YTD Losers for Me: MSEGX ARTYX FSEAX and MACGX

JonGaltIII

Ok so it's only 3/9/2021. But after a Tech bounce back day today... I was curious to review my Total Gain/Loss column in Fidelity.

I made a fair number of adjustments at the beginning of the year and cleaned up my portfolio. I did a lot of research and used MFO Premium and read alot about the funds I was choosing in the discussion forum here etc.

It's interesting that the last funds I invested in this year are the ones that (while having a great day today) - are still YTD losers for me since purchase:
MSEGX -3.44%
ARTYX -8.83%
FSEAX -8.85%
MACGX - 18.26%

In the case of MACGX - I seem to recall reading a post where someone suggested I should wait for a pullback before investing in. I should have listened to that advice. ARTYX and FSEAX - I found via this forum and felt like there will be an Asia rebound and shift towards Asia and EM in 2021. I still believe that will materialize.

MSEGX - I was just so impressed with the growth fund and the MS family - I wanted a position in it. I already have access and funds in FDGRX but I just wanted some money in MS growth. So - as I look at performance... the funds that I took a chance on... without having the strongest conviction ... are the ones that are trailing in my portfolio. I moved some funds to FBALX and they are about even YTD as an aside.

However, I think that long term... ARTYX and FSEAX will be positive for me - even if I bought at the high earlier this year. In the case of MACGX - I really bought at the high! I justified it after looking at a 153% return last year and 56% return the year prior. It's got a 10+ year history of strong performance. So, perhaps I have time to be rewarded, despite my untimely entry point.

Crash

I took just a small pinch of money from bonds and put it into PRIDX and PRDSX at the high. (Shit!) But I bet it will be a positive move, when we look back upon 2021. So, all I've done so far, is to bump-up my cost-basis. Groan. Glad I was prudent with the amount. Canadians say: "When the US sneezes, Canada catches a cold." Same with Emerg. Mkts. I think if I were you, I'd let those "losers" ride. When they become winners, you'll be glad... But needless to say, if after 2 years or so they do NOT start winning for you, then you'll have a decision to make. ...Eh?

@hank has shared that right now, "bonds are poison." Yes, I quite understand. Yet my long-term plan stops being a long-term plan if I react and make wholesale changes very often. For DIVIDENDS, rather than growth, the biggest Canadian banks would be first on my list. If they fall again sufficiently, it will surely pique my interest.
CM ..... Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
TD.... Toronto Dominion
RY Royal Bank of Canada
BNS.... Bank of Nova Scotia "Scotiabank."
BMO...... Bank of Montreal

oops, I just hijacked your thread.

JonGaltIII

Thanks @Crash - I think you are right! ... I LOVE Chateau Frontenac / Quebec but regrettably I have never been to Montreal and I hear that I am missing out! Perhaps when everyone is vaccinated and flights are allowed from the USA ... I will make it there some day. Eh? Cheers!

Hijack away... I'll up your Canadian bank with a US one ... that is only up 80 percent since IPO at $10 for bank customers and BTW IMHO has more room to grow in the next 2 years - when they can then purchase or be bought... EBC or Eastern Bank Corporation

Crash

Just don't take your own car. The roads up there will surely destroy it. I mean the roads within the city (Montreal.) Last time I was there was in 2016. Allegedly, they had construction and repair going on everywhere in preparation to celebrate the 375th anniv. of its founding. But I kinda doubt that there was much of an improvement, afterwards.

Crash

...EBC or Eastern Bank Corporation. +1.

Derf

BMO...... Bank of Montreal - SEC caught them in the act.
Derf

stillers

JG: VERY impressed that you would start a thread to point up your LOSSES!. How refreshing to see honest, full disclosure by a poster. Congrats to YOU!

Actual YTD TRs:
MSEGX -0.93%
ARTYX -2.99%
FSEAX +1.08%
MACGX +0.57%

As I trust you know...

These are all great funds in areas that should do well this year (and likely beyond though EMs are a trading category for me.)

Apparently, based on your YTD TRs vs Actual YTD TRs, your BUY timing was bad and likely worsened by having dumped in rather that DCA'ing in. (Forgive me for my candor and if I'm wrong on that.)

I know it's painful/stressful to see losses like that. Take heart though if you went into these for the long haul. They will recover. With the daily moves we've seen in these funds, know that your TR losses can be erased in them in just a couple of days.

Positive spins:

Well first, a reminder of the legendary advice of a former M* poster, "Volatility is the price you pay for growth."

I always try to see a positive in my goofs. On these, I'd be telling myself that I learned my lesson that with high fliers like these, I MUST ensure that I will treat them like individual stocks in the future and ALWAYS DCA into them over a period of at least a couple of months.

Disclaimer: I own three of the listed funds. I either owned the full positions in 2020 or finished DCA'ing into them in early 2021. My YTD TRs therefore are/are closer to their actual TRs.

Aside: Hang in there JG - you did very well with your selection process but just didn't execute the BUY process to your best advantage. Looking forward to the day this year when you post how much you are UP on each of these.

Sven

DCA over say 3-6 months is a good way to ensure paying a reasonable price. This is common practice for fund managers to "build" a position. A year or two from now this may be mute point.

Baseball_Fan

I dunno ..arttx, top holdings include talk education... Chinese after school, holding company accused of fraud about a year ago.

I question how on top some of these fund managers are of their holdings (remember wirecard) or if they have boots on the ground in these far away lands doing their due diligence. I'd hate to think they are just looking at data dumps of supposedly financial metrics. Don't some of these overseas company don't have to meet usa accounting standards??

I wouldn't touch these funds with your monies said the guy who owns shares in iqdax

Not for me, but y'all seem confident and seem to have profited so I hope you continue to do so

Anyhoo, good luck to all and good investing

Baseball Fan

Baseball_Fan

Muddy waters claimed tal education overstated their income by over 43% over two years 2018

Due your own homework

Baseball fan

hank

Without getting too scientific, I always thought the idea of portfolio diversification meant (or at least implied) that over any short period you’d have both winners and losers. Over time you reinvest some of the the profits from your winners into your losers to even out volatility and take advantage of lower prices. So let’s assume Jon did due diligence in selecting these holdings for inclusion in his portfolio (He seems like the type.) Unless something has drastically changed in his initial evaluation of those stocks or funds, holding on or even adding a bit might be the better answer compared to wholesale dumping.

I’m very low risk by both circumstance and temperament. Not shooting for the stars. In my diversified portfolio I would worry if everything was moving up (or down) together. Most of my stuff has done reasonably well this year - particularly the equity and commodity related stuff. Exceptions: OPGSX (miners) off over 10% and DODLX (world bond) off 2.3%. Not to worry. As Ted used to remind us - Investing is a marathon - not a sprint.

Not meant to represent investment advice. I realize I’m out of touch with modern day investing.

stillers

Eeesch....

The four listed funds include two Morgan Stanley funds, one Fidelity fund, and one Artisan Partners fund. All four funds are top funds in their respective categories and some could easily be regarded amongst/as Best in Class.

Morgan Stanley and Artisan Partners are recognized leaders in world stock and bond investments. MS and Fido have offices all across the globe. FSEAX may very well be Fido's best foreign fund (EM specifically) with a very experienced EM PM.

RE: AP...

https://www.artisanpartners.com/individual-investors/investments/global-equity-team.html

Excerpt:

The investment team combines the benefits of strong leadership with the creative ideas of experienced research analysts.

The portfolio managers are supported by 15 analysts that average more than 15 years of investment experience and have significant experience within their sectors/regions of expertise.

The team is supported by a dedicated Chief Operating Officer, who oversees all non-investment related matters so the team can focus on investments.

The team is supported by an experienced global trading desk that averages more than 16 years of experience in global markets.

The team is located in San Francisco and New York with research offices in London and Singapore.

Crash

BMO...... Bank of Montreal - SEC caught them in the act.
@Derf
What's the scoop?

Crash

a-ha!
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sec-bank-of-montreal/bank-of-montreal-pays-38-million-to-settle-u-s-sec-charges-it-hid-conflicts-idUSKBN1WC2FG
"BMO advisers repeatedly put their own financial interests ahead of clients,” C. Dabney O’Riordan, co-chief of the SEC enforcement division’s asset management unit, said in a statement.
************************************
So, BMO just flunked my ethics filter. Thanks for that heads-up, @Derf.

JonGaltIII

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I didn’t really DCA and bought at the high. That said, I didn’t purchase 100% of what I wanted in each of those funds. Roughly 50%. Upon reflection, I should have gone in with 15 or 25 and then DCA the rest of the way. So, after due diligence... do I still have faith in those funds _ long term.... even though I bought at the ultra high... well I believe so. That’s where your comments above and below are very valuable. So, now I’m left with adding to my expensive funds. Perhaps I learned a good lesson and I’ll steadily add the next 50%. Of course, now the market is on the rise... so I’ll just need to time it the best that I can. I feel blessed that the other funds I own are all in the green and I divested bonds at the right time. Still learning.