The Art of Boring™ was created for curious and passionate investors. We share strategies, frameworks, and insights to help readers and listeners make better investment decisions. Our aim? To provide some bottom-up, long-term investing signal to cut through the short-term noise.

  • (Not) boring finds for November 2018

    This week we learned about e-krona, a digital currency in Sweden; the lasting impacts of Black Monday on Wall Street; how McRib availability can affect S&P 500 returns (hint: it can’t) and appreciated a few wise reminders on what to do when “things get wild” in the markets.

    November 28, 2018

  • The art of the management team interview | EP20

    Global small cap equity analyst, Karan Phadke, discusses his experience interviewing management teams. He reveals why assessing a management team’s strength is so important to our investment philosophy, the characteristics we look for, and explains the difference between an “architect” and an “administrator.”

    November 7, 2018

  • Why public investors should care about the rise of private investment

    To be sure, there are many reasons a company may prefer to turn to private investors over more traditional public markets, but as more companies choose private funding when they need to raise capital, what are the implications for investors in public markets? 

    October 31, 2018

  • Playing the plan: Mawer’s international equity portfolio | EP19

    David Ragan, co-manager of Mawer’s international equity strategies, discusses the current economic environment, what changes have been made to the portfolio as a result, and highlights holdings in the exciting worlds of nanotechnology, door locks, and pharmacies.

    October 24, 2018

  • A selective approach to equity markets

    Last week, Morningstar interviewed international equity portfolio manager David Ragan about finding resilient stocks in international markets during turbulent times.

    October 17, 2018

  • Quarterly update | 3Q 2018 | EP18

    This episode features insights from the third quarter by Greg Peterson, portfolio manager of Mawer’s balanced and global balanced strategies.

    October 10, 2018

  • (Not) boring finds for October 2018

    Our reading list this week considers factors leading to the next market correction; stock-based compensation; golfing economists; and the pitfalls of generalization.

    October 3, 2018

  • (Not) boring finds for November 2015

    Our team comes across hundreds of weird and wonderful reads in our daily research. Below are the handful that stood out for us last month.

    December 3, 2015

  • (Not) boring finds for October 2015

    Our team comes across hundreds of weird and wonderful reads in our daily research. Below are the handful that stood out for us last month.

    November 3, 2015

  • The trouble with bond indices

    Japan’s crash in 1989 and its subsequent economic woes have provided policymakers and investors with many cautionary tales, but one in particular is usually overlooked.

    October 27, 2015

  • Wisdom from the wolves of Yellowstone

    The destruction and then reintroduction of the wolves in Yellowstone serves as an important cautionary tale about our limited understanding of complex, adaptive systems.

    October 15, 2015

  • The perfect bid

    Like most people, Terry and Linda had seen The Price Is Right. But their approach was not going to be luck; it was going to be skill.

    October 6, 2015

  • (Not) boring finds for September 2015

    Our team comes across hundreds of weird and wonderful reads in our daily research. Below are the handful that stood out for us this month.

    September 29, 2015

  • China’s control issues

    If recent events in China teach us anything, it is that there is a difference between control and resilience. Historically, when governments try this hard to control markets, the control they seek has already been lost.

    September 9, 2015