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.
I don't think M* has a "grudge" or anything against FAIRX, nor do I really pay much attention to their ratings. There may be some concern regards to the extremely concentrated nature, perhaps (?)
I think what I'm kind of interested in is when Buffett and Munger are gone and people head for the hills - despite the successors being picked by Buffett, I think the initial response will be a drop and I remain curious about what direction the comp…
Wintergreen's track record has not been as hoped, but I do agree with a great deal of what he said above - there have been a number of graphs where the most shorted/lower quality names have substantially outperformed in the last year or two.
The only retail REIT I would be interested in is Tanger Outlet (SKT) and it's still not on my shopping list. I do think the high-end outlet mall concept seems to be doing exceptionally well. Simon Properties also has their premium outlets, but Tange…
I wouldn't want to be in either SPLS or Office Depot/Max, but out of the two, Staples are at least - in my experience - nicer, more updated, more welcoming. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Staples and/or Office Max continue in a different form…
Completely agree with JohnChisum.
I'll still say the best Buffett CNBC moment ever was this interview on the trading floor with Sorkin.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/44730157/
"HOBBS: So Andrew, has he invited you to the dinner tonight?
ANDREW: I have…
Something from Howard Marks in a Bloomberg article on Junk bonds reminded me a little of this thread:
"“You can’t go on strike and refuse to buy the securities you’re paid to invest in, because the market may not turn for months or years,” Marks sa…
The issue is that you have a Google who is spending on "moon shots" with Google X (wired interview: http://www.wired.com/business/2013/01/ff-qa-larry-page/) and maybe some of the investments (things like Project Loon, Calico, Google Fiber, self-driv…
I've ended support for MSFT. Not a fan of Windows 8 although it's okay for the cheaper price I paid. (I upgraded from 7 when 8 came out and it was initially cheaper. I've pondered downgrading back to 7 on a number of occasions but never went through…
Probably the most aggressive fund in its class. It's effectively index-like, using derivatives. Great on a good year, really bad on a bad year for RE. Not something I'd recommend.
Not buying. Not looking to really sell either, although if opportunities present themselves may sell a couple of things and move into lower-risk/more boring names.
Morningstar is only showing each year's return back to 2009.
On the M* 'performance' pages, you have to click "expanded view" to get returns further back than 5 full years. M* shows WGRNX lost 39.05% in '08.
I think that was what disappointed me …
I'm guessing lithium hopes due to new Tesla plant production. Citi even notes the rally based upon "hope" (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sociedad-quimica-recent-share-rally-170625660.html) The stock is certainly interesting, but has been largely obl…
I would agree a lot with dryflower's comments. I think I've read attempts to justify the fee by acting like it was a hedge fund or something of that regard, but Wintergreen has never really shorted anything much (aside from a short in Blackstone for…
I look at Wintergreen as the anti-socially-conscious fund: tobacco, booze, sugary drinks. Maybe the high ER should be seen as a sin tax (lol).
VICEX is a good play on that. I own alcohol companies, but never saw the interest in tobacco companies. I …
The fund has not done quite as well as hoped since inception, although I think the last few years has seen Winters really bet on the emerging consumer in a significant manner. Depending on the company, that has either done well (Mastercard) or not …
The technology and backstory is fascinating, there have been some terrific Wired articles, such as this one - "The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin" (http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/11/mf_bitcoin/) - which I think are worth reading.
That said, I think B…
I think it would actually be a good idea to sit down and discuss the process with her and maybe allow her to make a choice or two. I think it's fantastic that you are giving her that gift, but I think it's one of those things where it's a good thing…
It's a currency that at the same time seems to want mass acceptance and underground cred - wanting to disrupt the status quo on one hand and be the new status quo on the other, perhaps. I think it needs to have some sort of overseer with credibility…
I think the one company that no one really seems to be interested in is Genting, whose casino-resorts in Asia have to be seen to be believed (and who own a casino in Queens, as well as a future property in Miami.)
Genting also has been looking into…
I've talked about Fairholme in other threads (Berkowitz is highly skilled, but I couldn't disagree more on Sears.) That said, I would have to choose BBTEX if I had to get rid of one.
2. His style, which emphasizes capital preservation, is not the stuff that generally wins the adulation of the masses.
Which style is "in" today? Which tomorrow? Who is a star manager today? Who is a star manager tomorrow? Meh.
When Cramer was o…
Scott. You should be designated a national asset.
Thanks. :-)
Here it is.
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/apple/apple-ibeacon-mobile-payments-3469042/
Further down in the article it goes into some detail about retailer startup costs with iBeacon v…
A few thoughts:
1. Geo-fencing already does exist and allows advertising that can be specifically targeted to a desired area (for example, near a store.) I own Singtel, which owns large mobile ad firm Amobee (http://www.amobee.com/technology/geofen…
MFLDX was the original share class, which were closed when the fund was bought by Mainstay and were kept at the same terms. If they have re-opened since then, maybe. MFLDX is still showing as closed to new at Ameritrade, Schwab and Fidelity.
Tencent can be played through Naspers (NSPNY), the South African e-commerce/media giant, although I think it's gotten even more overvalued. Playing Alibaba via Softbank is a little more interesting after that has tanked lately. If Naspers ever came …
I think ARBFX was closed not that long ago? I find the slightly more volatile Arbitrage Event-Driven more interesting, but I don't have a place for this strategy in my portfolio.
These funds do well in good times and bad, but they are something tha…
The AQR fund is probably the closest comparison in terms of active management. There really isn't much else. The Pimco fund, which is more of an index-like fund. I would stay away from the ETFs, as many of them are structured as partnerships, such a…
Reply to @Charles: I don't think it's necessarily even Eddie Lampert. You have a HUGE amount of the available float short. There will be times when there is a "snowball" effect of some people covering. There's no news, aside from yesterday's announ…
