Investors....come in please!

[vwoom]

Anyone of you guys into no-load/low expense mutual funds(am a true believer of diversity)? I used to own as many as 9 funds(overlapping)but cut them down to 3-4 a few years back.

I hold Mutual Beacon Class Z(mid-large cap US/foreign), Bridgeway Ultra Small Cos(really small cap US), USAA S&P 500 Index(US large cap) and USAA Money Market.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I'm way over 50% cash at this moment. I'm looking for some dust to settle.

I may be looking to get defensive.

 

[msparks]

Bummer, just calculated only earned about $9.0% on my stock portfolio, and the S&P is just a tad better. This doesn't figure taxs and capitol gains. Looks like they "won" this year. Maybe better next year.

Hope you all did better.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

Hey Msparks, we've got two trading days left. The Fat Lady hasn't sung yet.....

Groucho, I'm also seeing some stuff I don't like in this market. The Fed will probably quit raising rates after a couple more increases, and that usually signals the end of the bull market when that happens. This has been a very long one, and the bull is very tired.

There very well could be a sharp sell-off on Jan 3, since tax on profits won't be due for another 15 1/2 months......

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

That tax sell off is one of my reasons for closing my position in GOOG today.

 

[LubeOiler]

How about this for a reason. The yield had inverted on Tuesday for the first time in five years, triggering the biggest one-day drop in the Dow in two months. In the past, inverted curves have usually preceded economic recessions.

 

[Pablo]

But not always. To me it's just another sign the fed overtightened. Idiots.

http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/rates/index.html

OTOH - DSX rallied nicely today.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

MSFT is sitting at a lower level than it was in 2001.

It's a perennial dog of the Dow. Include GE in that as well.

When I look at the Dow 30, a lot of its move this year was made by a few stocks (XOM). GM will be a drag on it for a while.

I have to find a place to put some money to work, my hands are itchy.

 

[Pablo]

GM - as Cramer says "there is always a bull market somewhere"

I'm sticking with MSFT. I wish it would get in the $24 range for a mo-back.

I'll stay with selected stuff. In the meantime I'm getting some decent interest and dividends.

GM (the stock) is like buying something you absolutely don't need at a garage sale, and have no hope of reselling.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I think MSFT needs to put some of the cash on their B/S in our pockets by way of a dividend.

 

[Pablo]

Yeah gimme some!

This from an article on Marketwatch about how bond funds kicked **z (thank you, thank very much!)

quote:

---

Whether Greenspan & Co. wanted to or not, interest-rate actions inspired a yield-curve inversion

---

Well lah tee dah!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pablo]

quote:

---

An inverted curve means investors aren't demanding much compensation for their longer exposure, presumably because they don't see long-term inflation risks

---

 

[Pablo]

GM you did REALLY good. I'm proud to know you!!

For me. No excuses, there it it. For a LOT of work I beat the big averages. The frustrating things are:

1) So many funds beat 10%. A lot of my funds beat 10%!!! But do I have the foreskin or gonads to put all my money in these funds? No.....oooo.........oh.

2) I'm still struggling with the rules. What pulled me down mostly were crappy stocks, crappy picks, crappy timing. And mainly lack of discipline!

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Pablo, just a matter of luck and fear. I would love to have a fund that got me 10%

Stop loss orders are your friend.

I don't see how the Dow 30 can move much with the number of stocks that will drag (GM, VZ)

I may place a bet on SIRI for a short term play. I know a lot were purchased as Christmas gifts and Howard Stern appearance in Jan may cause a spike. S/T I 'm looking for good news, I don't like it L/T.

 

[Pablo]

Look at the year end fund lists in all the papers. It's disgusting....

The index funds, sucked of course. My wife kicked my heinie with her Japan, Latin America and Gold funds.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Final number is 13.2% gain. I just placed a few good bets, GOOG being the best and I'm out of it now. I currently have 47% in cash and had more than 25% in cash the whole year.

I'm looking forward to another year of an active thread.

Let's hope the Z can participate.

 

[Pablo]

I know you beat me, GM. I don't want to look. I'm lucky if I got 10%. I'm still waiting on three dividends, but I can calculate those myself.

9.96%

 

[Pablo]

I'll be buying NWRE and MCHX tues AM.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

Congrats Groucho, and Pablo you didn't do too badly either. As for myself, it's a mediocre at best 5.36%. I only had about 3 losing trades, but one was a doozy.

It'll be interesting to see how the averages sort out tomorrow.....

 

[Pablo]

Bad picks - FINL and now MCHX - Cramer is stinkin' the joint up!! He cannot live by GOOG alone. His year end shows were a joke.