Mega-IPOs and Index Fund Mechanics: Much Ado About Nothing?
Index providers are tweaking rules to let large IPOs enter major US indexes faster, prompting worries as mega‑IPOs such as SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic and Stripe loom. The authors calculate that even a $280 billion IPO wave would represent only about 0.4% of total US market capitalization, translating to a maximum 0.2% drag on broad index fund returns. Historical data shows newly listed stocks underperform the market by 3‑5% annually, but the limited weight of these IPOs keeps the impact modest. Investors are advised to stay focused on long‑term market returns rather than short‑term inclusion timing.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: A(nother) Look at Long/Short Direct Index Tax-Loss Harvesting
Leveraged long/short direct‑index tax‑loss harvesting (LSDI) lets investors swap a concentrated, high‑cost‑basis stock for a diversified basket without paying capital‑gains tax up front. The authors model a $10 million Shopify holding and find that manager fees—0.5% on the long side and...
Demystifying 351 ETF Exchanges
Section 351 of the U.S. tax code permits investors to contribute appreciated stocks, bonds or ETFs into a newly created ETF without triggering immediate capital‑gains tax, effectively seeding the fund at original cost basis. To qualify, no single security may exceed...