The last Walgreen (Charles III) involved in the senior management of the Chicago-area fallen icon Walgreens/WBA was in 2010. The apostrophe in Walgreen's has come & gone.
The Executive Chairman Stefano Pessina (Italy) owns 10% of WBA. He was previously the Chairman of Alliance Boots that became part of WBA (ticker changed from WAG). His wife Ornella Barra (Italy), owns 0.20%. She is the International COO of WBA. Definition of a high power couple fits them.
John Lederer of Sycamore Partners serves in the WBA Board (2015- ). He is the former Chairman and CEO of Duane Reade that Walgreens bought.
If this deal with Sycamore goes through, look at all the familiar faces that Walgreens will see there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycamore_Partners
WBA spiked on this news, but it's far-far from its all-time high of 67 in 2015.
https://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=WBA&p=D&yr=1&mn=0&dy=0&id=p07109450370
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/WBA/walgreens/stock-price-history

NIMBY please. Y'all do your fluctuating in your own spaces.
Staying with the topic:
Jefferies says the Russell 2000 will reach 2,715 by 2025 year-end SA article

Figured I'd start a thread for folks to post any prominent (or useful, or entertaining) EOY prognostications for 2025....
UBS (PDF is at the bottom of the page)
https://www.ubs.com/us/en/wealth-management/roaring-20s-the-next-stage.html
Schwab
https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/us-stock-market-outlook
JPM
https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/outlook/jpmorgan-outlook/predictions-and-forecasts
Take with a grain of salt as part of your own DD. However, I'll add one prediction that you DEFINITELY can take to the bank:
"Markets will fluctuate."
:)

@yogibearbull Good for you; and we're so very pleased that you arrived HERE.
TM for me, I do believe; has made a difference. Although, I can't compare to another me, as I've meditated for 50 years. And no, for those who do not meditate; I've not had some grand cosmic experience.........but a few small interesting experiences that would not have happened otherwise. Of this, I am certain. The affects on the human body are more readily measured today. This physical benefit is over and above what one may expect from a 'cosmic journey' on the side of a mental experience .

If you are able to, please elaborate the two sentences I bolded. Thanks

These 'private equity things' are always a wonderful solution for the general public, eh? NOT !!!
But, nothing one can do about these transactions.
Article

Both M* Legacy Portfolio and M* Portfolio support Watchlists (basically, dummy portfolios with 1 share each).
M* Legacy Portfolio may be slow in updating prices. It seems that @catch22 pulls his data on Saturday, so that may be OK.
Of course, that assumes that @catch22 is a subscriber.
M* Performance, Day-end is truly rolling data updated to the day (with 5-day wk, 30-day mo, 90-day qtr).
Month-end would change only after the end of the calendar month, Quarter-end only after the end of calendar quarter. So, it may be considered semi-rolling.

@yogibearbull Good for you; and we're so very pleased that you arrived HERE.
TM for me, I do believe; has made a difference. Although, I can't compare to another me, as I've meditated for 50 years. And no, for those who do not meditate; I've not had some grand cosmic experience.........but a few small interesting experiences that would not have happened otherwise. Of this, I am certain. The affects on the human body are more readily measured today. This physical benefit is over and above what one may expect from a 'cosmic journey' on the side of a mental experience .

No need AI to take over. We already know thru history that the SP500 index simplicity beats most funds over the decades and why VG is so big.
High tech is coming after other job for decades and AI will take over additional white collar jobs.
The gap will continue to grow no matter what any government may do.

5.1, 6.1. Open DAF or contribute to it.
It has been a good year with great gains in some speculative highflyers. Think of donating in-kind to your DAF (new or existing). Be sure to bunch things so that you can itemize (Schedule A). Be aware of income related limits.
You can then take advantage of DAF tax deduction by selling other appreciated stocks or funds to approximately match the realized capital gains with the DAF contributions. Then, the overall tax effect will be nil.

And now, syria. everything's happening.
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/syria-war-rebels-assad-israel-intl-hnk-12-10-24#cm4i2spov001o356omqaz3aio
israel says it is destroying chemical weapons, and has also moved into a buffer zone. an obvious land-grab, there. now, i read of explosions in damascus in the dark, late at night. worrisome. will the russians refuse to leave their coastal base on the Med? us-backed kurds are considered by neighboring turkey to be terrorists. syria used to be part of the old french mandate, along with lebanon. what might they offer to do? but france is a mess, currently. good news is the former p.m. is cooperating with the victors.

but in the spirit of this convo, i am grappling with a nice problem to have. there will be significant travel expenses in 2025 for us. the good news is that we can afford it by saving plus taking, rather than reinvesting dividends. but oh, how i hate to part with money...

Yikes. UVXY's been really Ultra the last 4 years: -88%, -45%, -88%, -54% ytd.

I hasten to add that I don’t think the excesses in the markets are limited to just the one fund I sold. I tried to select for off-loading something I own that I felt was most likely to underperform if the markets fall across the board, There were a couple others I might have selected. Just trimming risk. Probably way early.
As I noted, most of the proceeds from the sale are simply being put to work (spread out) across the remaining 5 funds plus a slight bump-up in cash from 7.5% to around 12%. A normal cash weighting for me is around 10% - but not uncommon to jigger it up or down a bit depending on many factors.

If your total withholding and estimates are at least 100% (or 110%) of last year's taxes, including January's estimates, then you're set. Otherwise you need to pay in at least 90% of what you'll owe this year in order to avoid penalties.
(The higher percentage is if you had higher income last year.)
Normally the IRS wants you to pay that 90% in even amounts. But if you have a lot of income in the 4th quarter because of a conversion (or any other reason), you're allowed to make a larger estimate in January without getting dinged for uneven tax payments.
To do that you can file a Form 2210 Schedule AI (annualized income)
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f2210.pdf
I did that in a few years. It's not extremely hard but it is very tedious.
Again - if you're shooting for 100% (or 110%) of last year's taxes, it doesn't matter what you make this year. If you're shooting for 90% of current taxes, then you need to make sure with a Jan 15th estimate that you hit that 90% figure of your ultimate taxes including the conversion amount.

Below find 2024 tax rates.
35% for incomes over $243,725 ($487,450 for married couples filing jointly)
32% for incomes over $191,950 ($383,900 for married couples filing jointly)
24% for incomes over $100,525 ($201,050 for married couples filing jointly)
22% for incomes over $47,150 ($94,300 for married couples filing jointly)
12% for incomes over $11,600 ($23,200 for married couples filing jointly)
@msf If I were to do a conversion in Dec. could I pay the taxes when I file in April of 2025 with no penalty ?

I've used M* premium many moons back. Going by that memory, it had less than 25% of what MFOP provides.
I've yet to see any screener come anywhere close to MFOP at this price point in the 20+ years that I've been using screeners.

Thanks, YBB.
May be I need to get a more basic understanding of where in M* performance data I can access. Currently, I access in M* charts (1 mo, 3 mo, 6 mo, YTD, etc. or customized date range) OR in my portfolio settings (weekly is available). I know Performance tab of each fund has trailing (rolling?) returns (day end, month end, Quarter end, etc.) but I use this tab mostly for fund flows and percentile ranks. Is there a different place in M* where performance data, especially comparative performance, data is available? Is the 1 wk data I am pulling in my portfolio not end of the day 5 day data but 1 week as of last Friday data?
@Catch22, where in M* do you go to pull the comparative fund performance data? I assumed you created a dummy portfolio / watch list with all the funds in your weekly post.
Thanks.

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2013853/000158064224007455/newagealpha497s.htm
497 1 newagealpha497s.htm 497
NEW AGE ALPHA FUNDS TRUST
NAA Market Neutral Real Estate Fund (the “Fund”)
Class A (Ticker Symbol: GUMAX)
Class C (Ticker Symbol: GUMCX)
Institutional Class (Ticker Symbol: GUMNX)
Class P (Ticker Symbol: GUMPX)
Supplement dated December 9, 2024
To the Fund’s Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)
dated September 3, 2024 (as amended)
The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of New Age Alpha Funds Trust (the “Trust”) has approved a Plan of Liquidation (the “Plan”) for NAA Market Neutral Real Estate Fund, which became effective on December 8, 2024. New Age Alpha Advisors, LLC (d/b/a New Age Alpha) (the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, recommended that the Board approve the Plan due to the reduction in assets of the Fund following several large redemptions. Given the Fund’s reduced assets, it may no longer have a sufficient asset base to effectively use certain derivatives as part of its principal investment strategy. Additionally, the Adviser believes it will be unable to attract significant new investor interest to rebuild the Fund’s asset levels in the foreseeable future.
Given these challenges and business considerations, based on the Adviser recommendations, the Board has concluded that it is in the best interest of the Fund’s shareholders to liquidate the Fund. The Fund is expected to liquidate at the close of business on December 20, 2024 (the “Liquidation Date”).
Effective immediately, the Fund is closed to new and subsequent investments. As shareholders redeem shares of the Fund between the date of this Supplement and the Liquidation Date, the Fund may not be able to maintain its stated investment goal and other investment policies. Accordingly, the Fund may deviate from its stated investment goal and other investment policies during the period between the date of this Supplement and the Liquidation Date.
The Fund will declare a dividend to all holders of record on December 12, 2024 consisting of any undistributed income and capital gains (net of available capital loss carryovers). The dividend will be paid to shareholders on December 16, 2024, prior to the Liquidation Date, and will continue to be paid either in cash or in additional shares of the Fund, depending on each shareholder’s current election, as disclosed in the Prospectus. Any remaining shareholders on the Liquidation Date will receive a distribution of their remaining investment value in full liquidation of the Fund based on the instructions listed on your account. The sale or liquidation of your shares will generally be a taxable event. You should consult your tax advisor about your tax situation.
You should read this Supplement in conjunction with the Prospectus and SAI dated September 3, 2024, each as may be amended from time to time, which provide information that you should know about the Fund. These documents are available upon request and without charge by calling the Fund at (833) 840-3937 or at the Fund’s website at www.naafunds.com.
PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

AR/VR = Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality Glasses...
will they have a feature to help me find my glasses when I put them down?

"The biggest technology story everyone is ignoring is the end of screens. Within the next decade, AR glasses will replace essentially every screen currently in our lives — phones, laptops, tablets, computer monitors, and televisions. The ramifications on the worldwide technology sector will be absolutely massive. It will also be the end of a fully differentiated analog reality as we know it."

Source:
the-tao-of-cal
Ray Ban and Meta Partnership:

“We’re incredibly proud to collaborate with Meta to build this nascent category from the ground up. The new Ray-Ban Meta collection is in a league of its own with features that have never fit inside a pair of glasses before. The world sees you in a pair of your favorite Wayfarer, perhaps with your own prescription and Transitions lenses that go from day to night, but you know you have this powerful universe of tech inside. Meta AI, live streaming, and insanely crisp audio and calling capabilities – all hands-free,” said Rocco Basilico, Chief Wearables Officer for EssilorLuxottica. “This is what we imagined when we first decided to enter this space. Truly wearable, life-enhancing technology. And it will only get better.”

newsroom/press-releases/ray-ban-and-meta-launch-the-next-generation-of-smart-glasses/
meta-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-ar-glasses-orion-ray-bans-ai-decoder-interview
AR vs VR:
ar-glasses-replace-smartphones-future-and-why-ar-and-not-vr-is-the-best-smartphone-replacement
Product Review:
pcmag.com/picks/the-best-smart-glasses

Not the 12 days of Christmas, but close:
Never Heard of "Tax Gain Harvesting"...seems like a good one and doesn't require a wash sale.

Consider Tax Gain Harvesting
If you’re in the 0% capital gains tax bracket, consider selling appreciated investments and repurchasing them to reset your cost basis higher at no tax cost.
Wash sale rules don’t apply to gain harvesting.
Tax gain harvesting could save you taxes in future years when your income might be higher.

Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Brackets Quick Reference (2024)
Filing Status----------0% Capital Gains-------15% Capital Gains-------20% Capital Gains
Single------------------------$0-$47,025----------$47,026-$518,900-----------Over $518,900
Married Filing Jointly-------$0-$94,050----------$94,051-$583,750---------Over $583,750
Head of Household--------$0-$63,000----------$63,001-$551,350----------Over $551,350
make-these-12-must-do-money-moves-before-the-end-of-the-year