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.
@MikeM: On a hunch, just the other day, I did the same with VEEV, which I had been watching. Damned if it didn't shoot up at the opening the next day. I put in a sell order, Schwab improved it by $2, and I had a $500 profit. I used it all to make d…
I set my play-money buy limit way down on CLF, but the order went thru today. It’s either a reversion to mean or a value trap. I don’t know of a worse looking group of stocks than steel makers:
https://money.usnews.com/investing/stocks/steel
English could theoretically adopt the equivalent of « one/one’s » as found in Romance languages. However, what people actually say has much greater influence on how a language is used and is changed; changes decreed or even suggested by some authori…
Thanks all for your supportive comments. I should have mentioned that a sore neck has been the only discernable physical injury my daughter suffered. It happens to be a high-stress period for her as she interviews for a residency, a four-year stint …
@hank’s purchase had given me new-car fever. This lasted a couple of days until our youngest daughter called from NC to report her car totaled by a pot-head who ran a stop sign. Her car was to last thru med school; that would have been May. Shit hap…
@Old_Joe: you and I missed out on the latest stuff a long time ago. Several years ago our well pump had to be replaced by a guy who came right away on a sunny Winter day. He told me what I owed him (a lot) and then said he would accept Crypto. He ex…
The nominee may be indulging in « foxhole praying, » which is said to afflict those of no faith, but who are desperate for some help as the final hour approaches. First he gets Mom to « retract » her stern memo about her son’s moral failings, then h…
For some reason all the comments in various threads about the deterioration of morality, legal standards, and justice make me wonder what would become of me if I shot and killed someone in the middle of State Street in Ann Arbor. A large part of my …
BLK has been more profitable since its 1999 IPO than the Nasdaq or S&P indices, returning 20.7% per annum. That kind of performance means the shareholder could easily afford an accountant to figure out the K-1 form at tax time.
https://x.com/S…
We lived in Seoul in 1980 under martial law, the last time it was imposed in Korea. Had to walk past bored looking armed soldiers on the campus of Yonsei University, near where we lived. The guns may have been unloaded, but we did not then have enou…
I have bought 2 iMacs, 3 iPhones, and 2 iPad Minis used in the past several years, using both EBay and Swappa. Results have been very satisfactory. They have all been recent, mint condition models sold by individuals who retained original packaging…
@BaluBalu: I spoke with J. Cooper, ETF specialist at VanEck, who invited me to submit ideas about a wide-moat index fund to the company. He was not particularly interested or tempted by my idea, but he was knowledgeable on the current MOAT and their…
@hank: recommend Michelin CrossClimate2 for your Camry. We have them on our Accord and Odyssey. We have a very steep driveway but these tires grip well enough in most conditions, with FWD. I suspect the tires you got enhance mileage and are probably…
Just goes to show how M*’s rating system makes little sense at times. While AIRR gets five stars, it also gets the grade of Negative and critical comments about process and personnel. Seems way off the mark to me. Today’s M* lead article talks of ho…
Many thanks @WABAC for digging up all that valuable info. M* reports 48% turnover, a fair amount for a fund following an index. Not that I object to the active management. I like your conclusion that portfolio changes had already taken place before …
@hank: your post elsewhere about the snow arriving Up North reminds me of a colleague whose father was a Chivvy dealer in Marquette. She said he referred to the cars on the lot in Winter as his “frozen assets.” I have not bought a new car since a 19…
Yesterday, with snow on the ground for the first time this season, I regretfully put away my 300ZX convertible, hooked up the trickle charger, and draped her in a dust cover. Usually, this is done at the end of October, so no regrets about the fabul…
ISTM that all the fund companies and brokerages are in the business of attracting assets, above all. I often look at the Parent tab on M* to see if a MF or ETF provider has been experiencing inflows or outflows of AUM. It’s a tough business for some…
You must admit, Old_Joe, that the current circumstances have the great benefit of keeping your wit alive and well! It’s good to see my elders going full steam.
@hank: have you considered a Toyota Avalon? Real step up from a Camry, without the Lexus cachet. In American brands, a Buick, not a Caddy. Your “uncle’s” car, even if that’s considered a sexist comment.
It will take a brave person to take on interests entrenched to protect subsidies to milk, meat, and corn. Kennedy sounds as though he does not support maintaining the Great American Diet, but when push comes to shove the public will not benefit from…
@hank: Consumers Reports has never been high on Audi reliability, so it might be worth your time to check there. My PCP has been happy with two Audi A5 convertibles, however.
We own older Hondas now and I take note of the declining ratings. My 20…
My two youngest daughters (33 and 26) drive me batty with their total reliance on their smart phones for navigation. I can’t count the number of times I’ve driven to and back from DTW with the youngest one; however when she borrowed my car to pick u…
@Old_Joe: good one! We’ll see if my tilt away from chips (SMHX) toward software (IVG) produces real or artificial gains. In the old days you could blame a real person (a broker) for suggesting a crappy stock; nowadays I can blame AI for my missteps…
For a supposed Republican, the governor of Texas seems to embrace a highly interventionist approach to his state’s economy. The kinds of actions cited in the linked article resemble those of a nation’s president presiding over a centrally-controlle…
A friend of mine tried to explain to me what bitcoin is, something along the lines of, « it’s just a currency. » He then told me he had made enough on his investment to buy his daughter a house. Then he said he hadn’t owned any bitcoin for some time…
Similar to @Chinfist, I like the argument that software has lagged and that it may present an opportunity. Chips and the Mag7 seem to be losing momentum, but AI remains a force. I nibbled at IGV today. It holds MSFT, of course, but not anywhere near…
If, in the apparent view of the incoming prez, tariffs are meant to punish certain countries, what is /was our beef with Scotland? INMHO, tariffs appeal to the « low-information voter, » the one who is too lazy to look into an issue for the underlyi…
