Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/08/05/the-sub-prime-lesson/ It’s difficult to downplay the severity of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Between June 2007 and the end of summer in 2008- American’s lost over a quarter of their net-worth. Home…
An Interview with Charlie Duke, the 10th Man to walk on the Moon. Imagine an ant, happily scuttling around an ant-farm on your desk. Were you able to speak to the ant, and explain that his ant-farm was on a desk, in an office or a home, on a street,…
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/06/24/michael-spence-nobel-laureate-on-information-and-momentum/ Analysis of any economic and financial system requires an understanding of two key factors; information and momentum. Understanding the information content of a system means having knowledge relating to…
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/06/18/alpha-hunters-investing-in-urban-communities/ In 1800 only 2% of the world population (which was just 970 million in total) was urbanised. By 1950 that figure had grown to 30%, and by 2030 it…
In this exclusive series of interviews, we speak to Martha Thorne (Executive Director of the Pritzker Prize), Richard Rogers (architect of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Lloyds building and Millennium Dome in London and founder of Rogers, Stirk, Harbour + Partners) and Mohsen Mostafavi (Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design). We discuss the very nature of architecture itself, how it relates to culture and topics ranging from the nature of cities, how buildings influence our lives and the future of architecture itself
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/06/07/alpha-hunters-looking-at-alternative-investments-from-the-inside-out/ While referred to as “alternative investments“, hedge funds, private equity, commodities, structured products and other real assets account for a significant proportion of global investment and trade activity. One…
In this exclusive interview, we speak to Raymond Baker (Director of the Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development). We discuss the true scale of the global illicit economy and understand how issues such as government theft, drug trafficking, global wealth, money laundering and the shadow financial system contribute to some of our most intractable issues ranging from poverty to hunger, terrorism and even economic crises.
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/05/31/the-secrets-of-the-worlds-greatest-traders/ Traders and investors have made (and lost) some of the world’s most significant pools of wealth. It’s no coincidence that many of the wealthiest individuals in the world today…
An Interview with Chris Guillebeau, author of the $100 Entrepreneur As the FT reported in January 2012, “…in the United States and other developed markets, SMEs commonly account for half or more of gross domestic product…. A recent study from the European Commission indicates that SMEs generated 85 per cent…
An Interview with Interbrand Chairman, Rita Clifton In February 2012 in a paper titled, “The Role of Brands in Human Culture” I noted the significance of branding in our world. To illustrate this, we should note that the top 10 global brands (as measured by the Interbrand index) have a…
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/04/30/a-life-changing-600-million/ Impact Investments are a maturing asset class. These are investments that go beyond financial return to deliver a measurable positive social or environmental impacts for the beneficiaries they affect. JP…
In this exclusive interview, we speak to Ingrid Newkirk (Co-Founder and President of PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). We discuss the relationship of our species with the animal kingdom. We look at issues ranging from animal rights, to the use of animals for food, clothing, entertainment experimentation and more.
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/04/26/the-brand-of-hedge-funds/ With almost US$2 Trillion under management, the hedge fund industry is a significant component of the global financial market. To put their size in context however, it is important to…
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/04/19/finding-alpha-in-israels-emerging-market/ Since the nation’s establishment in 1948, Israel has existed in a perpetual state of conflict. There is little doubt that these conflicts have had a negative impact on the country’s…
It’s Time to Get Business Spending In March 2012, The Economist reported that UK corporate surpluses reached more than £700 billion last year, amounting to almost 6% of GDP. The United States told a similar story with the 1,100 non-financial corporations rated by Moody’s showing cash balances of over £1.24…
In 1919, a man started a small business selling surplus groceries from a market stall in East London. His first day’s sales were £4, giving a profit of £1 (around £178.00 in sales and £44.00 profit in today’s money). Fast-forward around 90 years and this business now generates over £50…
In this exclusive interview, we speak to Yury Fedotov (Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC). We discuss the scale of global crime looking at issues ranging from drugs and drug trafficking to money laundering, corruption, violence and even the illegal trade in human beings themselves.
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/03/29/alpha-hunter-lauren-templeton-on-generating-alpha-from-value-investing/ Value investing has been a successful strategy for many investors since the earliest days of equity markets. The principle is quite simple. Investors select stocks they feel are trading for…
Has Conflict of Interest Created a Check-Mate in the Reporting of Economic Data? In February 2012 The Economist took an astonishing step, removing Argentina from their much respected financial indicators page. Their rationale being that, “…since 2007 Argentina’s government has published inflation figures that almost nobody believes. These show prices…
Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/03/01/alpha-hunter-louis-vincent-gave-on-opportunities-in-china/ In a 2010 working paper titled “The Chinese Economy: Myths and Realities” Lawrence Lau of the Institute of Global Economics and Finance at The Chinese University of Hong Kong notes…