MutualFundWire.com: Odd Lots, May 18, 1999

MutualFundWire.com

The insiders' edge for 40 Act industry executives!
an InvestmentWires' Publication

Tuesday, May 18, 1999

Odd Lots, May 18, 1999

UK wary of US investments
From The Wall Street Journal -- password needed
If you are looking for a fund manager who has topped the market indices you may want to go overseas. The WSJ traveled to London to locate Katherine Garrett-Cox, a fund manager for Hill Samuel Asset Management. The 31-year-old has beaten the market by focusing on large cap US stocks. Most interesting in the article is the revelation that just 4.5% of U.K. pension assets are invested in the United States -- less than that nation's allocation to Japan. If Britain does not invest here it seems that there may not be much reason to tap U.S. fund managers either.

Why are investors saying "no" to funds?
From The Christian Science Monitor
No doubt about it. Americans are getting cold feet in their love affair with mutual funds. The paper points to high expenses and performance that trails the indices. Also to blame: poor shareholder communications.

Goldman starts ads
From The New York Times -- registration required
"Unrelenting Thinking." That's the new tagline from newly public Goldman Sachs, which will likely spend $10 million on the ads this year. The campaign was designed by Ammirati Puris Lintas of New York, a unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies. The print ads will run in the NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Business Week, and the Economist. According to the Times, one print ad features identical twins. The caption reads: "If we ever find two companies that are exactly alike, we'll offer two recommendations that are exactly alike." Another shows a wide-eyed man at a hair salon examining his pointy coiffure. The text: "An honest opinion. Extremely rare when asking about a future spouse, a new haircut, or whether you should sell your company."

Analysts jump Soros' ship
From The New York Times -- registration required
Even hedge fund managers leave to start hedge funds. Liefcq D. Rosenblatt, Mark D. Sonnino and Gabe Nechamkin are leaving Soros Fund Management to set up their own firm Satellite Asset Management. The paper reports that the three will be joined by three other Soros employees also from the special situations group, which specializes in distressed securities.

USA Today picks value funds
From USA Today
In his Net Gains column, John Waggoner argues that growth stocks seem overvalued. At the same time he finds many value stocks unappealing. His recommendation? Diversify your portfolio with mid-cap value funds. He lists ten: Addison Capital Shares, American Century Value Investors, Harbor Value, Homestead Value, Legg Mason Total Return Prime, Muhlenkamp, Riverfront Income Equity Investors A, Sound Shore, Tweedy, Browne American Value, and Weitz Value.

Funds in the Press

Morningstar has added Fidelity and Vanguard to its guide to fund families.
It's time to switch to cyclicals, proclaims SmartMoney which speaks to the managers of Dodge & Cox Stock, T. Rowe Price Equity Income, AARP Growth & Income, Homestead Value, and Vanguard Windsor.