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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.
  • GW&K GLOBAL ALLOCATION FUND (mbeax)
    The name is new, the daily management is new, the global allocation objective is new. Only the family (AMG) is unchanged. I would treat it as any other new fund - check into the managers, the management company (now GW&K, was Chicago Equity Partners).
    With the change of direction, high turnover is to be expected (cap gains exposure 13%). Tax exposure could be amplified by outflows, as realized gains could be spread among fewer remaining shareholders. That's some motivation to switch, unless you own it in a tax-sheltered account, or if your taxes would be even worse if you sold out.
    It's a pretty small fund ($146M AUM), so it should not be especially weighed down by its old portfolio. That is, in most respects this is just another new fund. The question is, would you buy this new fund? Forget about what it was.
  • Capital Group Launches Multi-Sector Income Fund
    This looks like a pretty standard core plus bond fund. The statutory prospectus says that "The fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity or duration."
    My impression of Capital Research and Management (American Funds) is that it's generally pretty conservative. So I expect it to use derivatives for ease of investment rather than to boost returns. The prospectus statements are at least consistent with that expectation:
    The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in bonds and other debt securities, which may be represented by other investment instruments, including derivatives.
    The fund may invest in a derivative only if, in the opinion of the investment adviser, the expected risks and rewards of the proposed investment are consistent with the investment objective and strategies of the fund ...
    @Old_Joe - thanks for the note. Hope you and really, everyone, are being careful and remain well.
  • Did Warren Buffett Buy Stocks in the Coronavirus Crash? The Answer Might Surprise You
    If Buffet was buying, he would be ignoring the indicator he has said is his favorite. So you have to ask what does he see that makes him thing the market isn't over valued?
    The way people are buying, I suspect he sees rather more greed than fear in the market.
    https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/buffett-indicator-surges-record-high-signaling-potential-crash-2020-4-1029149296
    image
  • Investors Bet Giant Companies Will Dominate After Crisis
    Hi sir catch22
    UPMC doctor argues COVID-19 not as deadly as feared, says its hospitals will shift back to normal
    https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/04/umpc-argues-covid-19-not-as-deadly-as-feared-says-its-hospitals-will-shift-back-to-normal.html
    0.25%
    Misread from 0.45%...
    Could also be relate to geographic areas also
    I think I read somewhere early march death rate maybe up to 9%...
    'From one donald to another donald'
    Pls stay safe regardless
  • Investors Bet Giant Companies Will Dominate After Crisis
    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/business/coronavirus-stocks.html
    Investors Bet Giant Companies Will Dominate After Crisis
    The virus outbreak supercharged a continuing shift in the markets, with a few giant companies now exerting the most influence over the direction of stocks since the tech boom.
    Enjoy...
  • Did Warren Buffett Buy Stocks in the Coronavirus Crash? The Answer Might Surprise You
    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fool.com/amp/investing/2020/05/02/did-warren-buffett-buy-stocks-in-the-coronavirus-c.aspx
    Did Warren Buffett Buy Stocks in the Coronavirus Crash? The Answer Might Surprise You
    /Here's what we just learned about Berkshire Hathaway's cash hoard and its business performance/
    Perhaps being idle /doing very little maybe best one ever do during crash...just sit and wait approaches
  • BUY - SELL - PONDER - MAY 2020
    Hi guys,
    Hope all is well with you all. I was just listening to WealthTrack.....Jason Trennert. I really like him. I guess because I agree with a lot of what he says.
    We're still in lockdown in PA. The Dukester and I are getting rammy. All the rain makes it worse. Have done nothing this week as buy or sell. Right now, I'm down 7.4% for the year. Am looking for market to go down, then will buy again.
    Also, on another note, has anybody read the book, "The Fourth Turning" by William Strauss and Neil Howe? Or do you have any comments on it? I was thinking about getting it to read.
    Have made a few lists on the portfolio. If the market goes down, buys are: CTFAX, CIPMX, FIFNX, FSCSX, FSPHX, FXIAX, PGTAX, and UMBMX. So those are funds I will be watching. Now for the Santa doesn't come here anymore list. This is really my sell list, and they will be sold at some point and never bought again. FMIJX - best thing about this fund is their reports. YAFFX - value right; fell like a rock....no value there. I was worried when Daddy left. PRDGX - not really against this fund other than it is an index hugger.
    So, saying all that, this will be my last posting of Buy - Sell - Ponder. I do hope someone picks it up. There's value in a space of watching what people do. It needs someone more chatty.....and a tech guy to post charts and stuff. Hopefully someone will give that upside.
    God bless
    the Pudd
  • Gold SWOT: 24 straight weeks of positive gold-backed ETF inflows
    https://www.kitco.com/commentaries/2020-04-27/Gold-SWOT-24-straight-weeks-of-positive-gold-backed-ETF-inflows.html
    Gold SWOT: 24 straight weeks of positive gold-backed ETF inflows
    F.Holmes discussion of commodities recently
    Anybody adding to GLD or energy past few wks?
  • Old_Skeet's Market Barometer ... Spring & Summer Reporting ... and, My Positioning
    Hi @johnN,
    Thank you for your question(s). Through April 30, 2020 my year-to-date total return was -7.6%. Funds that I have put new money into over the past twelve months are many. They follow in no certain order. They are CTFAX ... DIFAX ... DWGAX ... EADIX ... FBLAX ... INUTX ... ISFAX ... LBNDX ... IDIVX ... PONAX ... KAUAX ... AZNAX ... LCEAX ... BLADX ... JGIAX ... FLAAX ... FRINX ... FKASX ... PCOXX ... TTOXX ... AMAXX ... plus my CD Ladder ... and, I may have missed a couple. Yes, ABALX, AMCPX & SMCWX.
    Generally, mutual fund distributions, at the option of the shareholder, can be reinvested within the same family of funds, of the fund making the distribution, at nav or taken in cash. I consider mutual fund distributions as new money as these distributions are taxable if generated inside a taxable investment account.
  • One tsp fund 16% ahead in April
    https://www.fedsmith.com/2020/05/01/one-tsp-fund-ahead-about-16-april/
    /One tsp fund 16% ahead in April
    2020 has not been good to stock market investors so far but there was a big turnaround in stock prices in April. As a result, the overall results for the year are better than they were at this time last month./
    Couple of good ones considering looking at
    F funds 4.94% 12months
    C fund +12 in april
  • Capital Group Launches Multi-Sector Income Fund
    https://www.fa-mag.com/news/capital-group-launches-multi-sector-income-fund-55485.html
    /Capital Group Launches Multi-Sector Income Fund
    Capital Group, a Los Angeles-based investment management firm overseeing $365 billion in fixed income assets, has rolled out a new fixed income fund, the company announced in a news release/
    This is perhaps one unique vehicle that investors maybe looking for
  • Get Ready for the Return of Inflation Fed actions have increased...money...at a blistering rate
    Another read from Eric Basmajian on Inflation / Deflation Debate:
    https://seekingalpha.com/article/4340323-inflation-vs-deflation-tug-of-war
    The deflationary thesis holds more weight for three primary reasons.
    Weakening rates of population growth and excessive levels of unproductive debt are two long-term structural forces that have been working to undermine the rate of economic growth, widen the output gap, create excess capacity, and exert a general disinflationary force on the economy. Both of these forces will persist.
    Recessions exacerbate excess capacity. The current recession is one of the worst economic crises the country has ever faced. The rate of inflation nearly always declines during recessions and typically does not trough for years after the conclusion of the recession and the eventual reduction in excess capacity. A severe recession usually knocks several hundred basis points off the rate of core inflation, placing current measures firmly below the zero bound. The strength of the recovery will determine how persistent the deflation will be.
    While the Federal Reserve has engaged in a rapid expansion of its balance sheet and the monetary base, both the money multiplier and the velocity of money will work against the increase in money growth. Velocity tends to decline as debt levels rise. There's no reason to believe the velocity of money will rise significantly. In fact, most evidence points toward a very aggressive collapse in the velocity of money, a force that will continue to negate monetary policy actions as it has for the last several decades.
    and,
    ...various measures of inflation expectations reveal that the bond market is currently expecting deflation for at least the next three years and rates of inflation below 1.5% for more than 10 years.
    Difference Between Monetary Base and Money Supply:
    Often we conflate Federal Reserve "money printing" with an equal and consistent increase in the money supply. This is not the case.
    When the Federal Reserve buys an asset from the private sector, the Federal Reserve increases excess reserves, which represents an increase in the monetary base, not the money supply.
    https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2020/4/23/48075864-15876672613202152_origin.png
    High Level of Unproductive Debt:
    High levels of debt are often misunderstood. Commonly, we hear that debt levels are getting too high and that inflation will ensue. The data actually proves that higher levels of debt, particularly unproductive debt that does not generate an income stream, leads to deflation, not inflation.
    Unemployment Factors:
    In the prior two recessions, it took 47 months and 75 months, respectively, to regain the number of jobs that were lost. In this recession, the number of job losses will erase upwards of 20 million paychecks based on preliminary data from the report of the initial claims.
    On Assets to Hold:
    Gold can perform well during periods of inflation or periods of deflation. The direction of real rates tends to be a more critical factor. As such, my analysis suggests a combination of Treasury bonds, gold, and higher than normal levels of cash is the best way to move forward in the current environment.
  • Old_Skeet's Market Barometer ... Spring & Summer Reporting ... and, My Positioning
    Hi @bee. Thank you for your question. Have I ever considered using other funds and/or etf's as a benchmark? Yes, but I have not found a conserative asset allocation fund that generates the income stream that my master portfolio kicks off. And, besides being a former corporate credit manager I limit how much I will hold in any one fund. With this I spread it out over a number of positions.
    In addition, I use to be more active and engage spiff positions more often as a source of income generation via realized capital gains. Now, I hold a good slug of CTFAX (about a 5% weighting) and I let this fund do this automatically for me. Thus, this has reduced the number of times I have been an active investor with my use of spiffs. I've got a lot of moving parts within my portfolio ... perhaps, to many for some ... but, not to many for me.
    Again in review below is how I govern my portfolio as it does everything needed to meet my needs now in retirement. Why change now?
    Old_Skeet's All Weather Asset Allocation.
    My all weather asset allocation of 20% cash, 40% income and 40% equity affords me everything necessary to meet my needs now being in the distribution phase of investing. The benefit of this asset allocation is that it provides sufficient income, maximizes diversification, minimizes volatility, and provides long-term returns.
    The 20% held in cash area provides me ample cash should I need a cash draw over and above what my portfolio generates plus it can provide the capital necessary to fund a special investment position (spiff) should I choose to open one during a stock market pullback. In addition, cash helps stabilize a portfolio during stock market volatility. Example of investments held in this area are cash, money market mutual funds and CD's.
    The 40% held in the income area provides me ample income generation to meet my income needs in retirement. It is a well diversified area that incorporates a good number of income generating type funds. Some examples of investments held in this area are AZNAX, JGIAX & PONAX.
    The 40% held in the equity area provides me some dividend income along with some growth, that equities generally provide, that offsets the effects of inflation plus, over time. Some examples of investments held in this area are IDIVX, NEWFX & SPECX.
    My five largest positions are AMECX, CAIBX, CTFAX, ISFAX & FKINX. Two of these funds I have had positions in since my early teens AMECX & FKINX). I'm now 72+ years in age.
    Generally, for my income distributions, I take no more than a sum equal to what one half of my five year average total return has been. In this way principal grows over time.
    This works well for me and I have no plans to change the concept. I encourage others to develop something that works well for them and to stick with it even if is a two fund portfolio consisting of a stock index and a bond index fund. If this is what you want then why not use SFAAX? It's yield is too low for me at 1%.
  • Weitz Funds Fixed Income Insights: A Storm Of Opportunities
    https://www.gurufocus.com/news/1119224/weitz-funds-fixed-income-insights-a-storm-of-opportunities
    Weitz Funds Fixed Income Insights: A Storm Of Opportunities
    By Thomas D. Carney, CFA, and Nolan P. Anderson
    April 28, 2020 |
    /The analogies to describe the year's first quarter, particularly the month of March, could seemingly fill a book. The unfortunate human and economic drama that continues to unfold across the globe will certainly be forever etched on the world's collective memory. And while it's important to provide this update on the markets (as out of date as it may soon become in this rapidly changing environment), our hearts, minds and prayers remain with all of those who have suffered and are suffering the direct human effects of the coronavirus outbreak. It's also important to remember those who have suffered direct economic consequences resulting from the fight against the disease, including a historic number of job losses. Since the whole world is in this predicament together, hopefully the words from World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will bring solace: that the “amazing spirit of human solidarity must become more infectious than the virus itself” and that “we can only succeed together./
    Anyone have WCPBX
    Any thoughts regarding bonds market and where we maybe heading from here?
  • Some of USAA's funds redesignated as "A" class
    Schwab sells Victory Class A funds NTF to its retail investors. It doesn't seem likely that it would turn around and charge the load only to its newly acquired USAA clients.
    Schwab bought USAA management for its client base, both 1.5 million current and 10 million potential. It wouldn't make any sense for Schwab to dissuade its larger potential audience by taking advantage of the USAA members already signed up.
    It's more likely that these clients would be sold the new Institutional class shares. From the new prospectus:
    The Institutional Shares are available for investment through a USAA discretionary managed account program and through certain advisory programs sponsored by financial intermediaries, such as brokerage firms, investment advisors, financial planners, third-party administrators, and insurance companies.
    From the April 23, 2020 Schwab Managed Account Services™ Disclosure Brochure:
    NTF funds used in the UMP [legacy USAA Managed Portfolios] Program include USAA Victory Mutual Funds, managed by Victory Capital, from which Schwab may also receive shareholder servicing fees.
    We've seen this sturm und drang before. When PIMCO did away with its D class shares, there was much handwringing about how investors would have to pay loads for PIMCO's A shares.
  • Mutual Fund Company Rant
    Outsource. Ya, they want your money. The DON'T want to do the work. Motherlovers. It's the name of the game in 2020.
  • Some of USAA's funds redesignated as "A" class
    From a previous rant:
    USAA recently "sold" their Investment division to Charles Schwab for $1.8 Billion. That's $1,800,000,000 in cash. USAA will transfer $90 Billion in assets to Schwab sometime in May 2020. I asked how individual investors (there are 1 million) will benefit from this sale. I am still waiting for that answer. This latest move may not mean anything for the orphan investors who are leaving USAA for Schwab. Doesn't look like individual account holders will receive any of this $1.8B as a "bonus" for this asset transfer. 
    The 1 million investors seem due some it not all of this windfall.
  • Some of USAA's funds redesignated as "A" class
    USAA recently sold its mutual funds to Victory and its management company (including its brokerage and managed accounts) to Schwab.
    The current (August 1, 2019) prospectus starts by saying that "The Adviser Shares listed in this prospectus are available for purchase generally through financial intermediaries by investors who seek advice from them." This is the share class that's being changed, not the retail, noload "Fund Shares" class of shares.
    The Fund Shares are cheaper because they don't have a 12b-1 fee, unlike the Adviser Shares. They are currently available NTF at Schwab. For example, here's Schwab's page for USTEX.
    Best guess is that this change is to better align the USAA funds with Victory's share classes. Victory Class A shares are also available NTF at Schwab, though they carry that 12b-1 fee. Here's Schwab's page for the Victory fund SRVEX.
    As near as I can tell, just move along, nothing here to see.
    FWIW, here's the new (June 29, 2020[sic]) prospectus. It adds the new class of Institutional Shares.