Vitaliy Katsenelson
Shadow Over Asia
Five years ago, almost to the day, I was interviewed by David Galland, who worked at Casey Research at the time. This interview covered three topics: the Chinese overcapacity bubble, the Japanese debt bubble, and my sideways markets thesis. Five years is a long time, but with the exception of updating some statistics I really would not change anything.
Apple, Amazon, Tesla and the Changing Dynamics of the Car Industry
Writing is a very weird experience for me. Sometimes it feels almost like an act of divine intervention. Not because of the divinity of it, but because of the intervention part.
Casta Diva
Norma premiered in La Scala (the Mecca of opera in Millan Italy) in 1831. Casta Diva is one of the most challenging arias ever written for soprano.
Thoughts on iPhone 6s
I spent the weekend with an iPhone 6s. I didn’t find many differences between the 6 and 6s.
Innovation is Alive and Well at Apple
Can Apple still come up with breakthrough innovations? In September Apple introduced an iPhone with 3-D touch, Apple TV that has been turned into a gaming device and a larger iPad with a stylus that will take the tech giant into new niches.
Manifesto – The Values of Value Investing
I rarely share letters we write to IMA’s clients, but I decided to share this “Value Investor’s Manifesto”.
The Apple Watch Is More Than a Cool Gadget
“You know how difficult it is to explain to a nonparent the joy of having kids? The Apple Watch is the same thing. It’s hard to explain how great it is to someone who has never worn one.”
The Conn’s Paradox, or the Synergy of Awful
I expected to see inverse synergy at Conn’s when we started analyzing it; after all, the company consists of two pretty awful businesses.
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9
I wanted to share with you Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. It is not a traditional symphony, because it uses voices in addition to instruments.
Me, My Boy and Warren Buffett
In my latest attempt to gently nudge Jonah’s direction in life, I am taking him to the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.
How Emotional Intelligence Can Make You a Better Investor
Investors enjoy the unique luxury of choosing problems that let them maximize the use of not just their IQ but also their EQ — emotional intelligence.
Unraveling the Mystery of Oil and the Swiss Franc
The collapse of oil prices and jump in the Swiss franc have forced me to puzzle over these weighty questions.
Cavalleria Rusticana
I wanted to share with you music that you may have heard in the movie Godfather. It is an opera by Pietro Mascagni called Cavalleria Rusticana.
The Return of the Violin
Over the weekend I watched the documentary The Return of the Violin, and it had a tremendous impact on me.
Buying Warren Buffett, Richard Branson and Steve Jobs at a Discount
What would you get if you crossed Warren Buffett, Richard Branson and Steve Jobs? Answer: Masayoshi Son, the Korean-Japanese, University of California, Berkeley–educated founder of one of Japan’s most successful companies, SoftBank Corp.
Bad News at Tesco Could Be Good News for Investors
Although Tesco’s business is doing worse today than it was even six months ago, things are not as bad as you’d infer from the stock price or from reading the financial press.
Great Conductors
On Saturday I was browsing TED talks and stumbled on this incredible talk by Itay Talgam, “Lead like the great conductors.”
Putin’s World: Why Russia’s Showdown with the West Will Worsen
I was perplexed by how the Russian people could possibly support and not be outraged by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Investment Lessons Learned from the Poker Table
“I don’t know.” These three words don’t inspire a lot of confidence in the messenger and probably will not get me invited onto CNBC, but that is exactly what I think about the topic I am about to discuss.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
I want to share with you Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.” Niccolo Paganini, Italian violin virtuoso and composer, wrote 24 capriccios for violin.
Macbeth
Today I wanted to share with you aria from Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth. I saw this opera for the first time with my wife on one of our first dates.
