Internet2k4

60 Comments

    • Thursday Outlook: Commodities, Emerging Markets [view article]
      I'd suggest adding Canada (EWC) to coverage - it's a G8 economy (running fiscal surpluses) not included in the EFA basket, US's biggest trading partner, and while I see the inclination to thoroughly "do the BRICs" I'd say Canada's a better energy/resource and banking play for investors, without the regional soap operas. Sep 04 10:49 AM
    • Wednesday Outlook: Commodities, Emerging Markets [view article]
      Re the market gap up and enthusiasm for Financials, yesterday was the first day back after the summer vacation hiatus, so all the 20-something Suspender Boys and Money Honeys turned up fresh for work with lots of cash at their desks and not a clue what to do with it, and had to kill the hours til lunchtime with the guys who knows what's what. Good day to load up on SKF, may not be too many more chances for a while. Sep 03 09:05 AM
    • Wednesday Outlook: Commodities, Emerging Markets [view article]
      Re yesterday's gap up and the Financials pop, of course, Monday the 2nd is the first day after the August vacation/Labour Day hiatus, and the all the hot to trot 20-something Suspender Boys and Money Honeys turn up fresh for work with lots cash and without a clue, having to kill the hours until their lunches with the guys who knows whats what. No surprise. I took the opportunity to load up on SKF. Sep 03 09:01 AM
    • Which of the 6 Agriculture ETFs is Best? [view article]
      Just ran a 6 month chart of what's mentioned in the article with MOO (which has been on my watch list without dipping a toe yet) - DBA and MOO show as the current best bets in a pretty hot market, with DBA less volatile as a "long" and MOO the volatile trading preference. Does anybody have a clue about how these might perform in a recession? Feb 15 02:18 PM
    • Auction-Bond Failures Push Up Municipal Bond Rates [view article]
      Nuveen was quoted in Bloomberg reports as being particularly troubled by the muni auction failure, because it apparently relies on it for purposes of capitalization of its CEFs (more knowledge about this appreciated) which may account for the unusual degree of damage to its CEFs - I dumped my one Nuveen CEF as well as the remainder of my Pimco muni (PMF) position on the news. Feb 15 02:04 PM
    • State Street Foreign Bond ETF Too Risky for My Taste [view article]
      On reviewing that September '07 PDF factsheet, the overexposure (50% of the fund) is to Japan, Germany and Italy with the remaining 14 components in low single digits. The Lehman index the ETF is supposed to track, itself seems very oddly heavy in Italy and South Africa.
      https://ssgafunds.com/etf/fund...       Jan 25 02:48 PM
    • Will 2008 Be the Year of the Quant ETF? [view article]
      I noticed that several notable quant commentators in Seeking Alpha went silent last fall, and couldn't help suspecting that their software hadn't handled the current situation very well. For me, the big development in 2007 was not bond ETFs but the release of double-long / short products that are not perfect but do in fact significantly "juice" index exposure, limit downside risk, pay interest, have reasonable expense ratios given the price movement, and give those of us not glued to monitors a standing hedge against falling markets. My guess is there is a very good strategy to adjust double-short ETF exposure based on the VIX volatility trend, but I'll have to keep a damp thumb in the wind and wait for somebody smarter to figure it out. Jan 24 09:53 PM
    • Time to Nibble on a Financial ETF [view article]
      The new (year old) PowerShares double long/short (UUP / UDN) twins are doing a pretty good job of juicing the U$ trend directly - without having to herd the wayward commodity cats. Unfortunately they are verrry thinly traded. Jan 24 03:38 PM
    • Time to Nibble on a Financial ETF [view article]
      In my casual way, I've flipped SKF a couple of times successfully, essentially on daily headlines since last summer. After picking some up around $116 last Thurs I sold at $128 soon after the morning FOMC announcement Tuesday. Good luck with UYG, which should at least hold up until the scheduled FOMC meeting, depending if and how much another rate cut. Jan 24 11:25 AM
    • You Said It Was A Bear Market - Not Me [view article]
      GL, RN: I bought DXD at DJIA 13000 thinking way back then that it had climbed a ladder and tied a rope around its neck, chose it but added more and SKF after August. I see that SDS has out (i.e. under) performed lately. Re low volume big bid/ask, I'm no day trader but on a given trading day spread is a real factor - limit, not market, orders. I confess to a superstition: that before noon, trading is dominated by impulsive hormone driven by pretty 20-somethings in suspenders and/or short skirts, who get their direction later in the day from the grey beards over lunch hour. Jan 17 04:07 PM
    • You Said It Was A Bear Market - Not Me [view article]
      Like many I have a long-term optimistic core index portfolio, centered on US equities, but also a trading account, which is where I "seek Alpha" for better or worse. Watching Ben Bernanke on CSPAN this morning, pitching with more emphasis on "quickly" than "well thought out" a stimulus package for consumers, at the expense of more near term federal deficit spending, I'm bearish for at least most of the rest of this year. Personally, I like the economy of the new doubleshort ETFs as trading account hedges, both US (e.g. DXD, SKF) and internationally, because they require half the money and half the downside exposure, and you sell them on your best bet that it's over. If RN has a comment about their use, I'll be very interested. Jan 17 02:38 PM
    • Why I Expect a Bounce, and Plan to Sell [view article]
      So, does the .5% rate cut this morning change your plan? Aug 17 08:50 AM
    • Google Gears: Offline is the New Online [view article]
      Google Docs is better compared functionally to (giveaway, with a new PC) Microsoft Works than to Office, and doesn't have the base of clever little home-user templates that Works has. The attraction of Docs remains its online availability, which I imagine MS could easily match by putting Works online if it saw a way to turn a buck from it. May 31 08:32 AM
    • Is the Housing Market on the Road to Recovery? [view article]
      On the other hand, another typical chart formation is called "bouncing down the stairs." May 17 07:14 AM
    • Are ETFs Un-American? [view article]
      A lot depends on what one thinks of dollar cost averaging for the ordinary investor and for what purposes. I favor DCA for broad market holdings like SPY, EFA and VWO as opposed to market timing sector or commodity ETFs. For the core index holdings I've adopted the approach of monthly contributions to mutual funds, which can be sold in order to buy the corresponding ETF every year or so. This reduces ETF transaction costs which prevent DCA as well as the long term cost of holdinng mutual funds with higher MERs. May 11 08:12 AM
Loading...
Symbols:
Authors:
Quick Links:
Contribute an Article Become a Seeking Alpha Contributor

Transcripts

More Transcripts»