My favorite historical anecdote—and one that every investor should be forced to acknowledge reading before opening a brokerage account—dates to the era of the South Sea Bubble. A charlatan whose name is lost to history, published a prospectus for “A company for carrying on an undertaking of great advantage, but nobody to know what it...Read More

Warren Buffett is a hero to many investors, myself included.  His record speaks for itself: 18.3% annualized returns in Berkshire Hathaway’s ($BRK-A) book value over the past 30 years compared to just 10.8% for the S&P 500.  And his returns in the 1950s and 1960s, when he was running a much smaller hedge fund, were...Read More

I originally penned this articled in December 2011.  Given Sears’ stock action in the year that has passed, it’s worth another read. A well-respected value investor buys an old American company in decline, promising to restore its fortunes.  Alas, the recovery never comes.  The economics of the industry have changed, and the company cannot compete...Read More

We all know what “fragile” means.  But what is the opposite of fragile? If you are like me, your instinctive response would be “robust” or perhaps “durable.”  But you would be wrong. Something that is fragile is damaged by an unexpected shock, whereas something that is robust or durable is able to withstand it.  To...Read More

The single most important lesson I’ve learned about being a successful investor is the need to maintain emotional detachment.  Any feelings you may have towards a stock are unrequited.  If you love a stock, it will not love you back.  And if you hate a stock, it will not give you the satisfaction of responding...Read More

The following first appeared on Money & Markets. Today, we’re going to take a look at a company that has seemed to permeate every aspect of modern life: social media darling Facebook (FB), the owner of the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp apps, among others. 2020 has been an epic year for technology and social media...Read More