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Thread: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

  1. #1

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    Default What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    What criteria do you personally look for to determine whether to move to S Fund or C Fund? I often hear folks say, "S looks a little better" or "C has more potential." I look at both and just scratch my head. How do you arrive at your decision to pick one over the other?


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  3. #2

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    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    Quote Originally Posted by jpcavin View Post
    What criteria do you personally look for to determine whether to move to S Fund or C Fund? I often hear folks say, "S looks a little better" or "C has more potential." I look at both and just scratch my head. How do you arrive at your decision to pick one over the other?
    Statistically speaking, the S&P 500 does better in the beginning of the month, and the mushy middle. At the end of the month W4500 tends to outperform. These past few rallies the large caps have been outperforming, I believe this speaks to the uncertainty and underlying insecurity of the markets as a whole. Once/if these issues are resolved, I think the small caps will resume their traditional role as the leader.
    Retired, 55G/15C/15S/15I (Paper Trading)_ BLOG: Stats for March, Stats for Q1, 2024 Stats

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  5. #3

    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    Quote Originally Posted by jpcavin View Post
    What criteria do you personally look for to determine whether to move to S Fund or C Fund? I often hear folks say, "S looks a little better" or "C has more potential." I look at both and just scratch my head. How do you arrive at your decision to pick one over the other?
    I like to use a relative strength analysis, using the S Fund price divided by the C Fund price. I've shown it before, but here's what it looks like:

    S vs C.png

    C was outperforming S over most of last year, but the tables turned at the beginning of Dec., as S has been leading. As JTH said, C has been pulling ahead in the last couple of days, but unless that lower trend line is broken, I would consider S to be the leader.
    CURRENT ALLOCATION: 100% I AS OF C.O.B. 5/22/2017

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    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    Quote Originally Posted by JTH View Post
    Statistically speaking, the S&P 500 does better in the beginning of the month, and the mushy middle. At the end of the month W4500 tends to outperform. These past few rallies the large caps have been outperforming, I believe this speaks to the uncertainty and underlying insecurity of the markets as a whole. Once/if these issues are resolved, I think the small caps will resume their traditional role as the leader.
    Thank you for the statistics.

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  9. #5

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    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    Quote Originally Posted by MrJohnRoss View Post
    I like to use a relative strength analysis, using the S Fund price divided by the C Fund price. I've shown it before, but here's what it looks like:

    S vs C.png

    C was outperforming S over most of last year, but the tables turned at the beginning of Dec., as S has been leading. As JTH said, C has been pulling ahead in the last couple of days, but unless that lower trend line is broken, I would consider S to be the leader.
    You must represent the technical. Is the black/red squiggly the S and the light blue the C Nevermind, thats MA. Which represents S and C?

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  11. #6

    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    Quote Originally Posted by jpcavin View Post
    You must represent the technical. Is the black/red squiggly the S and the light blue the C Nevermind, thats MA. Which represents S and C?
    Divide S by C. Do that over time and plot the data points. What you'll get is a line.

    Every data point is represented by the red/black line. When the line is moving higher, S is getting bigger than C, so it's "outperforming". When S is getting smaller than C, the line slopes down because S is "underperforming" C.

    It's an easy way to look at a chart and see what is happening with the relative strength between the two. You can also use standard moving averages, PPO, Stoch, BB, etc, just like any other stock chart.

    Easy peasy.
    CURRENT ALLOCATION: 100% I AS OF C.O.B. 5/22/2017

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    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    Quote Originally Posted by MrJohnRoss View Post
    Divide S by C. Do that over time and plot the data points. What you'll get is a line.

    Every data point is represented by the red/black line. When the line is moving higher, S is getting bigger than C, so it's "outperforming". When S is getting smaller than C, the line slopes down because S is "underperforming" C.

    It's an easy way to look at a chart and see what is happening with the relative strength between the two. You can also use standard moving averages, PPO, Stoch, BB, etc, just like any other stock chart.

    Easy peasy.
    Ok. I get it now. One line......Up-pick S, down-pick C. Thank you.

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  15. #8

    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    You're welcome. Stay warm in Pensacola tonight. I hear it's gonna get chilly. :-E
    CURRENT ALLOCATION: 100% I AS OF C.O.B. 5/22/2017

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    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    I duplicated your chart just to make sure I could get same result. I learned something new tonight. Thank you, John.


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    Awesome info guys as always

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  21. #11

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    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    One of the big differences is that the S fund has bigger swings high and low vs. the C fund. The C fund tends to be a little more stable than the S fund because of the large companies established in the C fund.
    May the force be with us.

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    Default Re: What's your criteria for selecting between C or S Fund when making an IFT?

    I like using my "Best Fund, Worst Fund" that I post on my "ravensfan's Account Talk". It's not fancy, but does provide the best and worst performers over the past 15 and 60 business days.
    "the biggest mistake that traders make is to let these short-term trades turn into longer-term investments when they don’t work." RevShark

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