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.
Reply to @Investor: The fight between Vodafone (the biggest corporate overseas investor in India) and India over taxes from a prior transaction (when Vodafone bought the Indian business from another company) does not look all that good from a foreig…
Reply to @Old_Joe: The world pie is smaller than it used to be and everyone is scrambling for their slice.
For further discussion of these economic actions, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beggar_thy_neighbour
Reply to @MJG:
I don't agree with Rupert on everything, but I think there are aspects and broad issues that are addressed in the film on economic and societal issues that are worth exploration and discussion.
I don't think society will collapse …
Glad to hear others will take a look at the film - people may not agree with all of it, but it's a very powerful, occasionally quite emotional film on the challenges (primarily focused on economic, but also otherwise) we as a global society are faci…
Reply to @Old_Joe: Right.
The answer is, according to many, that the answer to a debt crisis is more debt and more spending. Is there, however, a saturation point for more debt in a society?
Pull forward more demand from the future and somehow …
Reply to @Maurice: "what can I expect from TP that is older than 2 years? '
I'm guessing if you blow on it, it flys away like Dandelion spores.
I do like Trader Joe's a great deal, although one really has to look at nutrition information - some of…
Costco has some very good deals, but I find that their paper goods products are just okay - you can find better deals in local stores (CVS, grocery, whatever) if you look. I'll probably renew at Costco this year, but I think it's not the "one stop"…
Reply to @kevindow: I do own a small position in the fund - I will say I did find it extremely fishy that morningstar put up the fund's prior private performance. No prior private performance should be put on M*.
I also own MFLDX and PAUDX (d share…
Perpetual debt-based growth is a myth, and I think - if we haven't already - we're probably in the neighborhood of bumping up against that. Perpetual growth in terms of things like natural resource availability has not happened yet, but I have a di…
Illiquid private equity (facebook not so much, but smaller companies) are always going to be volatile. I doubt the nature of private equity was disclosed. Not much private equity available to the public - the only thing I've ever owned was Sprott R…
I think it's really, really interesting. I'm not really looking to invest in anything else at this point, but I'll have to keep this in mind. I do wish I could see more information about the motifs before having to sign up, but otherwise I can see l…
There is an announced fund of publicly listed hedge funds that is supposed to be coming out from Global X - that fund I'm VERY interested in, but this fund seems like a flawed strategy - going on 13Fs, there's no way to know if the hedge fund still …
"Yesterday, Thursday, June 7 found a little time to hear Mr. Larry Fink (CEO, Blackrock). I would have preferred to listen in on the whole two hour period, as well as Mr. Bernanke's testimony. "
You mean the guy who said that retail investors shoul…
I suppose the hedge fund issue comes down to the fact that there are many failed funds (and/or managers who can't make it back to the high mark, therefore close up shop and start over again somewhere else.) When investing in hedge funds, you are inv…
Reply to @maize: It's a unique fund - there's nothing quite like it. It's done well and it's extremely flexible. That said, it requires the fund making the right macro bets like anything else. It's definitely a fund that I would recommend as a uniqu…
Reply to @Old_Joe: Marketfield is, by all indications, short gold and possibly still silver. I was a tad surprised that the fund didn't follow the move in the metals today as well. It won't give short position details,but the monthly letter for the…
Reply to @Kenster1_GlobalValue: Neither EM fund has performed up to reasonable expectations, although the issue is primarily the stock side - that fund has had what I would call a terrible start. While one can certainly take a long-term view, it's h…
Buying a little more mining stock ETF. Interesting the timing of gold going down today. Not gold-related, but resource/real asset-related also adding a little more to Cohen and Steers Real Assets Z - RAPZX. I'm also looking at Canadian oil (mainly t…
Reply to @Old_Joe: I'm actually saying, with enormous cynicism and skepticism, that not only will partisan politics NOT be suspended in attempt to work together for the common good, I can easily see the continuation of the current broken system resu…
I haven't been that pleased with the fund (although certainly not as displeased as with Pimco's new EM fund - yeesh, glad I dumped that months ago) - which is admittedly newer - so far. I started a position, but haven't added to it and I'm not sur…
"But if we actually "let it fail" (no QE's or bailouts) would we have been better off at a quicker pace?"
I suppose the issue again isn't black and white; government is there to provide guidance and assistance, but not to consistently prop up organ…
Marketfield's theories in regards to emerging market stocks aren't something I agree with, but I continue to have the fund as a "second opinion." Shaoul worries that EM has become overfavored in recent years (which is a little questionable after the…
Reply to @Old_Joe: "How many years did it take to get into this mess? More than three?"
Yes.
So, attempting to get out of a long-term mess by stringing short-term sugar highs together is probably not a sustainable solution for one of the worst fi…
Reply to @Old_Joe: "Well, predictable, yes. Good? Bad? Beats me."
It does? This is the third Summer in a row we're talking about this.
"So far the track record seems pretty mixed."
Calling it "mixed" is being generous.
Interesting article.
1. At least he throws great parties. I've never been a shareholder, but shareholders can go to the annual meeting, which has interviews with the portfolio managers, interviews with CEOs and performances from the likes of Sting …
Reply to @catch22: It would certainly be an interesting balanced fund.
As for balanced funds, I'm letting AQR Risk Parity's portfolio-within-a-portfolio allocate to bonds and currencies.
I'm not selling anything else at this point, but not buying …
Reply to @equalizer: More Marketfield (MFLDX)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-03/s-p-500-valuation-slips-19-below-11-as-shaoul-advises-patience.html
Marketfield has been moving in a very curious fashion, and I think it continues to seem at le…
A few thoughts:
1. There are companies that I want to continue to hold and effectively have "put away" for the long-term. I continue to have sort of a "level 1", "level 2", "level 3" feel about things - "1" is effectively "put away, "2" are long-t…
Reply to @kevindow: MFLDX relies upon macro calls, but it's like anything else - a long-only manager making sector calls, etc. The fund's immense flexibility in terms of multi-asset makes it particularly appealing. The fund's monthly reports also in…
Reply to @DlphcOracl: Again, I couldn't agree more. I think you'll see QE3 and further though, it's just too far down that path and they aren't going to admit that it isn't working.
Reply to @Investor: " Just when all hope is lost the market starts to go up again."
It's already *GONE* up, and whoever was still left after 2008 has been continually leaving. There's been equity fund outflows for the last three years that have bee…
"This month we begin by renewing the 2009 profile of a distinguished fund, Wasatch Long/ Short (FMLSX) and bringing a really promising newcomer, Aston / River Road Long- Short (ARLSX) onto your radar.
Our plans for the months ahead include profiles…
Reply to @catch22: No no, you didn't - I just posted that quote I used in another thread and thought it worked well here. That video is definitely worth a view.
