Practical analysis for investment professionals 
Highlights from February include an update from Ted Seides, CFA, seven years into his famous 10-year bet with Warren Buffett; an examination of Islamic finance’s track record and future prospects; an online forum exploring the question of whether finance is a noble profession; and more. Read more
Leave a Comment
Since 1975, when the first Islamic commercial bank was established in Dubai, Islamic finance has come a long way. Its global assets are now estimated to be around US $1.5 trillion across the banking sector, capital markets, and takaful, or Islamic insurance. Given the available track record, how do informed observers characterize the development of this most prominent form of faith-based finance? Read more
16 Comments
Standing seven years into a 10-year wager with Warren Buffett that hedge funds would outperform the S&P 500, we sure look wrong. What follows is an assessment of why, and an outlook on where to go from here. Read more
16 CommentsGlobal oil prices have plunged by approximately 50% over the past seven months, their sharpest price drop since the 2008 global financial crisis. The sudden fall can be attributed to a confluence of factors — most notably, weaker demand because of sluggish economies around the world, a surge in supply because of the shale energy boom in the United States, and a relatively stable geopolitical backdrop (insofar as there have been no meaningful supply disruptions). Read more
2 Comments
Top articles from January explore the recent oil price plunge, the fundamental utility of bitcoins, what the recent moves by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) mean for the interplay between central banks and markets, and offer some revealing charts on deflation and other topics. Read more
Leave a Comment
As markets hit new highs, we explore whether rational economic man, the bedrock of many financial theories and valuation models, is subject to unseen and adverse physiological influences. Read more
Leave a Comment
This week, when the Swiss National Bank broke the Swiss franc’s cap to the euro, it demonstrated that the SNB had conceded central bank power to market power. Read more
7 Comments
The present Russian ruble crisis has drawn many references in the media to the Russian sovereign debt default of 1998. But just how similar or different is the situation today? Read more
Leave a Comment
Highlights from December include examinations of how the US shale oil boom could impact real estate in London and Aswath Damodaran’s recommendation that investment managers fuse numbers and narratives in stock valuations. Read more
2 Comments