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Investing Newsletter, Top Mutual Funds, Mutual Fund Ratings

Insightful Investing Newsletter Update August 2008

ETF Investing and Trading Portfolios

Considering the fact that the price of oil dropped considerably in July, looking at the final results you would have thought it was a rather quiet month in the stock market. That could not be further from the truth as Large Cap Stocks lost 1%, while Small Cap Stocks picked up a little over 3%. The big movers for the month were the Energy and Commodity Funds, many of which took a dive of 10% or more. Based on the current market trends, we have made a few adjustments to our ETF Portfolios that include a reduction in commodity allocations and a slight increase in stock allocations.

ETF Investing Portfolio

 

 

% Return

Insightful

Fund Name

Symbol

Type

3 Mo

1 Yr

3 Yr

5 Yr

Allocation

iShares Lehman TIPS Bond (TIP)

TIP

IPB

1.27

12.57

6.13

 

12%

iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Treasury Bond (SHY)

SHY

STB

0.33

6.77

4.97

3.38

20%

PowerShares High Yield Corporate Bond (PHB)

PHB

HYB

(7.24)

 

 

 

4%

PowerShares Emerging Mkts Sovereign Debt (PCY)

PCY

EMB

(4.54)

 

 

 

4%

iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors (ICF)

ICF

RE

(8.98)

(4.00)

3.73

14.64

4%

PowerShares DB Commodity Idx Trking Fund (DBC)

DBC

Sector

5.40

56.35

 

 

4%

PowerShares DB Precious Metals (DBP)

DBP

Sector

4.12

32.84

 

 

4%

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV)

XLV

Sector

2.61

(2.84)

1.98

 

4%

iShares MSCI EAFE Index (EFA)

EFA

Intl

(10.76)

(12.03)

10.20

15.13

2%

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM)

EEM

Intl

(11.55)

(0.84)

20.46

 

2%

PowerShares DWA Dev Mrkts Technical Ldrs (PIZ)

PIZ

Intl

(10.86)

 

 

 

2%

PowerShares Value Line Industry Rotation (PYH)

PYH

LCC

(1.14)

1.42

 

 

2%

PowerShares QQQ (QQQQ)

QQQQ

LCG

(3.71)

(4.14)

5.06

7.86

2%

Powershares S&P 500 BuyWrite (PBP)

PBP

LCV

(10.45)

 

 

 

2%

MidCap SPDRs (MDY)

MDY

MCC

(4.06)

(5.16)

4.61

11.09

2%

PowerShares DWA Technical Leaders (PDP)

PDP

MCC

(6.77)

(4.21)

 

 

2%

iShares Russell Midcap Value Index (IWS)

IWS

MCV

(6.80)

(13.13)

2.76

11.66

2%

iShares Russell 2000 Index (IWM)

IWM

SCC

0.28

(6.43)

2.79

9.76

2%

iShares Russell Microcap Index (IWC)

IWC

SCC

(1.16)

(15.85)

 

 

2%

iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index (IWO)

IWO

SCG

1.10

(5.02)

4.08

8.97

2%

Money Market Fund

 

MM

0.60

3.92

4.32

3.12

20%

Portfolio Return

 

 

(1.32)

6.40

5.03

6.90

100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combined ETF & Mutual Fund Portfolio

 

 

% Return

Insightful

Fund Name

Symbol

Type

3 Mo

1 Yr

3 Yr

5 Yr

Allocation

iShares Lehman TIPS Bond (TIP)

TIP

IPB

1.27

12.57

6.13

 

10%

iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Treasury Bond (SHY)

SHY

ITB

0.33

6.77

4.97

3.38

16%

Julius Baer Global High Income

BJBHX

HYB

(2.23)

1.12

5.22

8.11

4%

Fidelity New Markets Income

FNMIX

EMB

(0.77)

6.60

7.96

10.92

4%

iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors (ICF)

ICF

RE

(8.98)

(4.00)

3.73

14.64

4%

Alpha Hedged Strategies

ALPHX

Hdg

(2.58)

(4.31)

3.73

6.61

6%

1st Source Monogram Long/Short

FMLSX

L/S

(1.84)

1.29

7.03

 

6%

Rydex Managed Futures

RYMFX

MF

(4.83)

7.58

 

 

6%

PowerShares DB Commodity Idx Trking Fund (DBC)

DBC

Sector

5.40

56.35

 

 

4%

Julius Baer International Equity

BJBIX

Intl

(9.62)

(11.69)

13.90

18.68

2%

Fidelity International Discovery

FIGRX

Intl

(9.39)

(9.72)

12.37

17.21

2%

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM)

EEM

Intl

(11.55)

(0.84)

20.46

26.55

2%

PowerShares Value Line Industry Rotation (PYH)

PYH

LCC

(1.14)

1.42

 

 

2%

Rydex Sector Rotation

RYSRX

LCC

(5.54)

(5.71)

7.24

10.59

2%

PowerShares QQQ (QQQQ)

QQQQ

LCG

(3.71)

(4.14)

5.06

7.86

2%

1st Source Monogram Income Equity

FMIEX

LCV

(5.24)

(3.68)

8.81

13.45

2%

Fidelity Leveraged Company Stock

FLVCX

MCC

(3.81)

(2.76)

11.71

20.71

2%

Allianz CCM Mid Cap

PMCDX

MCG

(5.66)

(3.51)

5.33

11.36

2%

iShares Russell Midcap Value Index (IWS)

IWS

MCV

(6.80)

(13.13)

2.76

11.66

2%

Royce Micro-Cap Inv

RYOTX

SCC

(1.15)

(6.90)

9.54

13.50

2%

Turner Emerging Growth

TMCGX

SCG

1.69

1.10

8.58

15.65

2%

Allianz NFJ Small Cap Value D

PNVDX

SCV

(3.84)

(3.48)

7.08

13.82

2%

Money Market Fund

 

MM

0.60

3.92

4.32

3.12

14%

Portfolio Return

 

 

(1.87)

4.30

6.35

8.81

100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ETF Trading Portfolio

 

 

% Return

Insightful

Fund Name

Symbol

Type

3 Mo

1 Yr

3 Yr

5 Yr

Allocation

iShares Lehman TIPS Bond (TIP)

TIP

IPB

1.27

12.57

6.13

 

10%

iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Treasury Bond (SHY)

SHY

STB

0.33

6.77

4.97

3.38

10%

iShares Lehman 7-10 Year Treasury (IEF)

IEF

ITB

0.06

11.50

5.87

5.34

10%

PowerShares High Yield Corporate Bond (PHB)

PHB

HYB

(7.24)

 

 

 

4%

PowerShares Emerging Mkts Sovereign Debt (PCY)

PCY

EMB

(4.54)

 

 

 

4%

iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors (ICF)

ICF

RE

(8.98)

(4.00)

3.73

 

4%

PowerShares DB Precious Metals (DBP)

DBP

Sector

4.12

32.84

 

 

4%

PowerShares DB Commodity Idx Trking Fund (DBC)

DBC

Sector

5.40

56.35

 

 

4%

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology (IBB)

IBB

Sector

14.80

16.80

5.48

4.05

4%

PowerShares Dynamic Biotech & Genome (PBE)

PBE

Sector

12.13

10.69

6.02

 

4%

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP)

XLP

Sector

(0.46)

6.41

7.48

8.39

4%

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV)

XLV

Sector

2.61

(2.84)

1.98

3.60

4%

iShares MSCI Brazil Index (EWZ)

EWZ

Intl

(9.42)

30.63

50.37

52.28

4%

PowerShares Value Line Industry Rotation (PYH)

PYH

LCC

(1.14)

1.42

 

 

4%

PowerShares QQQ (QQQQ)

QQQQ

LCG

(3.71)

(4.14)

5.06

7.86

2%

Powershares S&P 500 BuyWrite (PBP)

PBP

LCV

(10.45)

 

 

 

2%

MidCap SPDRs (MDY)

MDY

MCC

(4.06)

(5.16)

4.61

11.09

2%

PowerShares DWA Technical Leaders (PDP)

PDP

MCG

(6.77)

 

 

 

2%

iShares Russell Midcap Value Index (IWS)

IWS

MCV

(6.80)

(13.13)

2.76

11.66

2%

iShares Russell 2000 Index (IWM)

IWM

SCC

0.28

(6.43)

2.79

9.76

6%

Money Market Fund

 

MM

0.60

3.92

4.32

3.12

10%

Portfolio Return

 

 

(0.10)

9.74

7.30

8.82

100%

 

Basic Diversified Portfolio

Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)

Category

Allocation

3 Mo

1 Yr

3 Yr

New

SPDRs (SPY)

Large Blend

2.0%

(8.27)

(11.66)

2.54

2.0%

iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index (IWF)

Large Growth

2.0%

(5.79)

(6.58)

3.29

2.0%

PowerShares QQQ (QQQQ)

Large Growth

2.0%

(3.71)

(4.14)

5.06

2.0%

iShares Russell 1000 Value Index (IWD)

Large Value

2.0%

(10.04)

(15.29)

2.24

2.0%

DIAMONDS Trust, Series 1 (DIA)

Large Value

2.0%

(10.90)

(12.09)

4.39

2.0%

MidCap SPDRs (MDY)

Mid-Cap Blend

3.0%

(4.06)

(5.16)

4.61

3.0%

iShares Russell Midcap Index (IWR)

Mid-Cap Blend

3.0%

(6.12)