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April 17, 2018

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Benjamin Graham's thoughts

The Intelligent Investor

April 17, 2018

“To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information. What is needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework.” These words came from legendary investor Warren Buffett, the best known disciple of Benjamin Graham, the…

META Lesson 3: Tell me a story! November 15, 2022
In my first two posts on Facebook, I noted that its most recent earnings report, and the market reaction to it, offers an opportunity for us to talk about bigger issues. I started by examining corporate governance, or its absence, and argued that some of the frustration that investors in Facebook feel about their views […]
META Lesson 2: Accounting Inconsistencies and Consequences November 10, 2022
In my last post, I used Facebook's recent troubles to talk about the importance of corporate governance, and how we, as investors, have abandoned the power to change management at many younger tech companies in return for being able to invest in young tech companies, with growth potential and well-regarded founders. In this post, I […]
META Lesson 1: Corporate Governance November 4, 2022
As we get deeper into earnings season for the third quarter of 2022, the biggest negative surprises are coming from technology companies, with the tech giants leading the way. Investors, used to a decade of better-than-expected earnings and rising stock prices at these companies, have been blindsided by unexpected bad news in earnings reports, and […]
Earnings and Cash Flows: A Primer on Free Cash Flow October 25, 2022
It is never pleasant to be in the midst of a market correction, but a market correction does operate as a cleanser for excesses that enter into even the most disciplined investors' playbooks in the good times. This correction has been no exception, as the threat of losing investment capital has focused the minds of […]
Reaping the Whirlwind: A September 2022 Inflation Update! September 26, 2022
In my early 2021 posts on inflation, I argued that while the higher inflation that we were just starting to see could be explained by COVID and supply chain issues, prudence on the part of policy makers required that it be taken as a long term threat and dealt with quickly. Not only did they […]
A Zomato 2022 Update: Value, Pricing and the Gap July 27, 2022
On July 21, 2021, I valued Zomato just ahead of its initial public offering at about ₹41 per share. The market clearly had a very different view, as the stock premiered at ₹74 per share and soared into the stratosphere, peaking at ₹169 per share in late 2021. The last few months have been rocky, as the price […]
Country Risk: A 2022 Mid-year Update! July 13, 2022
It has been my practice for the last two decades to take a detailed look at how risk varies across countries, once at the start of the year and once mid-year. In most years, the differences between the two updates are small, and often ignorable, but this year's update brings significant changes for many reasons. […]
Risk Capital and Markets: A Temporary Retreat or Long Term Pull Back? July 1, 2022
As inflation has taken center stage, markets have gone into retreat globally, and across asset classes. In 2022, as bond rates have risen, stock prices have fallen, and crypto has imploded, even true believers are questioning what the bottom for markets might be, and when we will get there. While it is easy to call […]
A Follow up on Inflation: The Disparate Effects on Company Values! May 20, 2022
In my last post, I discussed how inflation's return has changed the calculus for investors, looking at how inflation affects returns on different asset classes, and tracing out the consequences for equity values, in the aggregate. In general, higher and more volatile inflation has negative effects on all financial assets, from stocks to corporate bonds […]

Toys 'R' Us brand may be brought back to life October 3, 2018
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands.
JCPenney names Jill Soltau as its new CEO October 2, 2018
Read full story for latest details.
S&P downgrades debt-riddled GE and GE Capital October 2, 2018
New General Electric boss Larry Culp just got a fresh reminder of the debt-riddled balance sheet he's inheriting.
Goldman Sachs slants research to help Democrats, top White House adviser says October 2, 2018
Kevin Hassett, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, suggested Goldman Sachs may be slanting its economic research to help Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
Meet GE's new boss: Can Larry Culp right the ship? October 1, 2018
General Electric is turning to a outsider to clean up a mess that took decades to create.
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford, from the cornfield to the C-suite October 1, 2018
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files.
GE unexpectedly removes its CEO October 1, 2018
Read full story for latest details.
The next big test for Elon Musk arrives this week September 30, 2018
Read full story for latest details.
The S&P 500 achieves best quarter since 2013 September 28, 2018
The longest bull market in history is back on track.

EU strikes deal to make ships pay for their carbon emissions November 30, 2022
THE European Union has agreed to add shipping to its carbon market for the first time, forcing vessels to pay for their planet-heating emissions and increasing pressure on the maritime sector to invest in greener technologies.
Tech layoffs create rare chance for federal recruiters to snag talent November 30, 2022
FOR the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the mass layoffs in Silicon Valley present a rare shot to snag top talent. With a chronic shortage of tech workers, hundreds of open roles and extra money from Congress in last year’s budget, the agency is keen to seize the opportunity.
Aramco discovers two new Saudi gas fields November 30, 2022
SAUDI Arabia’s energy minister said Saudi Aramco had discovered two new natural gas fields, Awtad and AlDahna, in the country’s eastern region, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday (Nov 30).
US: Wall Street opens flat ahead of Powell speech November 30, 2022
US STOCK indexes opened flat on Wednesday (Nov 30) ahead of comments from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell that will be closely watched for signs of a slowdown in the pace of interest rate hikes by the central bank.
US private payrolls growth slows in November, says ADP November 30, 2022
US private payrolls increased far less than expected in November, suggesting demand for labour was cooling amid high interest rates, a survey showed on Wednesday (Nov 30).