Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Time for remembrance. Time for summer. Time to get to work. When I was a kid I had three different jobs: a paper route, cutting lawns, and scooping ice-cream. One person I met at all three was, “the customer.” At the first job, the paper-route, I didn’t see the customer every day, but I would if I missed a house, got bit by their dog, was late, or needed to collect money. At the second job, cutting lawns, I’d see them if I missed a spot, got stung by a bee from their bee box or needed to collect money. And at the third-one, scooping ice-cream, there was a never … [Read more...]
Hedge Funds Fail
This week it was reported that Tudor Investment Corp., one of America’s most expensive hedge funds, will be cutting its very high fees from 2.75% of assets and 27 percent of profits to a still very high 2.25% and 25% respectively. Still much higher than most of the confiscatory fees one will find among hedge funds. After hearing this I recalled what Dick Young wrote in his Intelligence Report a couple months ago, Hedge Funds Fail. Hedge Funds Fail Given the above, it was with some astonishment that I read Tim Martin and Rob Copeland's recent Wall Street Journal exposé "Investors Pull Cash … [Read more...]
Joseph’s Garage Featured in Babson Magazine
You will love this story about the Joseph brothers featured in Babson Magazine Spring 2016. They run a third-generation business in Norwell, MA started by their grandfather in 1928. It reminded me of a family run gas station in Newport that closed not too long ago. Just like Cheers everybody knew your name, your kids’ names, and always had a dog treat handy. Technology can’t replace everything. The Joseph brothers don’t bother having business meetings. Many times, they can come to a decision without even saying a word to each other. Art and John, both ’84, are the third-generation owners … [Read more...]
Existing Home Prices Red Hot
The average prices paid in sales of existing homes is nearing it 2006 high (12 month moving average). Historically low Federal Reserve rates and unprecedented quantitative easing have nearly achieved creating a complete rebound in existing home prices. The 12 month moving average of the sales price measure is only 1% below its all-time high. … [Read more...]
Sorry, The Game is O-V-E-R for these 2 Mutual Funds
The game is over for the Putnam Capital Spectrum and Equity Spectrum funds. Sorry to be so harsh. But that’s simply the way I see it. Not to pat my own back but I’ve pointed out in the past how Putnam has been guilty of being more of a marketing machine than a Prudent-Man oriented asset management firm. After reading this excellent blog by Jason Zweig in his WSJ Intelligent Investor column, I feel even stronger about Putnam's focus on marketing over Prudent-Man-type asset management. Zweig points out that these funds hold close to three-quarters of their assets under management in their top … [Read more...]
Looking Back at a Random Walk Down Wall Street
Burton Malkiel has released a new edition of his book A Radom Walk Down Wall Street. In it he recommends substituting a part of a bond portfolio with high-yielding stocks. This is rotten advice and will likely get his followers into some trouble down the road. Yes, bond yields are low, but bonds should always be in your portfolio. I’ve called out Mr. Malkiel in the past on his tendency to offer up poor recommendations while talking up his book. For example when he talks about China: But, a couple of years ago, in late 2010, Malkiel recommended overweighting China. The following year, last … [Read more...]
Pensions in a Load of Trouble, Part II
The state of Rhode Island has been a big-time investor, through its pensions, in hedge funds. Retired teachers who depend on this money for retirement should not be invested in hedge funds. It’s as simple as that. Unfortunately in the world of public pensions big committees and chest thumping rule the day. Egos and resume building cloud judgement. And performance takes a hit. It’s no surprise that hedge funds are coming under attack. Assets are heading out the door. This could have been avoided. Read more here on Pensions in a Load of Trouble Part I FLASHBACK: RI Pension Agreement … [Read more...]
Dividends are Back!
Dividends are back. “The humble dividend is reclaiming its rightful place as the arbiter of stock-market value. In three of the four biggest developed markets, shares offer a higher yield than the longest-dated government bond, and in the fourth—the U.S.—the dividend yield beats even a 20-year bond,” writes James Mackintosh at The WSJ. But offering higher yields than the longest-dated government bonds is like jumping over a candle stick. “The low returns on the longest-dated bonds are extraordinary: 0.3% on Japan’s 40-year government bond, 0.9% on Germany’s 30-year bund, 2.1% on Britain’s … [Read more...]
“We Are in the First Innings of a Washout in Hedge Funds”
“There is no doubt that we are in the first innings of a washout in hedge funds,” said Dan Loeb of Third Point LLC in a quarterly letter dated April 26. $15 billion has been withdrawn from hedge funds in the first quarter and a lot more is headed that way. Why? The 2 and 20 game seems to have rubbed investors the wrong way—an arrangement where they collect a 2% management fee and 20% of the profits leaving you with the letters e, t, and s of your assets. Then you pay taxes. What’s the word on the street as this dreadful group gathers in Las Vegas for the SkyBridge Alternatives conference … [Read more...]
“It Makes a Great Deal of Sense to Own Gold”
Gold is here to stay. Make sure you own some. As I’ve said in the past, I don’t worry too much about the short-term action of gold. And I don’t buy it to make money. I buy it to hedge against the unexpected. It’s an insurance policy for my portfolio if you will. Is there any insurance for a reckless Federal Reserve the world over? No one knows exactly how this race to the bottom by Central Banks will end. But it is clear that they don’t have much regard for maintaining the value of their currencies. “It makes a great deal of sense to own gold. Other investors may be finally starting to … [Read more...]
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