2. Preface
Contained in this presentation are investment ideas
the author finds interesting for various reasons. The
author generally has a preference for dividend-
paying investments, but also presents investments
paying little or no dividends. For the newbie,
dividends are cash paid to investors by a company
usually on a quarterly basis. In this presentation,
dividends are expressed as annual yield.
3. Preface (continued)
Net Expense Ratios are annual expenses charged by a
mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) for managing
the fund.
1 year and 5 year price returns are annualized, that is for
example, a 5 year return of 7% means an average return
of 7% each year for five years.
A “no-load” fund is a mutual fund that does not have a
sales charge. (They make money via annual fees.)
4. By: D. K. Williams, M.A.
Disclaimer: The author believes the information presented
herein to be accurate at the time of its creation (26
December 2017) and is offered for information and
educational use only. No warranties of any kind are made
concerning its accuracy. The reader assumes any risk
associated with use of this information for investment
decision-making or any other use. The author may or may
not hold a long position in any security mentioned herein.
Readers are encouraged to consult a competent
investment advisor before making use of the information
contained herein for any investment purpose.
5. Stock: Independence Realty Trust (Ticker
Symbol—IRT)
Yield: 7.1%
1 year price return: 15.1%
5 year price return: n/a
Invests in apartment properties, largely in the South
and Midwest. I find this promising given the tight
supply of apartments at present.
6. Mutual Fund: Fuller & Thaler Behavioral Small-Cap
Equity Fund (Ticker Symbol—FTHNX)
Yield: 0.3%
1 year price return: 28.0%
5 year price return: 16.4%
Net expense ratio: 1.27%
This no-load fund utilizes a strategy based on behavioral
economics, a field in which Richard Thaler was awarded a
Nobel prize. It’s possible small-cap stocks in which this fund
invests will benefit from the Federal tax bill passed in December
2017.
7. Exchange Traded Fund: Advisor Shares Wilshire
Buyback ETF (Ticker Symbol—TTFS)
Yield: 1.0%
1 year price return: 17.8%
5 year price return: 15.1%
Net expense ratio: 0.90%
This fund invests in companies buying back shares. This tends to boost share
prices by reducing the number of issued shares. Companies may do this
because they believe their stock is undervalued or to artificially increase share
price. I view the former a better reason than the latter because, in the former
case, company execs likely believe future prospects for their company are
bright. In the latter case, maybe so or maybe not.
8. Exchange Traded Fund: AI Powered Equity ETF (Ticker
Symbol—AIEQ)
Yield: n/a
1 year price return: n/a
5 year price return: n/a
Net expense ratio: 0.75%
This is a relatively new fund, hence I have omitted yield and price
data. It got my attention as it uses an “artificial intelligence”-based
program running on the IBM Watson-platform for stock selection.
The newness of this fund makes it speculative, but I wouldn’t
underestimate the power of AI.
9. Exchange Traded Fund: ARK Innovation ETF (Ticker
Symbol—ARKK)
Yield: 0.0%
1 year price return: 54.6%
5 year price return: n/a
Net expense ratio: 0.75%
This fund is off to a spectacular start. It invests in companies
the investment advisors believe are “disruptive innovators.” One
such example in its portfolio, I suppose, is GBTC, an ETF that
holds crypto-currencies.
10. Exchange Traded Fund: PowerShares Global Listed
Private Equity Portfolio (Ticker Symbol—PSP)
Yield: 8.0%
1 year price return: 26.7%
5 year price return: 14.4%
Net expense ratio: 2.31%
This ETF has a relatively high expense ratio. However, it
has produced excellent returns. Private equity firms, in
which this ETF invests, may do well given the recently
passed Federal tax law.
11. Exchange Traded Fund: Utilities Select Sector SPDR
Fund (Ticker Symbol—XLU)
Yield: 3.0%
1 year price return: 11.9%
5 year price return: 11.7%
Net expense ratio: 0.14%
People need utilities. Low cost of borrowing and relatively
cheap energy should bode well for utilities. The dividend yield is
nice. However, investors should be wary of utilities if interest
rates and/or energy costs increase significantly.