When Better Profit Margins Aren't Better
A recent article by McKinsey & Company argues that there are times when cost cutting and higher prices can hinder a company’s growth and harm its value. Offering several examples,…
How to Find Value in a Complicated Market Environment
An article in Morningstar outlines a discussion with global equity manager Peter Wilmshurst regarding how his team chooses strong value stocks within an increasingly expensive global environment. Wilmshurst says, “I…
The Best Mutual Funds are Cheap and Boring
Cheap mutual funds may save investors from their worst impulses, says an article in Barron’s. According to the article, investors in the highest-cost funds “suffer the double whammy of first being…
The Hedge Fund Strategy That Isn't Working
Although tracking trends in financial markets was once a profitable investment strategy, the approach has fallen on hard times due to crowding. This according to an article in The Wall Street…
The Challenges of Market Cycle Timing
By Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) — Everyone wants to follow the investing advice of market legends. After all, that level of success is typically not achieved by accident. Investors want to learn…
How Many Stocks Does it Take to Be Diversified?
“Many people believe that diversification beyond 10 or 20 securities is superfluous despite clear research indicating that the opposite is in fact the case,” says an article in the July…
Greenblatt Mixes Active and Passive in One Fund
An article in Barron’s profiles the evolution of the Gotham index Plus fund, which was created by Gotham Asset Management founder Joel Greenblatt in an effort to “marry the steadiness…
How Gold Performs in Different Market Scenarios
Proactive Advisor recently published part of a white paper authored by active money manager Flexible Plan Investments regarding what it terms the “gold debate”—a “broad overview of the tangible benefits…