Powerfund Portfolios Performance Review

Powerfund Portfolios Commentary

October 2019 Performance Review

November 4, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

Globally, stocks continued up, with only a slight drop in longer-term bonds. It is almost like the bond market is expecting a recession soon and "better safe than sorry" but the stock market wants to play musical chairs until the actual record stops on the economy. ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)4.72%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)4.70%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)3.87%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)3.84%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)3.29%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)3.26%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)3.21%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)2.86%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)2.44%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)2.15%
Vanguard Value (VTV)1.90%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)0.71%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)-0.10%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)-4.91%
Gold Short (DZZ)-5.14%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)-13.90%
Bond Funds1mo %
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)1.17%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)0.89%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)0.34%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)0.21%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)-0.30%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)-1.42%

September 2019 Performance Review

October 3, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

Even with the weak month for bonds, we had a decent month relative to benchmarks ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
Gold Short (DZZ)7.31%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)6.09%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)4.42%
Vanguard Value (VTV)3.46%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)3.30%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)3.16%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)3.09%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)2.88%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)2.55%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)2.45%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)1.86%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)1.33%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)1.05%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)0.25%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)-0.54%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)-4.53%
Bond Funds1mo %
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)0.54%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)0.13%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)-0.60%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)-1.01%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)-1.94%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)-4.07%

August 2019 Performance Review

September 7, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

Stocks gave back some of the gains made in August as economic and trade fears kept bubbling up. In this environment the bond market remained red hot as interest rates plunged yet again. This boosted our portfolios relative to benchmarks as we have been taking more interest rate risk (but less stock risk) than most other portfolios for quite a few years now. ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)9.20%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)8.02%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)4.83%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)4.49%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)-0.44%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)-1.59%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)-1.65%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)-1.88%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)-1.91%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)-2.61%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)-2.78%
Vanguard Value (VTV)-2.97%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)-3.60%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)-3.76%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)-4.00%
Gold Short (DZZ)-13.95%
Bond Funds1mo %
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)15.47%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)8.24%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)2.78%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)1.85%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)0.93%
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)-0.54%

July 2019 Performance Review

August 6, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

With rising trade tensions as the catalyst and a backdrop of suspiciously low interest rates, August is looking to wipe out much of the recent gains with a roughly 800-point one-day drop in the Dow and interest rates plunging to levels last seen right before the last presidential election. ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)6.59%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)3.43%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)2.50%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)2.17%
Vanguard Value (VTV)1.46%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)1.43%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)0.64%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)-0.21%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)-0.79%
Gold Short (DZZ)-0.80%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)-1.19%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)-1.74%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)-1.89%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)-2.04%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)-2.09%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)-2.60%
Bond Funds1mo %
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)1.09%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)0.51%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)0.44%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)0.44%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)0.23%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)-1.29%

June 2019 Performance Review

July 4, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

The stock market continues to rebound from all the traumatic events of the past year or so. Strangely, this is not due to particularly strong expectations for growth globally; it appears to be mostly related to interest rates declining in anticipation of an economic slowdown.  ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)9.72%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)7.03%
Vanguard Value (VTV)6.44%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)6.31%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)6.03%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)5.93%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)5.83%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)5.59%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)5.42%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)4.07%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)3.94%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)3.35%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)-12.98%
Gold Short (DZZ)-15.04%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)-17.01%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)-17.04%
Bond Funds1mo %
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)3.43%
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)2.79%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)2.69%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)1.15%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)0.75%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)0.68%

May 2019 Performance Review

June 5, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

The sharp rebound in stocks in early 2019 ended just as rapidly in May, with a 6.36% drop in the Vanguard 500 index fund including dividends. In late April, just days after the U.S. stock market broke through the old highs from September 2018 and gained back all the losses from late last year, stocks started falling. At one point in early June, the Nasdaq was back down around 10% from the recent highs—a percentage drop considered a correction (a bear market is 20%). ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)32.16%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)16.66%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)12.18%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)-0.87%
Gold Short (DZZ)-2.95%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)-5.21%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)-5.26%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)-5.64%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)-5.66%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)-5.67%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)-6.15%
Vanguard Value (VTV)-6.33%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)-6.36%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)-6.45%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)-7.70%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)-8.31%
Bond Funds1mo %
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)9.74%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)4.16%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)1.83%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)1.14%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)1.11%
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)-0.46%

April 2019 Performance Review

May 3, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

The stock market has recovered all of the losses since the previous peak in late September 2018. This quick reversal was largely because interest rates are now lower than last year, and the Federal Reserve will not spark the next recession by raising rates, as inflation is mild at best. ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)9.71%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)6.06%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)5.17%
Vanguard Value (VTV)4.06%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)4.04%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)3.92%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)3.27%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)2.99%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)2.90%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)2.08%
Gold Short (DZZ)1.98%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)1.80%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)1.16%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)0.86%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)-6.26%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)-11.54%
Bond Funds1mo %
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)0.93%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)0.04%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)-0.10%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)-0.55%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)-0.60%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)-3.00%

March 2019 Performance Update

April 5, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

With the Federal Reserve now more worried about the global economy than inflation, investors continued to jump back into stocks — causing U.S. markets to almost completely erase the sharp slide late last year. ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)3.85%
Gold Short (DZZ)3.75%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)2.83%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)2.72%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)2.51%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)2.36%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)1.94%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)1.90%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)1.80%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)0.91%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)0.76%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)0.73%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)0.42%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)0.17%
Vanguard Value (VTV)-0.12%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)-8.89%
Bond Funds1mo %
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)7.47%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)4.87%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)1.96%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)1.41%
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)1.23%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)0.89%

Febuary 2019 Performance Review

March 7, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

With foreign markets, value stocks, and lower credit risk bonds weak in February and our relatively low allocation to the hotter areas of the market (like tech and small cap), our model portfolios lagged the U.S. market. ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
Homestead Value (HOVLX)4.73%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)3.88%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)3.74%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)3.20%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)3.16%
Vanguard Value (VTV)2.86%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)2.33%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)2.18%
Gold Short (DZZ)1.63%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)0.65%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)0.37%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)0.31%
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)0.26%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)-5.78%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)-9.50%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)-10.01%
Bond Funds1mo %
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)0.86%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)-0.06%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)-0.07%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)-0.79%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)-1.08%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)-1.77%

January 2019 Performance Review

February 6, 2019
Category: 
Powerfund Portfolios

What December took away January gave back. With the sharp rebound that started right after Christmas, the stock market has recovered a little over half the losses from the 20%+ drop that started in late September.  ...read the rest of this article»

Stock Funds1mo %
iShares MSCI BRIC Index (BKF)11.60%
Vanguard Telecom Services ETF (VOX)10.56%
iShares Global Telecom ETF (IXP)9.07%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)8.52%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)8.10%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)8.00%
Vanguard Europe Pacific ETF (VEA)7.47%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)7.36%
Vanguard Value (VTV)6.95%
Vanguard European ETF (VGK)6.68%
Homestead Value (HOVLX)5.98%
Vanguard Utilities (VPU)3.72%
Gold Short (DZZ)-5.00%
Proshares Ultrashort Russel2000 (TWM)-19.60%
Proshares Ultrashort NASDAQ Biotech (BIS)-23.35%
PowerShares DB Crude Oil Dble Short (DTO)-34.61%
Bond Funds1mo %
Dodge & Cox Global Bond Fund (DODLX)2.54%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)1.86%
SPDR Barclays Intl. Treasury (BWX)1.41%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)1.01%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities (VMBS)0.83%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)0.18%
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