Rising Debt and its Potential Consequences: Canada’s New Normal?
We need to understand where we are in the debt super cycle to inform our investment decision making.
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.
We need to understand where we are in the debt super cycle to inform our investment decision making.
Why management teams matter, energy companies rarely meet our investment criteria, and JPMorgan and State Street differ from many regional banks.
Recent AI breakthroughs are underscoring the power of the centaur model—humans + machines—creating something more potent than either model operating independently.
Why genuine knowledge building and the ability to learn effectively in investing is difficult, and how we try to work around those challenges.
The major themes of the quarter, where we are in the interest rate hike cycle, and our thoughts on the recent banking crisis.
This episode, we discuss our seven-point management assessment framework (with examples), our risk management approach, and overall thoughts on energy.
In our view, market participants systematically underestimate the importance of vulnerabilities while correspondingly overestimating the importance of triggers. Why?
Digging into last year’s performance drivers, the current opportunity set, and benefits of resuming boots-on-the-ground research.
The nuanced impacts of inflation to companies’ balance sheets that investors might be missing.
Chief Investment Officer Paul Moroz shares takeaways from the Research team's annual post-mortem discussions.
Portfolio Manager Crista Caughlin walks listeners through the tumultuous bond market experiences of 2022 and outlines three main economic scenarios the team is monitoring for 2023.
Some of the main challenges facing the continent, what we gleaned from visiting over 45 companies, and ESG considerations that are front of mind for major European investment firms.
A review of last quarter, the major themes and takeaways from 2022, and what’s on the horizon for the new year.
We need to understand where we are in the debt super cycle to inform our investment decision making.
Why management teams matter, energy companies rarely meet our investment criteria, and JPMorgan and State Street differ from many regional banks.
Recent AI breakthroughs are underscoring the power of the centaur model—humans + machines—creating something more potent than either model operating independently.
Why genuine knowledge building and the ability to learn effectively in investing is difficult, and how we try to work around those challenges.
The major themes of the quarter, where we are in the interest rate hike cycle, and our thoughts on the recent banking crisis.
This episode, we discuss our seven-point management assessment framework (with examples), our risk management approach, and overall thoughts on energy.
In our view, market participants systematically underestimate the importance of vulnerabilities while correspondingly overestimating the importance of triggers. Why?
Digging into last year’s performance drivers, the current opportunity set, and benefits of resuming boots-on-the-ground research.
The nuanced impacts of inflation to companies’ balance sheets that investors might be missing.
Chief Investment Officer Paul Moroz shares takeaways from the Research team's annual post-mortem discussions.
Portfolio Manager Crista Caughlin walks listeners through the tumultuous bond market experiences of 2022 and outlines three main economic scenarios the team is monitoring for 2023.
Some of the main challenges facing the continent, what we gleaned from visiting over 45 companies, and ESG considerations that are front of mind for major European investment firms.
A review of last quarter, the major themes and takeaways from 2022, and what’s on the horizon for the new year.
In 1968, researchers from Stanford University stuck a marshmallow in front of a four year old girl and gave her a choice: eat the marshmallow now or wait 15 minutes and receive TWO marshmallows.
Two important events involving Russia occurred in the last week. First, Russia amassed a highly suspicious buildup of 20,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. Second, Russia’s yield curve inverted.
Narrow rules have a cost. Although there is value in the clarity of rule, process and position, a system must also be flexible.
Just how important is a common language to investing? While some investors view it as the sort of soft, fluffy stuff best left to liberal arts majors, empirically—and in our experience— it is an essential feature of high performing investment teams.
A few weeks ago, I was introduced to Google’s Toothbrush Test. Contrary to the images that the name inspires, this test does not involve sticking a web-enabled toothbrush into your mouth to collect data on your molars. Instead, it relates to how Google allocates capital.
This past week, one of my colleagues shared a learning at our weekly research meeting. Christian and his wife, Siggi, were on vacation when Siggi unfortunately dropped her iPhone into the bath.
Imagine you spent 4% of your life waiting in line. Given that there are 8,765 hours in a year, this would imply that you spent 350 hours each year staring at the backs of people’s heads.
The restaurant industry is tough. Virtually anyone with decent cooking skills and a modest amount of capital can open one; the barriers to entry are quite low. Restaurateurs must also face an unpredictable customer base, as well as significant competition and substitutes.
History is ripe with hucksters. Investors were reminded of this again this month when stock market darling Gowex declared bankruptcy.
In 1968, researchers from Stanford University stuck a marshmallow in front of a four year old girl and gave her a choice: eat the marshmallow now or wait 15 minutes and receive TWO marshmallows.
Two important events involving Russia occurred in the last week. First, Russia amassed a highly suspicious buildup of 20,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. Second, Russia’s yield curve inverted.
Narrow rules have a cost. Although there is value in the clarity of rule, process and position, a system must also be flexible.
Just how important is a common language to investing? While some investors view it as the sort of soft, fluffy stuff best left to liberal arts majors, empirically—and in our experience— it is an essential feature of high performing investment teams.
A few weeks ago, I was introduced to Google’s Toothbrush Test. Contrary to the images that the name inspires, this test does not involve sticking a web-enabled toothbrush into your mouth to collect data on your molars. Instead, it relates to how Google allocates capital.
This past week, one of my colleagues shared a learning at our weekly research meeting. Christian and his wife, Siggi, were on vacation when Siggi unfortunately dropped her iPhone into the bath.
Imagine you spent 4% of your life waiting in line. Given that there are 8,765 hours in a year, this would imply that you spent 350 hours each year staring at the backs of people’s heads.
The restaurant industry is tough. Virtually anyone with decent cooking skills and a modest amount of capital can open one; the barriers to entry are quite low. Restaurateurs must also face an unpredictable customer base, as well as significant competition and substitutes.
History is ripe with hucksters. Investors were reminded of this again this month when stock market darling Gowex declared bankruptcy.
CIO, Paul Moroz, walks listeners through the reasons why going global is optimal in today’s environment.
U.S. portfolio manager, Grayson Witcher, discusses the sustainability of U.S. earnings, some of the major position changes over the past two years, and overall team learnings.
In light of our president Michael Mezei’s upcoming retirement, he sits down to reflect on the many lessons in leadership he’s gained over the course of his career.
Institutional portfolio manager, Andrew Johnson, discusses key investment issues foundations and not-for-profits are facing in today's environment
Deputy CIO, Christian Deckart, discusses global small cap portfolio holdings to demonstrate the small cap life cycle, how M&As present a double-edged sword, and how the team continues to turn over new stones.
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.”
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.
This episode features insights from the third quarter by Greg Peterson, portfolio manager of Mawer’s balanced and global balanced strategies.
CIO and co-manager, Paul Moroz, discusses how to build the most resilient global portfolio possible and reveals Mawer’s four building blocks to risk management.
Institutional portfolio manager, Rob Campbell, explains the concept of suitcase words: words into which people attribute—or pack—multiple meanings. He discusses how honing our language skills can contribute to better investing outcomes.
Peter Lampert, lead portfolio manager of Mawer’s Emerging Markets Equity Fund, discusses the current investing environment for emerging markets, the importance of resilience, and reviews portfolio holdings in beer, security systems, and bakery ingredient distribution.
Co-manager of Mawer’s U.S. equity portfolio, Grayson Witcher, discusses the impact of rising corporate debt levels, the importance of relationship building with management teams, and how fighting bias is key to Mawer’s investment process.
CIO, Paul Moroz, walks listeners through the reasons why going global is optimal in today’s environment.
U.S. portfolio manager, Grayson Witcher, discusses the sustainability of U.S. earnings, some of the major position changes over the past two years, and overall team learnings.
In light of our president Michael Mezei’s upcoming retirement, he sits down to reflect on the many lessons in leadership he’s gained over the course of his career.
Institutional portfolio manager, Andrew Johnson, discusses key investment issues foundations and not-for-profits are facing in today's environment
Deputy CIO, Christian Deckart, discusses global small cap portfolio holdings to demonstrate the small cap life cycle, how M&As present a double-edged sword, and how the team continues to turn over new stones.
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.”
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.
This episode features insights from the third quarter by Greg Peterson, portfolio manager of Mawer’s balanced and global balanced strategies.
CIO and co-manager, Paul Moroz, discusses how to build the most resilient global portfolio possible and reveals Mawer’s four building blocks to risk management.
Institutional portfolio manager, Rob Campbell, explains the concept of suitcase words: words into which people attribute—or pack—multiple meanings. He discusses how honing our language skills can contribute to better investing outcomes.
Peter Lampert, lead portfolio manager of Mawer’s Emerging Markets Equity Fund, discusses the current investing environment for emerging markets, the importance of resilience, and reviews portfolio holdings in beer, security systems, and bakery ingredient distribution.
Co-manager of Mawer’s U.S. equity portfolio, Grayson Witcher, discusses the impact of rising corporate debt levels, the importance of relationship building with management teams, and how fighting bias is key to Mawer’s investment process.