After a pair of “disastrous” bets on drug company Valeant and supplement company Herbalife, once “omnipresent rabble-rouser” shareholder activist William Ackman is getting back to basics and a more low-profile…
GMO's Montier on the Dual Economy
A Financial Times article offers an in-depth discussion of GMO’s James Montier’s thesis that the U.S. is moving into a “dual economy where productivity growth is reasonable in some sectors,…
A Recession is On the Way
An article in Financial Advisor magazine argues that a recession—and maybe a bear market—are on the horizon, predicting a “two-thirds probability” for a business downturn starting this year. The article…
The $358 Billion Public Pension Giant and its Investing Dilemma
In March, the board of California Public Employees’ Retirement System (Calpers) approved a plan that could channel up to $20 billion into private equity startups and corporate buyouts over the…
Five Questions: The Importance of Narratives with Ben Hunt
By Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) One of the most important things any investor can do is to challenge their own beliefs. Confirmation bias leads all of us to seek out opinions…
The Mechanics of Value Investing
By Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) — We all have a tendency to want to put investing strategies into groups. That can sometimes be misleading, though. There are more investment products than…
Bill Gross Says Odds of Outperformance Have Plunged
Bill Gross, who defined his career by beating benchmarks in the bond market, says the days of outperformance are largely over. This according to an article in Bloomberg. “There are…
Valuation Metrics and Spreads Can Inform Future Returns
Research has found that valuation metrics and spreads can provide useful information with regard to future returns, according to an article in ETF.com by BAM Alliance research director Larry Swedroe.…
Gambling Not a Great Investment Strategy
Older investors focused on landing fat returns by taking on more risk might be putting their retirement in harm’s way, according to a recent article in The New York Times.…
Don't Confuse Luck and Smart Investing
A recent article by Bloomberg columnist Barry Ritholtz warns investors that although huge wins get more attention than smaller, “routine” wins and losses, those windfalls don’t necessarily represent smart investment…