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davfor
Thanks. She is well now and back to her daily volunteering.....
Below chart is for FRESX, VNG (Vanguard real estate eft), FREL (Fido real estate etf) and FRIFX
CHART Chart limited to start of Feb. 2015 due to an inception date for FREL. At the left bottom edge of the chart, one may select the "red and green…
It currently looks like my overall portfolio stock % per Fido will be about 65% after my once a year cash distribution has been completed at the start of 2022 (vs. about 67% in stocks at the start of 2021).
A couple of OEF updates. The Bond sleeve…
There is a write up beginning on page 18 of the FRB Assessment that focuses on Retail Investors, Social Media, and Equity Trading. They appear to be in the "monitoring with concern" phase of the evaluation process regarding meme stocks, evolving tr…
Its too soon for me to be certain its different this time. But, the global central banks have been astute and activist enough in recent years to keep investors engaged and satisfied -- garden variety stock market corrections excepted. Accommodativ…
About 2/3 of my main portfolio is about equally split between stock investments via OEFs and individual stock holdings. The OEF stock investments generally have a total return focus but do include stock investments via mixed asset OEFs. The indivi…
Somewhat related to the Paul Krugman article....China appears to be managing a necessary slow down in it's long term growth rate by attempting to transition towards a more balanced sharing of a less rapidly growing economic pie. Here is an update o…
Good discussion. Lots to consider. Paying attention to VIX, earnings and expectations, and treasury yields. Also looking at the ongoing rate of growth in GDP, the trajectory of the spike in inflation (and the related supply chain bottlenecks), an…
Cathie Wood is fleeing. It it’s too hot for her I wouldn’t touch it.
I pay "some" attention to what Cathie Woods thinks. But, she is just one perspective among many.
BlackRock Inc. and UBS Group AG have turned positive on China’s beaten-down equ…
@dafor Quartz looks interesting. What do you think of it? Cost?
It costs me $50 per year (~$1/wk.) As I recall the current headline rate is $100 but they have frequent discount offers. Signing up for the Daily Read ( at qz.com ) provides a s…
Opened partial positions in TCEHY and BABA a few weeks ago. Think the goal is to reshape the giants rather than kill them. A couple of articles from this morning's reading:
Alibaba expands cloud business
Xi Jinping’s vision for China
No recent fund purchases or sales. But did recently open partial positions in TCEHY and BABA and REIT positions in COLD and PINE. Currently am slightly below my stock allocation percent for 2021 after early September stock trimming and stock marke…
Here is a look at the impact of deficit spending in our still low interest rate world and what the future may hold in store for us despite the deficit's continued growth:
The Real Cost of U.S. Debt Is Nearer the Floor Than the Ceiling
Just an example of how the Chinese giants are bending to the will of the CCP (perhaps part of the problem for BABA is that Jack Ma let himself become too much of an international public figure?)...
Alibaba Seeks to Exit Media Firm After Beijing’s S…
FWIW....The current significant shift underway will take some time to settle out. But, the transition to socialist utopia in China may take decades (or more) to reach it's final conclusion. If so, the private sector capitalist beast may well conti…
A couple of additional articles discussing potential impacts of the proposed law.
Wyden Proposal Would Impact ETF and Mutual Fund Redemptions-in-Kind and PTPs
ETF Giants Push Back Against Senate Democrat Who Wants to Take Away Tax Break
@Mark Thanks for your response to my comment. It has prompted a lively discussion of issues I had not considered. My rereading of the article and the excerpt from the WSJ article posted above both suggest the law would likely result in negative t…
Passage of this bill would force taxable account investors to buy and hold onto individual stocks to continue to receive some of the advantages available through tax-deferred retirement accounts. That would uncomfortably alter the investing landsca…
The portfolio diversification, future rate uncertainty, and portfolio volatility reduction aspects of the case for owning some high grade bonds continues to have appeal (see @bee article above). The stock market is richly valued. I don't know how …
This is a wide ranging review of current thinking about the ongoing transformation. Here are a few examples:
The party Central Committee shifted its economic emphasis “from efficiency to fairness” in late 2020, a researcher at a Beijing think tank …
A little more background info....
The fall of the almost $2 billion Infinity Q Diversified Alpha Fund is a reminder to investors about the risks that can lurk in their holdings and the heavy costs and frustrations that liquidating funds bring.
Wha…
Did a little more checking. VWINX inception date was actually 6/30/1970.
Here is a look at the 10-year treasury trend from 1973 to 1982.
And here is a look at VWINX performance from 1973 to 1982 compared to S&P500 and VWESX (Vanguard Long-T…
Just another general comment about AKREX and PGIRX (a somewhat close cousin to POLRX). Both under performed in 2020 as the stock market melted up in response to central bank and fiscal policy interventions. That doesn't concern or surprise me. Thi…
Have owned AKREX for many years and PGIRX since inception of fund. No thoughts of selling either. This quote reflects much of the basic approach each of these funds takes:
We believe in owning exceptional businesses for as long as they remain so, …
We are looking at building a portfolio that can not be changed for 5 years looking ahead from today (other than rebalancing). It might be helpful to include VWINX in the mix because it doesn't rely on a five year continuation from today of out-perf…
It seems like time tested VWINX deserves a spot in a Catastrophe Portfolio, particularly if the goal is to minimize tinkering with it after it has been set up.
Today the Fed (and other central banks across the globe) is part of the market.
The Fed and the stock market are for now co-dependent and planning to live in a somewhat lower interest rate world. The pandemic and the Fed's more inclusive employment…
A short South China Morning Post article with a few examples of how these terms are being put to work by Chinese regulators. The depth, breadth, and expected duration of the crackdown somewhat surprise me. But, suspect most Chinese businesses will…
Out of curiosity, just checked which OEF holdings contribute significantly to my bond allocation (other than RPHYX which I use as a cash substitute -- NTF at Fido so easy to sell and buy). FWIW, in high to low order:
SVARX, RCTIX, CRAAX, PTIAX, PO…
Today the Fed (and other central banks across the globe) is part of the market.
This is a conclusion I adopted in February 2019 ( Powell Put ). It became clear to me at that point the Fed had given up on reviving traditional interest rates. T…
My "cash account" currently includes RPHYX, ICSH, and FZFXX. I was at 67% equities at the start of the year but am currently up to 70% despite some previous YTD stock trimming. Thus, the thought of trimming stocks back again now to add a little mo…
I remember shopping for a mortgage loan in the spring of 2007 when we were purchasing a winter home on the gulf coast of Florida. One lender (not the one we selected) didn't want to see any documentation of household income...what the application f…
Nothing new here. Just a few general thoughts......
**Megastars come and go as winning active investment approaches evolve (the market inevitably figures out how to outwit them).
**It's probably better for active managers to invest heavily in the…
A big part of the reason confronting the climate change challenge continues to be so difficult:
A Texas Solution to Global Warming: Use More Air-Conditioning
It makes sense to me to focus more on methane emissions.
Here is a little more on a big picture problem created by the disconnect between the lack of widespread understanding and concern and the potential for long-term global necessity.:
It’s preci…