Discounts

Discounts The allure of getting a bargain is universal. Everybody loves a discount. Even when investing in stocks or bonds, you’d love to buy at a discount. The problem is that the discounts in financial markets are much less obvious than in the grocery store. The value of any financial asset can be estimated by […]
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That’s A Lot of Manure

That’s A Lot of Manure Economic history is full of roadblocks, things that appear impossible to overcome, until some technological advance comes along and changes the dynamics completely. Railroads changed U.S. transportation in the late 1800’s, fertilizers changed our ability to feed a growing global population. Even the automobile, now the bane of environmentalists, was […]
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The Apollo 13 Problem

The Apollo 13 Problem In Jim Lovell’s book, Apollo 13, he describes one of the final hurdles the crew faced as they attempted to return their crippled spacecraft to earth. The crew had to approach Earth’s atmosphere at an angle no shallower than 5.3 degrees, and no steeper than 7.7 degrees. If re-entry was shallower […]
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Bottom’s Up!

Bottoms Up! In his classic 1934 book “Security Analysis”, Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing (and a mentor to Warren Buffet), said something to the effect that in the short run the stock market is a voting machine, but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. Eighty-nine years later, that comment still […]
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WARNING! Use Extreme Caution! | January 1, 2022

WARNING! Use Extreme Caution! “After two years of ‘up, up, up’ this must be a great time to be an advisor – it just doesn’t get much easier than this!” This theme was more common than expected as we exchanged holiday wishes with friends and clients. The reality is just the opposite. This environment is […]
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Valuations Only Matter on the Way Down | December 4, 2021

Valuations Only Matter on the Way Down The long-term investing lessons still apply. Like a game of musical chairs, you never know when the music will stop. Attempting to time markets is a hope, not a strategy. In our view, the better option is to keep your risks balanced and allow markets to give the […]
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