2016 YTD investment performance thread

[LOL!]

I did not write that anybody had to agree with me.

OK, now let''s get back to the Tower of Babel that is everyone's YTD performance.

[LOL!]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 =GOOGLEFINANCE("VWENX", "returnytd")/100 -3.01% just calculated at 9:36PM 3/2/2016

You can calculate the correct number by looking at the prices of VWENX directly. There have been no distributions so far in 2016, so it is pretty simple.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! But Wellington is now -1.18% YTD through March 2 and -1.62% through yesterday March 1.

That's YTD. I was talking about just daily movement.

I like to look at daily fluctuations and compare mine to the index and some other benchmarks to discern any trend.

[LOL!]

Ah, so you were.

[Viking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 2 ways to calculate performance: ($now + $rem)/($start + $added) ($now - $start - $added)/$start Someone posted that earlier. Not sure about the second formula. I watch over a brokerage of stocks and bond funds for in-laws. Approximately 25% bonds: Current Yield 3.91% (Wellington (VWENX) 2.78%) Performance Gain YTD 2.96% (Wellington (VWENX) -3.01%) That is calculated through Mar 2, so there are a couple of extra "gooder" days thrown in.

I've redone my calcs using the first formula, and have added cash reserves into the portfolio balances at Dec 31 and today. I have not included balances in operating accounts.

So as of today the portfolio return is : -.07%

Portfolio:
5.6 cash
48.9 fixed income (bonds and preferreds)
45.5 stocks and REITs

Between Jan 8 and Feb 19 I rebalanced from a target of 40% bonds and 60% stocks. I missed a couple of down market days while sitting on cash. I don't anticipate any major adjustments to the AA now. I'm holding my age in cash+fixed income.

I no longer make additions to the portfolio, I retired July 31/2014 and am withdrawing from the portfolio.

[Fedup]

On my husband's account, Up just 1%, 80/20, invested starting Feb, when I finally decided to stay put, not moving to Vanguard. My own account I don't have a clue because I moved my 401k to Vanguard very recently.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

[Running_Man]

+2.3% as of Feb 29th EOD

[target2019]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! You can calculate the correct number by looking at the prices of VWENX directly. There have been no distributions so far in 2016, so it is pretty simple.

That sounds like more accounting work. I only know what the Google tells me. Eventually I'll find a way to verify the benchmark. It's all in a watch spreadsheet and I do nothing, just take a peek.

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound So, my MF results are in. They are up 0.51%, also beating the S&P due to international stocks again. It's about time. Altogether when combined with 33% cash and 6% bond, portfolio up 0.48% today, vs Wellington at 0.44%.

I'm confused by this. My international stock funds are all still down YTD.

[shotgunner]

I am down by -3.13% since 1/1/16.

[LOL!]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simple girl I'm confused by this. My international stock funds are all still down YTD.

If one purchased their foreign funds after they had dropped this year, say around January 20-21 or around February 11, then those funds are up 7% to 13% since one's purchase.

Even US small-cap value index is up about 13% since then.

Have you rebalanced this year? That can also help if it was done at a judicious time.

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyecrabber1 Just gave a summary based on my VG performance report ytd. The full story is I moved some funds to cash from Morgan Stanley to Vanguard at the end of last year. Bought additional stock funds during the recent dips in January and February. Every little bit helped.

Thanks for clarifying, you did good!

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simple girl I'm confused by this. My international stock funds are all still down YTD.

Yes, mine are still down YTD. I was talking about daily changes. They show reversal in the sectors that have been beaten down badly. Another example is US small caps also doing well relative to the S&P.

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! If one purchased their foreign funds after they had dropped this year, say around January 20-21 or around February 11, then those funds are up 7% to 13% since one's purchase. Even US small-cap value index is up about 13% since then. Have you rebalanced this year? That can also help if it was done at a judicious time.

Thanks.

I have, but only partially. On Feb 2 we bought our Roths for the year - we were down on PRIDX when I rebalanced, so I chose that fund. It was low (comparatively), but not at it's lowest for the year, which I see now as you said was Feb 11. {sigh}

Plus, I guess ~$11K thrown in then isn't going to make that big of a difference.

Even so, I'm trying to figure out if I need to change something more in my allocations. I see some on here with positive returns, others with negatives...this thread really makes one question themselves!

I need to reassess what our allocations are now and if I need to rebalance further.

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Yes, mine are still down YTD. I was talking about daily changes. They show reversal in the sectors that have been beaten down badly. Another example is US small caps also doing well relative to the S&P.

Oh thank you, that makes me feel better!

[NW-Bound]

You are welcome. I did pick up some of the beaten down sectors, EM included, but it was not sufficient to bring the total up. Still makes me feel good to claim that I bought low.

[LOL!]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simple girl Even so, I'm trying to figure out if I need to change something more in my allocations. I see some on here with positive returns, others with negatives...this thread really makes one question themselves! I need to reassess what our allocations are now and if I need to rebalance further.

This thread does not make me question myself. Instead, it makes me question the data sources, accounting, and math of the some of the people posting.

Instead of comparing your portfolio to unknowns in this thread, may I suggest that you compare to a known benchmark. If your portfolio is 60/40 for example, here are some benchmarks which are all 60/40 right now that might be useful:
VSMGX
VTWNX
VBIAX
DGSIX

The above funds are not all quite the same. One does not have any international. One has more international than the others.

If your portfolio is not 60/40, then you might choose to use a Target Date/Retirement fund with a similar allocation as your portfolio.

I like comparing to benchmarks because if my portfolio performance trails my benchmarks by too much, then my market timing is not helping me. OTOH, if my portfolio performance exceeds my benchmarks, then it probably tells me that my market timing has really increased my risk. Of course, all this iassumes that I do the proper calculations of ALL my investments and not just the one's I like or the one's that have done well and not over special time periods. Otherwise, I am just fooling myself.

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! This thread does not make me question myself. Instead, it makes me question the data sources, accounting, and math of the some of the people posting. Instead of comparing your portfolio to unknowns in this thread, may I suggest that you compare to a known benchmark. If your portfolio is 60/40 for example, here are some benchmarks which are all 60/40 right now that might be useful: VSMGX VTWNX VBIAX DGSIX The above funds are not all quite the same. One does not have any international. One has more international than the others. If your portfolio is not 60/40, then you might choose to use a Target Date/Retirement fund with a similar allocation as your portfolio. I like comparing to benchmarks because if my portfolio performance trails my benchmarks by too much, then my market timing is not helping me. OTOH, if my portfolio performance exceeds my benchmarks, then it probably tells me that my market timing has really increased my risk. Of course, all this is assumes that I do the proper calculations of ALL my investments and not just the one's I like or the one's that have done well and not over special time periods. Otherwise, I am just fooling myself.

Absolutely correct, and I have been looking at benchmarks, but I am lower than the benchmarks I've been looking at - so that has really been making me wonder about my allocation. For example:

as of 3/1:

VSMGX: - 1.69%

We are ~ 60/40 with international (when I have time I will rerun my rebalancing spreadsheet and post more details). Our return as of 3/1 (I verified with XIRR, a bit better than I posted earlier) was - 2.23.


Perhaps if I post more details you all can help me figure out what benchmark would be most appropriate for me to compare to...back later! Thanks!

[CRLLS]

I use simple math to evaluate the overall health of my investments. No additions, no withdrawals were made in this period: total value of invested accounts at close of Dec 31,2015 / close yesterday = -2.5% about 70/30 with 19% in foreign equities. Can't say I'm thrilled about this period. It is just a snapshot in time and slightly better than the SP500 (-2.81) and DJI (-3.02) YTD as of yesterday. It has been worse in the past and will be better in the future.

[UncommonSense]

5.45 YTD (as of 3/2/16) in my 401K
-2.94 YTD for my spouses 401K