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(The categories Charts and Market Stories are currently inactive, but previous postings are available in the archives.)

Most recent postings

Unpredictable People, Leverage, and Walking the Talk 03/21/22 Fortnightly

Everything from direct lending to a new way to train advisors, from co-investing to block trading, and auditors, investor relations, greenwashing, and more. Plus, a Wall Street legend, a fool and his gold, and the amazing 60:40.

Two Sides of Ambivalence 03/20/22 Due Diligence

Confidence is highly prized in the investment world, even though the essence of the endeavor involves uncertainty. Perhaps there is an unappreciated superpower worth discovering.

OCIOs: History and Evaluation 03/14/22 Asset Owner

In many ways, outsourced chief investment officers are a return to the distant past. Some history, comments on the current environment, and considerations for those interested in this hot industry trend.

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times, and Adversarial Collaboration 03/07/22 Fortnightly

Culture, first principles, greenwashing, due diligence, intangible assets, laws of the internet, inspiration, and more. Plus some new resources and a look back at the BRICs.

The Star Analyst Years 03/06/22 Learning Curve

The decades of the 1990s and 2000s transformed the investment business. This is the first in an occasional series of postings about that era.

Decisions with Other People’s Money 02/27/22 Asset Manager

If the goal of an asset management firm is to provide attractive performance that meets the expectations of its clients, then the impediments to that happening should be top of mind for the leaders of an organization.

Less-Private Funds, A Really Long Bond, and Molecules Wanted 02/20/22 Fortnightly

The typically wide array of stories in this version of the Fortnightly includes great readings on venture capital, company analysis, allocator bureaucracies, emotion in organizational culture, and much more.

When Does Scale Impede Returns (and When Doesn’t It)? 02/17/22 Asset Owner

Size matters. Big organizations have advantages and disadvantages, as do small ones. What are the general principles for thinking about scale and performance, and what are the exceptions?

We Need Some New Terminology (Part 2) 02/12/22 Investment Advisor

Quick, define “passive investing.” Now take a look at the messy way the term is used in today’s investment industry.

From the Supreme Court to the Plant Manager 02/06/22 Fortnightly

This issue covers elusive edges, short-selling, private equity, background checks, option market structure, and other investment topics. (Plus reality tunnels, nepotism, and moral calculations.)

The Teacher 02/02/22 Learning Curve

Aswath Damodaran shares his ideas across a variety of platforms, weighing in on controversial investment topics of the day and providing valuation insights. Here are some highlights of a recent conversation, along with his advice to learners.

Addressing the Culture Gap 01/26/22 The Research Puzzle

Every industry has its own ways. To what extent can those in the investment world learn from other kinds of organizations (and the research about them) as a means to continuous improvement?

Closet Indexers, Semantic Knots, and Quality Rules 01/24/22 Fortnightly

Mark-to-market rounds, a better bang for the buck, corporate excess, and not one but two Simpsons. Just the typical range to be found in an edition of the Fortnightly.

Capital Market Assumptions as Explored Beliefs 01/20/22 Asset Owner

Many consultants and asset managers try to forecast the attributes of future asset class performance. Asset owners use those estimates to shape their decisions. Here are a few questions to ask about the process.

The Elusive Full Market Cycle 01/18/22 The Research Puzzle

Certain phrases are used frequently by investment organizations and yet are not clearly defined or put into practice as advertised. Here’s one example.