M* Interactive Charts (Newer) + M* Investor (For Portfolios)

[Admin/YBB]

The newer M* Interactive Charts have improved. The first version did reinvestments for mutual funds/OEFs only but not for ETFs. This was fixed later and they now have reinvestments for both mutual funds/OEFs and ETFs.

A huge problem is that the charts cannot be linked directly via URLs. One must take screenshots. Then there are 2 ways to proceed: 1) Use PB Attachment feature to upload the screenshot and use the Insert option. Then the screenshot image is added to the post but its size is small, 2) Upload screenshot to an image-hosting site (ibb. com, etc), then use the image URL in the PB Insert-Image tool.

Unfortunately, the CEFs are not handled satisfactorily. This can be best illustrated by using an example with ETF PCEF and CEF PDI. There are 2 different things going on with the CEF charts.

When the PDI interactive chart is started, it is PDI/NYSE (default), price-only w/o reinvestments; added is PDI/XNAS, NAV-only w/o reinvestments. A common starting base of 10,000 is used This is the only place where M* uses a price-only chart, may be to provide data to CEFConnect by agreement (but the corresponding charts have actual prices and NAVs). Almost everything else at M* is NAV-based and that is fine for mutual funds/OEFs and ETFs, but not for CEFs (as prices can differ substantially from NAVs). This chart is not useful.

When ETF PCEF interactive chart is started (NAV chart with reinvestments), the added PDI/NYSE is NAV chart with reinvestments, the added PDI/XNAS is NAV-only chart w/o reinvestments. Unfortunately, this chart is NOT very useful for prices with or without reinvestments (OK for ETF, not OK for CEF).

Stockcharts are the best for prices with and without reinvestments (TICKER, _TICKER). Ratio-adjustments for old prices are used to account for distributions. The effect is similar to the Growth-of-10K charts. The approximation is good for under 10 years, but differences become notable for longer than 10 years. Nothing from M* can match these charts.

CEFConnect charts are price-only and NAV-only charts. The data is from M*. This chart is not useful except to show premiums/discounts.

In developing the above, the performance data from M* (price TR, NAV TR; cumulative TR were found from annualized TR) and information from various charts from M*, Stockcharts, CEFConnect were used. Chart displays show cumulative TR.

Now 4 chart images follow with related notes; period used is 3 years, 2/21/19-2/18/22.

M* PDI/NYSE (price-only; default) & PDI/XNAS (NAV-only) charts  i.ibb.co/5nS5BsZ/M-PDI-NYSE-PDI-XNAS.png




M* PCEF (NAV w/reinvestments), PDI/NYSE (NAV w/reinvestments), PDI/XNAS (NAV-only)  i.ibb.co/6ywJZtd/PCEF-PDI-XNAS-PDI-NYSE-022122.png




Stockcharts PCEF (price w/reinvestments), PDI (price w/reinvestments), _PDI (price-only)  i.ibb.co/4VWM9rL/PCEF-PDI-PDI-022122.png




CEFConnect PDI price-only & NAV-only  i.ibb.co/pzzcHX3/Screenshot-2022-02-21-19-59-20.png

[Admin/YBB]

After recent M* changes on 6/1/22,

1. A new CHART tab shows Interactive Charts. The Clicks for them on Quote and Performance pages have been removed.

2. Interactive Charts can no longer be used to COMPARE unlike fund categories (e.g. OEFs with ETFs/CEFs/stocks and vice-verse). They work fine for comparing like fund categories, e.g. OEFs with OEFs, and ETFs/CEFs/stocks with ETFs/CEFs/stocks.

3. CUSTOM timeframe option has been removed. Only the built-in time periods can be used: from 1 month to Max for OEFs, and from 1 day to Max for ETFs/CEFs/stocks. Some rough adjustments are possible with the dynamic window in the bottom panel - the left and right sides are moveable, and the window as a whole can slide (maintaining the width/timeframe); but it is difficult to achieve precise start and end dates from this.

4. After brief a disruption, ACCESS to Interactive Charts is from unsigned, Basic/free and Premium modes.

So, there is an overall DEGRADATION of charting features.

[Admin/YBB]

M* Interactive Charts - Date Workaround
www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/comment/150239/#Comment_150239

Date windows appear only at 170-175% browser magnification (Chrome 175%,Edge 175%, Firefox 170% ), but once set, they stick. Date windows disappear for lower AND higher magnifications. So, this is the workaround.
Image URL  i.ibb.co/rc1k4q0/Screenshot-2022-06-08-10-36-51.png

[Admin/YBB]

M* Investor (Replacing Old/Legacy M* Portfolios)
investor.morningstar.com/

I haven't explored the new M* Investor fully. But some comments.

1. I had stopped using the old Watch Lists because I couldn't add Notes there. There is a small headache in making entries in the Portfolios because they requires dates, share numbers and prices, but for "watchlist" purposes, I just entered random dates (start of the month/year), 1 share, $1 price. In fact, when I converted some old Watchlists to Portfolios, it internally almost did that. So, I won't miss the new less convenient access to Watchlists (via new pages).

2. The Chart feature within M* Investors seems better - it can Compare different things (OEFs, ETFs, CEFs, stocks). This was a sudden new restriction of the Chart feature accessed from M* Homepage (that remains restrictive/limited). There are both Price and Growth-of-10K displays. However, these Charts are not linkable, and Export just creates a screenshot.

3. One main change I see is that there won't be multiyear subscriptions, but yearly renewals only. I haven't checked the access/feature differences between M* Basic and M* Premium subscriptions.

I will add more information later.


Addendum

4. For now, when you access Portfolio from M* Homepage, the default is the old/legacy Portfolio page that will eventually go away. When you click Launch Investor, you are taken to the new M* Investor page that one can bookmark for direct access. It seems that for a while, the M* Homepage will continue to offer this option.

New M* Investor Link investor.morningstar.com/
Old/Legacy M* Portfolio Link www.morningstar.com/portfolio-manager
M* Homepage www.morningstar.com/

5. Old/legacy Portfolio Views are not carried over to new M* Investor. But there is an option of adding customized columns:
Individual Portfolio/Holdings/Columns/Create Column Set.
These Sets can be named/renamed, edited, column order can be rearranged.
Custom columns include MPT statistics (3, 5, 10 yr), Total Return (1M, 3M, 6M, YTD, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y, 10Y, 15Y), Yields, Fees, Potential CGs, Tax Cost Ratio, U/D CR, etc. Unfortunately, these data are available only for portfolio components, not for portfolio as a whole.

6. Short fund PDF Reports (for OEFs, ETFs) are back - click Download Report on top right.

6.1. Portfolio Export (Download) feature has been added. 7/8/22
       Path: M* Investor/Portfolio/select a portfolio/Holdings/see More for Download (Export)

7. M* Investor has its own Quote pages that are basically the enhanced M* Homepage Quotes. So, Interactive Chart clicks are there with full features - can compare different types of things (OEFs, ETFs, CEFs, stocks). The CEF Quotes have Performance tab with Distribution clicks. So, now there are 2 different ways to get Quotes - from M* Homepage (with limited features) and M* Investor (with full features). For Charts, there are 4 ways now - from M* Homepage (with limited features), M* Investor Charts, M* Investor Quotes/Interactive Charts, and the old M* Chart pages (with limited features; gone 6/24/22). It is doubtful that all these alternatives for Quotes and Charts will continue.

8. Hide-closed-positions feature is missing. So, all old and closed out positions are seen. There is a Delete holdings option, but one shouldn't use that for the closed positions as that would affect historical portfolio performance data. But as the columns are sortable, a sort by position size or weights would put all that information at the end of the list.

9. It is not possible to add notes for positions. This was a very useful feature of the old/legacy Portfolios (but not in the old/legacy Watch Lists).

10. Related Information:
M* Investor Introduction  www.morningstar.com/insights/2022/06/15/introducing-morningstar-investor
M* Investor Help Center  community.morningstar.com/s/article/investor-help-center 
M* Investor Ad/Promo/Signup  investor.morningstar.com/mm/learn

11. M* Investor portfolio features are dismal. Even simple point-to-point portfolio performance data (for standard or customized periods) are not available beyond daily. There is lot of useless portfolio "analysis/data" provided, but those are fillers, not substance. Old My Performance (taking into account portfolio transactions) is a greatly missed feature. 6/28/22

12. Learn to use Portfolio Visualizer (PV). A primer is here (7/3/22),
ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/thread/311/portfolio-visualizer-pv

or, use Stock Rover (SR) Premium, see primer below,
ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/post/808/thread

Edit/Add, 2/11/23. For more updates, see M* Updates, 2023- ,
ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/thread/460/updates-2023

Edit/Add, 10/25/23. Noticed some improved Portfolio functionality that seems partially similar to M* Portfolio/My Performance, etc.

If any M* link doesn't open at PB, use the following trick,
Highlight link text--Go to http://www....; or highlight link text--copy (don't copy link address)--paste in a new tab to open

[chahta]

It appears Fund Screeners will be gone too. I am curious how good the Quote pages will be.

[Admin/YBB]

chahta, it is unclear.

There is a Screener within M* Investor while Basic and Premium Fund Screeners remain at M* Homepage under Funds. But unlike the transition notice on M* Portfolio page, I don't see any similar clear notice clear notice on M* Homepage Screeners except that the  Launch Investor clicks are also seen.

So, lot of stuff seems to be at both M* Homepage and M* Investor now - Quotes, Charts, Portfolio, Screeners, etc. They may have different feature/service levels - I don't know.

[Admin/YBB]

As of 6/24/22, old M* Chart links have stopped working and that has been noted on the related threads.

ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/thread/79/charts-oefs-etfs-stocks-style

community.morningstar.com/s/feed/0D53o00005E8h5tCAB

[Admin/YBB]

Stock Rover looks interesting.

Free features www.stockrover.com/plans/free/

Subscription pricing & features table www.stockrover.com/plans/compare/

Serious portfolio analytics tools may be for Premium (most) or Premium Plus (most + larger & more portfolios).

Data source for lot of mutual fund data is M* (!), www.stockrover.com/data-attribution/

There is a Blog tab that have good useful info, www.stockrover.com/category/blog/


Edit/Add: Stock Rover is not user-friendly or intuitive. There are many features with options that appear only on relevant pages, so a steep learning curve. I am still exploring/learning during the 14-day, no-obligation, free trial for its top of the line Premium Plus. I may post pointers in a few days.

For now, to add/upload/Import portfolios, Click Portfolio on the left-menu, make sure that Portfolio heading is clicked/highlighted on the main page (Down-arrow will show full menu), then there is Create Portfolio in the right-panel. Entries can be made there manually OR portfolio uploaded/Imported from Excel (with Tickers, quantities, costs columns) OR via connections to selected brokerages (I won't be trying that).

[Admin/YBB]

MFO Tale on M* Investor - NOT PRETTY

By Don Glickstein, reporter, editor, PR, author, webmaster, and frustrated M* Beta Tester.
www.mutualfundobserver.com/2022/08/new-coke-the-ford-edsel-cheetos-lip-balm-and-morningstar-investor/#more-17214

[Admin/YBB]

There was a post at M* Discussions (long thread, post# 326, warning - needs lot of scrolling) on 8/11/22 that offered a ray of hope. community.morningstar.com/s/question/0D53o000066YnacCAC/does-anyone-else-feel-like-the-new-morningstar-investor-is-a-huge-downgrade-compared-with-the-legacy-portfolio-manager

"Bill.Baranyk (Employee)
21 hours ago

Hello Investor subscriber,

We're continuing to receive feedback from subscribers on the Investor experience, with an emphasis on the status of missing or incomplete features.

We take feedback seriously and want to show how we’re using it to improve Investor. So, we’d like to lay out what you can expect over the next six to nine months.

The status of legacy Portfolio Manager

Legacy Portfolio Manager will not be retired until the features in Investor's Portfolio help you accomplish the same tasks as legacy: monitoring your portfolio with relevant data in customizable views, understanding investment performance, and reviewing Portfolio X-Ray analysis on your holdings. Our goal is to add features to Portfolio that support those tasks by the end of 2022.

As we continue to build and release, you’ll see similar features to those in legacy, but you’ll also see new additions that improve how you research, analyze, and monitor investments.

But rest assured: Legacy will not be retired until all those features are successfully up and running in Investor. We’ll communicate our progress along the way, and if we aren’t on track to hit our goal, legacy will remain until we are.

Custom views

Custom views are coming to Investor, and they’ll be similar to the My Views feature in legacy Portfolio. The launch of views will come in phases, with the first phase rolling out in early September 2022. This launch will include an improved process for creating, editing, and sorting custom views and around 80 additional data points to work with.

The remaining phases will roll out throughout the rest of the year and will include expanded data points and more ways to control how you view information within tables. [We’re also determining the best way to bring over custom views you’ve already created in legacy Portfolio Manager.]

We’ll notify you as each phase launches.

Performance tracking

In the fall, we’ll add performance tracking to Investor for portfolios that have manually added purchases/sales. This includes both data and comparisons to similar benchmarks. Watchlists in Investor will not include functionality for performance tracking.

Investor will continue to evolve with the needs of our subscribers, so we’ll keep you informed as updates come. This approach may be a bit different than what you’ve experienced with Premium. It’s all in service of getting the right features into your hands, so you can focus on your investment goals.

We can’t wait for you to see what’s in store over the coming weeks and months.

Happy investing,
The Morningstar Investor team"