One reader has been trying to repeatedly post some rude commentary to this blog. Of course, as is the case with spam attempts and nasty comments, they don’t get published; they go directly where they belong—in the trash can. Since this will be the last post for 2009, I want to clean the table and address the issue. The reader …
Unlucky Seven
The market was working on its 7th straight day of gains, when a last hour sell-off pulled the indexes from achieving this feat. Consecutive gains of more than 5 days in a row are rare indeed and are usually followed by at least one down day. Of course volume was low during this quiet Holiday shortened week so one cannot …
More On Dividends And Sell Stops
Reader Trevor wants to clarify the adjustments that have to be made to the basis for calculating the sell stop when dividends are a being paid: I am a bit confused about the treatment of dividends having read your recent posts. I have set up a spreadsheet as you suggested using Yahoo and downloading each day – one column is …
Distribution Time
It’s this time of the year when mutual funds and ETFs declare their year-end distributions. If you use any of the online services like Yahoo, MarketWatch, etc. to track your gains and losses, you have to make adjustments when dividends or distributions become effective. Otherwise, you may be surprised to see that a fund you are tracking is showing sharply …
Sunday Musings: Great Expectations
MarketWatch looked at Morningstar’s “best funds” recommendations in Stupid Investment of the Week. Here are some highlights: Morningstar Mutual Funds started listing the best funds for the year ahead six years ago. Typically, most funds that have made the list are “analyst picks” at the firm — meaning the favorites of Morningstar’s analytical crew — with established managers and investment …
Be A Control Freak
Reader Don is looking to generate income and had this to say: Do you think Master Limited Partnerships have a place in a retiree’s portfolio, looking for income? Thanks for your weekly musings on the market.I don’t know anything about the partnerships you are considering, so let me comment in general based on my experiences. Most partnerships require you to …