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In Investing, it's Usually the Bridesmaid and NOT the Bride

Editor's Letter

I have said on my blog [VonAldo.com] many times that my favorite group of researchers sit in Minneapolis and toil under the name of The Leuthold Group Research. (Disclosure: I have an investment in Leuthold's Core fund, ticker: LCORX.) In Leuthold's January “Green Book,” the researchers ask the question: “Allocation Strategy: buy the Winner, Loser … Or Runner Up?”

The answer: “The best single asset class strategy is to own the prior year's runner-up or Bridesmaid asset class. Such a strategy — while not without considerable diversification and career risks — has generated an annualized total return of 15.8 percent since 1973, while matching or exceeding the S&P 500 in 29 of 39 years.” This year's Bridesmaid? Gold, up 11.7 percent in 2011, way behind the best asset class, 20-year U.S. Treasury bonds, up 22.8 percent. Oh, as for the Contrarian Strategy (buying the worst performing asset class)? A mere 6 percent average annual return since 1973, well behind the Agnostic Strategy — buying the S&P 500, which returned 9.6 percent during that time.

Calling All Oustanding, Philanthropic Advisors

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(We thank you for your support. Drop us a line with your comments: 249 W. 17th St., New York, N.Y. 10011-5300. Or email us: [email protected]. Publisher Rich Santos can be reached at [email protected].)

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