Beware the linearity bias
We tend to think of our world in linear terms, where the output of a system is proportional and directly correlated to its inputs.
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Process before proceeds
In theory, investors should improve at least linearly over time as they make and learn from errors. But in practice, there seems to be little evidence of this (only few active managers beat the market over longer time periods).
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Italian moves
Italy has been the source of drama in recent weeks, and it hasn’t all been about men racing bicycles in spandex.
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(Not) boring finds for May 2018
On the docket this week is an in-depth study of the effects of high household debt; the harrowing developments in data mining for surveillance; a surprising perspective on Bangladesh’s economic state; and a podcast aimed to help you with better decision-making.
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The top 15 macro questions to ask before investing in a country
These 15 questions are by no means exhaustive—they are not intended to be—but they serve as a helpful checklist for the main structural factors to consider when assessing a country’s macroeconomic backdrop.
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“Certified fresh” lessons from machine learning
Humans and machines have different strengths and weaknesses, and on our team, we tend to see the foreseeable future as a world in which the two work side-by-side. As with any tool, for machine learning to be useful, it is what it is being used for and how that matters.
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(Not) boring finds for April 2018
This week we consider how far-reaching the effects of trade tariffs could be; the potential similarities between bonds and stocks; why software businesses can be great investments; and, how much narratives can shape investing.
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(Not) boring finds for March 2018
Will the love affair with private equity end the way of the 1849 Gold Rush (i.e., not well)? Just how large is Canada’s shadow economy? What is Jeremy Grantham’s battle plan for an overvalued U.S. stock market? And how hard is Sichuan opera, really?
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Southern exposure in the North: When Canadian small caps expand into the U.S.
It is possible for smaller companies to punch above their weight in a foreign market. In our Canadian small cap portfolio, there have been many wealth-creating companies that were able to successfully expand and compete in the United States.
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(Not) boring finds for March 2018
This week we considered the argument that leaders that take risks should have something to lose; revisited market swing psychology; scheduled time to think; and discovered the motivational poster business may still be hanging in there!
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(Not) boring finds for February 2018
Bloomberg shows us past startling sell-offs; Norway’s sovereign wealth fund votes against executive pay at Alphabet; Amazon wades into health care waters; and the U.S. craft beer industry is brewing economic success.
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Enduring themes for volatile times
While investor apprehension in this environment is understandable, volatility in markets is both normal and expected. Looking back through our Art of Boring archive, we were struck by the enduring relevance of not letting fear guide investor decision-making during jittery times.
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(Not) boring finds for February 2018
Customer satisfaction at the push of a button; an alternative perspective on the current bull market; Mr. Modi at the World Economic Forum; more on fuel efficiency; and some epic photos of Mars.
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Process before proceeds
In theory, investors should improve at least linearly over time as they make and learn from errors. But in practice, there seems to be little evidence of this (only few active managers beat the market over longer time periods).
June 12, 2018
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Italian moves
Italy has been the source of drama in recent weeks, and it hasn’t all been about men racing bicycles in spandex.
June 4, 2018
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(Not) boring finds for May 2018
On the docket this week is an in-depth study of the effects of high household debt; the harrowing developments in data mining for surveillance; a surprising perspective on Bangladesh’s economic state; and a podcast aimed to help you with better decision-making.
May 30, 2018
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The top 15 macro questions to ask before investing in a country
These 15 questions are by no means exhaustive—they are not intended to be—but they serve as a helpful checklist for the main structural factors to consider when assessing a country’s macroeconomic backdrop.
May 16, 2018
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“Certified fresh” lessons from machine learning
Humans and machines have different strengths and weaknesses, and on our team, we tend to see the foreseeable future as a world in which the two work side-by-side. As with any tool, for machine learning to be useful, it is what it is being used for and how that matters.
May 2, 2018
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(Not) boring finds for April 2018
This week we consider how far-reaching the effects of trade tariffs could be; the potential similarities between bonds and stocks; why software businesses can be great investments; and, how much narratives can shape investing.
April 18, 2018
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(Not) boring finds for March 2018
Will the love affair with private equity end the way of the 1849 Gold Rush (i.e., not well)? Just how large is Canada’s shadow economy? What is Jeremy Grantham’s battle plan for an overvalued U.S. stock market? And how hard is Sichuan opera, really?
March 28, 2018
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Southern exposure in the North: When Canadian small caps expand into the U.S.
It is possible for smaller companies to punch above their weight in a foreign market. In our Canadian small cap portfolio, there have been many wealth-creating companies that were able to successfully expand and compete in the United States.
March 14, 2018
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(Not) boring finds for March 2018
This week we considered the argument that leaders that take risks should have something to lose; revisited market swing psychology; scheduled time to think; and discovered the motivational poster business may still be hanging in there!
March 7, 2018
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(Not) boring finds for February 2018
Bloomberg shows us past startling sell-offs; Norway’s sovereign wealth fund votes against executive pay at Alphabet; Amazon wades into health care waters; and the U.S. craft beer industry is brewing economic success.
February 21, 2018
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Enduring themes for volatile times
While investor apprehension in this environment is understandable, volatility in markets is both normal and expected. Looking back through our Art of Boring archive, we were struck by the enduring relevance of not letting fear guide investor decision-making during jittery times.
February 14, 2018
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(Not) boring finds for February 2018
Customer satisfaction at the push of a button; an alternative perspective on the current bull market; Mr. Modi at the World Economic Forum; more on fuel efficiency; and some epic photos of Mars.
February 7, 2018
