A 'Wall of Meh' in sentiment is an opportunity for closed-end fund investors

Rob Shaker, portfolio manager at Shaker Financial Services, says that economic conditions -- the debt-ceiling debate, troubled banks, higher interest rates and persistent inflation -- have created a situation where the market isn't climbing the proverbial wall of worry, but rather a 'Wall of Meh,' and says that there is opportunity in the unimpressive current conditions, noting that long-term investors in closed-end funds can use lagging investor sentiment to capture discounts as early as the second half of this year, when he expects a 'generalized recovery' from today's worrisome issues.