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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.

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Parnassus funds

Hi guys!
I wonder what do you own in this family?
God bless
the Pudd

Comments


  • Held a large PRBLX position but sold out of it last fall when the WFC scandal broke .... particularly when I saw WFC became their (newly-purchased) largest position. Otherwise like the fund allocations and may re-enter @ some point.
  • I've held PARMX since 2014. It is a 5 star fund from Morningstar. It has had the same management team since 2008. During that period it has had much better returns with lower volatility than the MB category that it is in. I've been pleased with it.
  • I own PRBLX and PARMX. Couldn't be happier.
  • PARMX want to sell but don't want to pay early redemption fee. They bought WFC...I'm out. I don't care how well they perform.

    Unless someone tells me they saw the error of their ways and sold...
  • edited February 2017
    what rforno said
    big holding (for me), all went to DSEEX
  • edited February 2017
    Nothing now, but it'll be PARWX on a correction.

    I owned PRBLX for years, but sold the last batch about 2y ago. As a fund that's always tried to dip well down into mid and small, the big runup in AUM (over $15B now) has likely been a headwind. It may climb back into the stratosphere of large blend funds next time there's a big correction or bear, though - that's always where it's done the best on a relative basis (see 2008).
  • PRBLX best on the market IMHO.
  • I opened a toe-hold in PARWX several weeks ago -- just to foreclose the possibility it might do a close in the future. I only noticed it after reading some article about it on M*.

    Waiting for a general stock-market correction before adding to it any meaningful way.
  • I woud wait for Parnassus to start a small blend fund after correction and then buy it. It doesn't have one.
  • @VF, you can always roll your own, easily.
  • @VF, you can always roll your own, easily.

    If I could do that why would I bother being here discussing with you mugs. I have a bullshit meter and I can do ANALysis, but not Analysis. I don't expect to ever buy a stock or ETF as long as I live. And after that I'll appear in nightmares of all who do.

    Or maybe Parnassus can hire my elder in 5 so years when she finishes college and she can fulfill my "dream" of having a mutual fund manager in the family....

  • @Edmond
    I opened a toe-hold in PARWX several weeks ago -- just to foreclose the possibility it might do a close in the future. I only noticed it after reading some article about it on M*.
    FWIW: Six weeks ago, I asked Parnassus about its capacity regarding PARWX AUM, and their response was that they felt they could manage 30B.

    I noticed that at EOY they had 5.4% in GILD, and now as of EO Jan., it's 7.2 and its the number 1 holding. I follow GILD closely.

    Part of Dodson's annual commentary about PARWX states:

    "Quite often, people will ask me why the Parnassus Endeavor Fund has done so well. There are really two sets of answers."

    I'll refer to the second answer:

    "The other set of issues involves valuation. At the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, we calculate the intrinsic value of a company, and we won’t invest in a company unless the stock price falls to one-third below its intrinsic value. This gives us an enormous margin of safety. Of course, there is always some negative event that causes the stock price to go down so much, so it’s emotionally difficult to invest in a stock after the company has suffered a big setback. That’s why most investors aren’t able to invest, when the stock drops by that much. I admit that it’s also difficult for me to do that, but I’m a pretty even-tempered person most of the time, so I have good control of my emotions. The three steps, then, are (1) knowing enough about finance to calculate the intrinsic value of a company, (2) determining if a company’s difficulties are temporary or permanent and (3) having the emotional wherewithal to invest when the stock is down."

    He goes on to say that GILD is an absolute value. Let's hope he's right.

  • edited February 2017

    One of top families on MFO Fund Family Scorecard ...

    Here are stats through January from fund inception:

    image

    Three are MFO Great Owls and two are on Honor Roll.
  • @VF, jeez, such a testy night. All I meant was you could do the Parnassus of your choice and add a third of whatever your favored bond fund was, Fidelity or Pimco or D&C etc.

    In other words I would not necessarily trust Parnassus to come up with a blended fund with bond people savvy at the level of Ahlsten, Dodson et alia.

    That's all.
  • I think by blend, he was talking about a small cap core as in blend between growth and value.
  • edited February 2017

    @VF, jeez, such a testy night. All I meant was you could do the Parnassus of your choice and add a third of whatever your favored bond fund was, Fidelity or Pimco or D&C etc.

    In other words I would not necessarily trust Parnassus to come up with a blended fund with bond people savvy at the level of Ahlsten, Dodson et alia.

    That's all.

    Sorry, but if you can't tell when I'm kidding, then that's entirely your problem:-P
    Besides, I want Parnassus to buy small cap stocks for me assuming they are capable. That's what I meant by waiting for them to start one. I don't see one in their line up right now.
  • dig
    thot you meant 60-40 stocks-bonds, not MC
  • edited February 2017

    Besides, I want Parnassus to buy small cap stocks for me assuming they are capable. That's what I meant by waiting for them to start one. I don't see one in their line up right now.

    I wouldn't hold my breath. Dodson used to run a small cap fund, PARSX, which Parnassus merged out of existence (into PARMX) in 2015.

    Another hat tip to Shadow for bringing that info to the board at the time ...
  • A-ha, just like Oakmark did. Basically an admission they don't have ability to invest in small caps which is just fine. Focus on what you are good at.

    Now if only they sold WFC...

  • Agreed!

    A-ha, just like Oakmark did. Basically an admission they don't have ability to invest in small caps which is just fine. Focus on what you are good at.

    Now if only they sold WFC
    ...

  • Hi guys!
    Just a couple of things to say. First, WFC, which seems to upset many.....I say nothing new here. All sin in their pursuit of profits and greed. There are worse: GM switches, Remington triggers.....just some that come to mind. The list is long and the sins are great. One of the best lines I ever read is from racing: "If you're not cheating, you're not trying (i.e., to win)." It sums up sports and business. This family of funds I feel is overlooked due to its size, I believe. PRBLX is the one everybody owns and talks about.....the rest are barely known. I am surprised how few own it.
    Time to go. Duke has his leash, so it's walking time. Sometimes we get our best ideas on the walks.
    God bless
    the Pudd
  • edited February 2017
    No one is saying there are only angels on Wall St. Fact of the matter is I gave up investing individual stocks only because I cannot trust annual reports. The expectation from most mutual fund managers is they are looking company executives straight in the eye and asking them if the numbers are correct.

    Point is I can by a COB and keep imagining the worst of people. Needless to say, then I will keep my money under my pillow. Clearly no way to survive. HOWEVER, this is NOT about investing at all. I am not kidding when I say I am flatly refusing to talk anything remotely concerning money unless my siblings terminate their association with Wells Fargo. They are elder, they think I'm kidding...well not anymore.

    Individual people have to make a stand. WFC is not the only bank around. No one is expecting people to stop driving cars if it is proven oil companies are corrupt. Let's not be hypocrites. One doesn't really not have a choice since once cannot walk everywhere. You can't tell me you can't bank somewhere else. You can't tell me Parnassus cannot replace WFC with another bank holding.
  • edited February 2017

    You can't tell me Parnassus cannot replace WFC with another bank holding.

    Exactly. For an ESG-oriented fund/firm, the "G" aspect seems woefully out of place by their holding WFC in such prominent percentages in their various funds.
  • @rforno. And the only people who can TELL them that are the shareholders of Parnassus funds. This is the problem number one. If they are worried about taxes, at least stop investing more money and invest somewhere else. They will get the message.

    Easy to tweet/snapshat/whatsapp and ooh-aah when something happens. Far harder to actually want to do something about it. Like I've said I don't want to be a hyprocrite, but I do examine my decisions and if wrong try to correct them. My siblings not moving their accounts from WFC is a huge problem for me. Why people don't realize they can vote with their feet and bring about real change is beyond me. And especially some thing like this which is hardly a hardship to do.
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