This morning I noticed an article on Seeking Alpha by Alan Ginsburg making the case for shorting Joseph A Banks (JOSB). The writer makes a good case that the company’s financial statements are untrue and that a conflict-driven management team has at times “looted” the company. We have no position in JOSB and no plans […]
Barron’s published a panel discussion on MLPs this past weekend. The panelists debate whether MLPs are still attractively valued or not and their sensitivity to rising rates. Although MLPs have been very strong this year, with our MLP Strategy +23% year-to-date, we continue to think that distribution yields of 5-6% and conservative growth prospects of 4-6% […]
http://in.reuters.com/video/2013/07/23/wealth-strategies-avoid-all-fixed-income?videoId=244354762
Later this month John Wiley will release Bonds Are Not Forever; The Crisis Facing Fixed Income Investors. Some might say that one book is enough for anybody to write, but I must confess the experience following release of The Hedge Fund Mirage in late 2011 was sufficiently positive that I decided to indulge my audience’s […]
Outside of managing SL Advisors and writing books I chair two investment committees for local non-profit organizations. In reviewing returns for the first half of 2013 for one of them I was surprised at how U.S.- centric investment returns have been this year. Our benchmark is 50% Developed Market Equities, 20% Emerging Market Equities, 20% […]
The Economist has informative coverage of the developing public pension crisis using Detroit’s bankruptcy filing as an illustration. It’s well worth reading. The issue is not going away.
A couple of years ago Goldman Sachs’ CEO Lloyd Blankfein was on TV almost every day promoting the good his company does for the economy. One of his less fortunate phrases in his otherwise highly articulate defense of his firm was that Goldman was “…doing God’s work.” I imagine he meant Goldman was engaged in […]
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/betting-on-dividend-paying-stocks-lHzHO9SCQgil9Im6UNyHNQ.html
Bloomberg Businessweek, July 2013 Simon Lack, December 2011 Obviously, I was too kind. What does the hedge fund industry’s chief lobbying group AIMA (Alternative Investment Managers Association) have to say?
Fixed income managers have recently had to practice a rarely used skill; explaining poor investment performance to their clients. Bonds have been a great investment for a long time, but Fed Chairman Bernanke’s press conference last month has at least introduced two-way risk into the market. Quite possibly, he heralded the end of the secular […]
