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Balter Invenomic Investor (BIVRX)- NTF at Fido

Just throwing this new Long-short fund out there for an alt idea. Many investors avoid such fund vehicles due to poor track records, and that is justified.

Noting BIVRX because it has held up well in its very short life. Its NTF at Fido ($5K min). It managed to give a positive return yesterday when the markets were down harshly, so it can ZIG when markets ZAG.

E/R is high at 2.86%, but typical for L/S funds.

Comments

  • I don't have anything against new funds, but we gotta know something about it. Just as an example I went into COBYX soon after it opened. Because I know exactly what I should expect and thankfully have not been dissapointed.

    I was in AKREX for a while as well until it ballooned and I didn't like its manager succession.

    So tell us something "special" about BIVRX.
  • edited April 2018
    Quick glance: mostly mid to microcaps; range of 20-80% long (20% now); a small (< 10%) stake in international; the principal, per the fact sheet, is a Boston Partners alum, though he was a fund co-manager for only a little longer than two years (according to the M* mini-vita on the mangement page).

    Would want to read up as to why he'd extend the range of coverage to international if he's going to put just a relatively insignificant amount there.

    One appealing feature could be the market cap range the fund appears to play in. A detractor might be the apparently somewhat limited experience of the team they chose to highlight on the M* management page ... and that E.R., unless they can do well for investors despite it.
  • edited April 2018
    "So tell us something "special" about BIVRX."

    What caught my eye was the +6.8% return in 4Q 2017, followed by YTD +3.45 return.
    Not too many funds are up much YTD with all this market volatility. Does that make it a good fund? No way.

    Its just something "alternative" to watch. Most of the L/S funds tend to flare out.

    P.S. Another alt fund I've been stalking is "Absolute Convertible Arbitrage Fund" (ARBIX). Its very tame and has been pretty steady. But similar to BIVRX, its new and unproven.
  • Dr Snowball did a write-up on this fund recently
  • Yeah, that's good. But still need to know reason. Sometimes funds behave certain way because they are actually not following their mandate. Like Legg Mason Value(sic) Trust did for a long time.

    I went to the website. The explanation of how they invest is pretty much boilerplate for any L/S fund. Let's see if we can find something else in the press, perhaps an interview somewhere.

    PS - I similarly bought OTCRX because it seemed uncanny, only after I bought it hasn't quite hit the ball out of the park. So you can understand if I'm cautious.
  • Okay...one of the managers is ex-Robeco. THIS is the most important piece of information everyone needs to know regarding this fund.

    Too bad it is not available Schwab. Would have nibbled. Fido and TDA (aaaaarghhh!!!) are the only choices
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