund which was discussed here:
http://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/16458/reorganization-of-driehaus-international-discovery-fund-into-intl-small-cap-fund#latest

There's a structural difference between CEF and GLD which makes their tax treatments very different.
As you noted, CEF should qualify as a qualified electing fund (QEF). Basically, it gets treated as a closed end fund that just happens to own precious metals. So it gets the usual cap gains treatment.
On the other hand, GLD is structured as a grantor trust, meaning that the shares represent proportional ownership of the actual gold (and not shares of a company that happens to have gold as its only asset). Since you own the gold, any gains you recognize will be subject to collectibles tax, not cap gains tax. That's generally 28%, and a good reason not to own it in a taxable account.
http://www.etf.com/sections/features/21952-structure-matters-how-gold-fund-gld-works.html?fullart=1&start=3
The last question on that page deals with the taxation of GLD. It also addresses the original question in this thread:
Until 1997 gold was treated as a collectible. You cannot own collectibles in an IRA. Thus you could not own something like GLD in an IRA. Since 1997, gold bullion products are treated as investments, not collectibles, for IRA purposes. So you're allowed to own them in an IRA. (But you still can't own gold jewelry in an IRA.)

When a fund has a high "initial minmum" is an investor required to maintain that minmum forever? I have often wonder if an investor could meet the initial minimum and than after the "minimum holding period" lower their balance to a more appropriate amount.

The answer is generally *NO* I say generally because I have never had a fund company require me to maintain the high initial minimum, say 250M or so.

It is curious. The other Driehaus funds are $10k - 25k, and they don't typically allow supermarkets to waive those.
As the time gets closer, I'll ask. For the nonce they're not going to speak, citing the SEC's "quiet period."
David

FYI: Before choosing between mutual funds and ETFs, decide if you prefer an active or passive fund.
Regards,
Ted
http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/mutual-funds/articles/2014/11/10/when-to-invest-in-etfs-and-when-to-buy-mutual-funds?int=a53909

Good point! I guess it depends on the size of your portfolio, but I would never come close even though I have something like 10x as much invested compared to their percentage of global capitalization. To put it in perspective, I think if your portfolio was a little below $80MM and you invested $250K in frontier markets you'd be right in line with a market cap weighted allocation!

The question is not only whether one can, but whether one should invest $250K in frontier markets.

This one may have smaller volatility: Minimum investment is $250000, whereas for the two other emerging markets funds the minimum is 10000.

@Catch22: China Region Funds best performance 3Mo.
Regards,
Ted
http://finance.yahoo.com/funds/lists/?mod_id=mediaquotesmutualfunds&cat=$FOCA%
24CH%24%24&rcnt=50
China’s $9 Trillion Untapped Market Spurs U.S. ETF Frenzy:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-11-09/china-s-9-trillion-untapped-market-spurs-u-s-etf-frenzy.html

Some of the below is directed towards the etf CN . This is a new fund, which I read about previously; but summertime work found this on the backburner of the list of "things to do". We are not invested in this fund at this time. 'Course, country specific investments always require serious consideration of all risks; with the exception at this time, being the U.S. IMHO.
Snippet regarding CN: Harvest MSCI All China Equity Fund (CN), offers exposure to an index that includes exposure to China A-shares, China B-shares, China H-shares, China Red Chips, China P-Chips, China ADRs, and securities of Chinese companies listed in the U.S. and Singapore.
Hoping you may find the below links of interest and value.
Your thoughts about this fund are appreciated.
Do you have more than 5% exposure to China via your current fund holdings?
All China Equity Fund, etfdb.com info
CN Fund, vendor site info
CN Fund, Fidelity snapshot
Forbes, Shanghai-Hong Kong investing connection
China eft list
M* China Funds list (active managed/index funds, no etf's included)
Take care,
Catch

Sears down 9.55% today......Amazing volatility in this stock.

It's because the public float has shrunk so much that Sears was taken out of the S & P 500 a couple of years ago. Plus, you have 65% of the float short. It's basically a tug-of-war between Lampert/Berkowitz and assortment of fund managers with smaller positions vs the shorts.
Shares Outstanding5: 106.47M
Float: 49.44M
Shares Short (as of Oct 15, 2014)3: 17.35M
Short Ratio (as of Oct 15, 2014)3: 9.30
Short % of Float (as of Oct 15, 2014)3: 65.10%
Shares Short (prior month)3: 17.19M
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sears-booted-from-sp-500-over-public-float-level-2012-08-29

Never mind the arms. When I was getting set up for duty @ 9.04562 / 117.634 it was not only the arms but my butt also. That was in 1957. Semper per DingDing!