Quarterly update | Q2 2021 | EP89
A review of the quarter: the high-level themes have continued.
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.
A review of the quarter: the high-level themes have continued.
CIO Paul Moroz walks us through his “best practices” portfolio construction checklist.
We explore the evolution of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and the notable economic ideas on which it is based. We highlight some notable criticisms and discuss implications of MMT for economic policy and financial markets. Our purpose is less focused on opining whether MMT is fundamentally sound, but rather aimed at understanding its development and how the ground may shift if indeed MMT-based policies are more widely embraced.
Opening the Pandora’s box of Bitcoin, societal trust, and why investors might not, but need to, fully understand the technology.
I’ve been revisiting Philip Fisher’s Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits recently. Scanning the opportunity set in emerging markets, I’ve been trying to imagine what Fisher would have made of the current investment landscape.
“Making the macro micro” around demand trends, inflation concerns, valuations, and earnings. We discuss Comcast, Visa, Dollar General, Alphabet, and more.
A close look at our research methods to understand trends, opportunities, and challenges in the pharmaceutical industry.
How thinking like a deer in the forest (situational awareness) and other risk management process tinkering has helped the team. In addition, thoughts on the potential CP Rail and Kansas City Southern deal and TELUS International IPO.
One year since lockdown: CIO Paul Moroz summarizes the major market themes of the past four quarters and how it has (and hasn’t) affected our process and way of looking at the world.
Equity Analyst, Stanislav Lopata, shares his observations regarding the pandemic’s impacts on markets and what’s new with the portfolio.
Deputy CIO Christian Deckart discusses market performance in a “story of three quarters” and some new holdings we added to the portfolio.
Chief Investment Officer Paul Moroz discusses why the Research team’s post-mortem process is important, and some of their top learnings from 2020.
A review of the quarter: the high-level themes have continued.
CIO Paul Moroz walks us through his “best practices” portfolio construction checklist.
We explore the evolution of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and the notable economic ideas on which it is based. We highlight some notable criticisms and discuss implications of MMT for economic policy and financial markets. Our purpose is less focused on opining whether MMT is fundamentally sound, but rather aimed at understanding its development and how the ground may shift if indeed MMT-based policies are more widely embraced.
Opening the Pandora’s box of Bitcoin, societal trust, and why investors might not, but need to, fully understand the technology.
I’ve been revisiting Philip Fisher’s Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits recently. Scanning the opportunity set in emerging markets, I’ve been trying to imagine what Fisher would have made of the current investment landscape.
“Making the macro micro” around demand trends, inflation concerns, valuations, and earnings. We discuss Comcast, Visa, Dollar General, Alphabet, and more.
A close look at our research methods to understand trends, opportunities, and challenges in the pharmaceutical industry.
How thinking like a deer in the forest (situational awareness) and other risk management process tinkering has helped the team. In addition, thoughts on the potential CP Rail and Kansas City Southern deal and TELUS International IPO.
One year since lockdown: CIO Paul Moroz summarizes the major market themes of the past four quarters and how it has (and hasn’t) affected our process and way of looking at the world.
Equity Analyst, Stanislav Lopata, shares his observations regarding the pandemic’s impacts on markets and what’s new with the portfolio.
Deputy CIO Christian Deckart discusses market performance in a “story of three quarters” and some new holdings we added to the portfolio.
Chief Investment Officer Paul Moroz discusses why the Research team’s post-mortem process is important, and some of their top learnings from 2020.
Many of the old stories surrounding China are becoming—or are—obsolete. New ones are emerging. China’s economy is very different than it used to be, and this shift, as well as some of the trends occurring there, are worthwhile to understand. We’d be wise to pay attention.
‘Twas the week before Christmas
And we’re again filled with cheer
To provide our blog readers
A review of the year:
How many toilets do you have at home? Or rather—let me put it this way: do you have a toilet in your home? For most people reading this, the idea of not having one may sound crazy, but in India, over half of all households do not have the luxuries of a toilet and/or bathing facility.
The ski season is officially open and the keeners have taken their first turns. I know our CIO, Jim Hall, is an avid skier so I sat down with him recently to discuss portfolio risk management and how it relates to skiing.
In 1845, Scottish poet and author, William Aytoun, published his satire, How we got up the Glenmutchkin Railway, and how we got out of it. His story focused on the railway stock frenzy that gripped Great Britain, with the aim of bringing awareness to what he saw as madness, “if anyone ha[d] the sense to see it.”
With entrepreneurs like Elon Musk pushing for a solar energy future and electric cars on the horizon, many are seriously questioning oil’s dominance. Are we finally moving into a post-oil age?
As an observational lens, bottleneck-thinking can quickly uncover specific pressure points people may have, such as a holding’s valuation or current management.
Each day we observe events and instantly associate meaning to them. In other words, we are constantly making inferences about the world—usually unconsciously. Unfortunately, we tend to neglect challenging these inferences or even fool ourselves into thinking that they are wholly evidence based.
Conversations about increasing interest rates and their impact on bond investments have recently spiked in Canada. Since bonds are traditionally viewed as an investment that provides a steady stream of income while acting as a safety net within an overall balanced portfolio, an environment of rising interest rates understandably causes unease: it can decrease the price of bonds and therefore can negatively impact performance.
Short-term gratification can hurt in the long run.
One thing we might say: change may be closer in the proverbial mirror than it appears.
This week we have the pleasure of partnering again with Beakerhead, a Calgary-based charitable organization that “brings together the arts, sciences, and engineering sectors to build, engage, compete, and exhibit interactive works of art, engineered creativity and entertainment.”
Many of the old stories surrounding China are becoming—or are—obsolete. New ones are emerging. China’s economy is very different than it used to be, and this shift, as well as some of the trends occurring there, are worthwhile to understand. We’d be wise to pay attention.
‘Twas the week before Christmas
And we’re again filled with cheer
To provide our blog readers
A review of the year:
How many toilets do you have at home? Or rather—let me put it this way: do you have a toilet in your home? For most people reading this, the idea of not having one may sound crazy, but in India, over half of all households do not have the luxuries of a toilet and/or bathing facility.
The ski season is officially open and the keeners have taken their first turns. I know our CIO, Jim Hall, is an avid skier so I sat down with him recently to discuss portfolio risk management and how it relates to skiing.
In 1845, Scottish poet and author, William Aytoun, published his satire, How we got up the Glenmutchkin Railway, and how we got out of it. His story focused on the railway stock frenzy that gripped Great Britain, with the aim of bringing awareness to what he saw as madness, “if anyone ha[d] the sense to see it.”
With entrepreneurs like Elon Musk pushing for a solar energy future and electric cars on the horizon, many are seriously questioning oil’s dominance. Are we finally moving into a post-oil age?
As an observational lens, bottleneck-thinking can quickly uncover specific pressure points people may have, such as a holding’s valuation or current management.
Each day we observe events and instantly associate meaning to them. In other words, we are constantly making inferences about the world—usually unconsciously. Unfortunately, we tend to neglect challenging these inferences or even fool ourselves into thinking that they are wholly evidence based.
Conversations about increasing interest rates and their impact on bond investments have recently spiked in Canada. Since bonds are traditionally viewed as an investment that provides a steady stream of income while acting as a safety net within an overall balanced portfolio, an environment of rising interest rates understandably causes unease: it can decrease the price of bonds and therefore can negatively impact performance.
Short-term gratification can hurt in the long run.
One thing we might say: change may be closer in the proverbial mirror than it appears.
This week we have the pleasure of partnering again with Beakerhead, a Calgary-based charitable organization that “brings together the arts, sciences, and engineering sectors to build, engage, compete, and exhibit interactive works of art, engineered creativity and entertainment.”
A review of the quarter: a significant rebound in markets, the potential impacts of continuous monetary and fiscal stimulus, and deglobalization.
Why the current market environment “feels like 2030 is happening in 2020,” our perspective on the recent market recovery, and more.
The implications of cloud migration for enterprises, investors, and business models.
Why the strategy was created, how it was launched, and some holding examples.
Deputy CIO Christian Deckart discusses natural contradictions in the portfolio and how the team plays “intellectual best ball.”
Exploring the why behind the FAANG’s outsized stock returns and the overall challenges of valuating tech companies.
CIO Paul Moroz weighs in on recent movements in the market and how we may have “crossed the Rubicon” with respect to direct fiscal stimulus and are perhaps seeing the “collapse of the bond standard.”
Lead portfolio manager, Grayson Witcher, discusses how the team is positioning the portfolio amidst the current uncertainty.
A review of the quarter: how we’re positioning our portfolios and what investors should keep in mind during these volatile times.
CIO, Paul Moroz, answers clients’ most frequently asked questions during these extraordinary times.
What we’re doing to mitigate potential sharp edges in the portfolio, as well as position for medium and long-term risks and opportunities.
Fractals, raining money, and making decisions under uncertainty. CIO Paul Moroz continues the discussion of the current economic environment.
A review of the quarter: a significant rebound in markets, the potential impacts of continuous monetary and fiscal stimulus, and deglobalization.
Why the current market environment “feels like 2030 is happening in 2020,” our perspective on the recent market recovery, and more.
The implications of cloud migration for enterprises, investors, and business models.
Why the strategy was created, how it was launched, and some holding examples.
Deputy CIO Christian Deckart discusses natural contradictions in the portfolio and how the team plays “intellectual best ball.”
Exploring the why behind the FAANG’s outsized stock returns and the overall challenges of valuating tech companies.
CIO Paul Moroz weighs in on recent movements in the market and how we may have “crossed the Rubicon” with respect to direct fiscal stimulus and are perhaps seeing the “collapse of the bond standard.”
Lead portfolio manager, Grayson Witcher, discusses how the team is positioning the portfolio amidst the current uncertainty.
A review of the quarter: how we’re positioning our portfolios and what investors should keep in mind during these volatile times.
CIO, Paul Moroz, answers clients’ most frequently asked questions during these extraordinary times.
What we’re doing to mitigate potential sharp edges in the portfolio, as well as position for medium and long-term risks and opportunities.
Fractals, raining money, and making decisions under uncertainty. CIO Paul Moroz continues the discussion of the current economic environment.