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BLNDX Fund

What’s everyone’s thoughts on BLNDX/REMIX Fund?

Comments

  • I'd stick with something more conventional; but that's just me. "Macro Trading." Makes me itch.
  • REMIX on my watch list. Outperforms many of the beloved funds (in any category) in key metrics since inception 1/2020. However 50% treasuries implies some degree of trading in which one wrong turn might return to the norm.
  • When I owned it, REMIX lost -5% one day back in Nov-2021. I assumed it had "gone ex" and that maybe there was a Distribution of some kind.

    I assumed wrong.

    Sold it shortly thereafter.
  • It can be hard to justify in up markets, but I keep it for the downside. Only 5% in my portfolio though.
  • I'm working on a profile of the fund for January. The metrics are pretty impressive even though I am skeptical of anyone relying on managed futures. Still, the numbers need to be accounted for. Higher returns than virtually any flexible portfolio fund over the last 3 years, higher risk adjusted returns, lower Ulcer index...

    "Flexible portfolio" funds, as a group, encompasses both ultra conservative and reasonably aggressive funds. The risk-adjusted performance gap strikes me as more impressive when you look at other funds seeking the same sort of equity like returns that standpoint has posted.

    I sent the team a bunch of questions and, just this evening, added JD's to the mix. If I learn anything interesting, I will surely share.
  • edited December 2023
    The team today wrote, in response to JD's observation:
    In November of 2021, the fund did have a down -5% day. After a nice run in both equities and macro oriented markets like energy and currencies, on the day after Thanksgiving, there were scares about the Omnicron virus which led to our largest positions moving strongly against us on holiday-shortened low-volume day. (The guys note, separately, that oil dropped 13% in a day, grains and currencies got crushed; macro people call it their "Black Friday".)

    From what we could tell, most of our investors were not overly concerned after our -5% day. I believe it’s because they understand that the risk-management process in our macro program cuts risk in losing positions. Unlike some other alternative strategies, ours does not “double down” or increase risk in positions because they are moving against us. The philosophy of trend-oriented macro investing is to rotate out of what is not working, and rotate into what is working, in a disciplined manner, with a risk budget enforced each step of the way.
    They conclude with an interesting reflection on having reasonable downside expectations. To date their maximum drawdown has been 9% or so. Their internal models allow that the strategy is susceptible to a worst-case drawdown in the 15-20% range.

    The fund is up about 5% YTD, which beats its peer group by about 50%. The most curious note is that either its peer group is imploding or Morningstar is quietly reclassifying a lot of funds. In 2020 there were 100 funds in the macro trading group. Today there are 59.
  • Thank you, David, for posting this information. Very interesting.
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