European Bank Stocks, Moral Hazard and Untangling Bank Regulations, Part II
Following up on last month’s piece, we’re going to put the theory to numbers with an example to illustrate the impact of capital rules and the various levers they apply on bank stocks. After that, we’ll look at a couple of European bank stock ideas. If you didn’t read the last post, I recommend you do that first.
European Bank Stocks, Moral Hazard and Untangling Bank Regulations, Part I
Published on March 26, 2021 Time is a bit warped in the COVID-continuum. Still, some of us may remember a little less than a decade ago when European financial stability occupied major headlines for what seemed like an interminable amount of time. Bank stocks there were going to implode, and Europe could not get out of its own way to stop them. Amidst increasing regulatory and product complexity,…
Updates on Uranium, Greece and Russia PLUS Observations on and Improvements to the Blog
This blog started a little over six months ago. I hope it has provided you with ideas, opportunities, and lessons without having to learn the hard way. Today, I want to talk about some observations on the blog itself. Specifically, what’s been popular, a general overview of the readership, and where things are generally headed. I’ll also introduce a couple of new features that I hope will improve your experience. Finally, I will update the key investment themes discussed in prior posts, namely uranium, Greece, and Russia.
A Survey of Capital Controls and Black Market FX: A Refresher for Developed Market Investors
For this first February post, I am stepping back to cover a broader topic important for international investors to understand. We will talk about FX regimes, capital controls, and black market FX—parallel market foreign exchange in PC lingo. Few investors from the US or Europe born after 1980 have never had to deal with the uncertainty surrounding foreign exchange rules, buying, or selling international securities. The dollar has been floating since 1971, and although many European countries have switched from Francs, Lira and D-Marks to Euros, the rules have been pretty straightforward. We’ll let our currency float and occasionally talk it down (rarely up) if it appreciates (depreciates) too much.
Beyond Gazprom Stock and The RSX ETF
The Investment Case for Russia Right Now, Part 2
Following last week’s piece, I wanted to delve into some specific names in Russia, both to consider and to possibly avoid. The background risks and tailwinds discussed in the last post apply to all of these names and should be incorporated into any analysis.
Beyond Gazprom Stock and The RSX ETF:
The Investment Case for Russia Right Now, Part 1
One cannot write long about international and Emerging Markets investing without covering Russia. Russia is a member of the BRICS ensemble and, back in the ‘90s, was the first home-run emerging markets trade of the modern era. Many EM veterans cut their teeth in the ‘98 Russia default and its privatizations earlier in that decade on the equity side. Perhaps ironically, the Russian market’s lack of excitement today makes many of its companies a compelling opportunity now.
The Recent Investment Cycle in Greece
…and Three Greek Stocks to Consider Now
Nearly four months ago, I published two posts explaining how investors can understand and take advantage of market cycles. However, the real challenge and opportunity are in execution, so today I’ll cover an example of an actionable cycle in Greek stocks to make the theory tangible.
5 Investing Tips for 2021 and The Castaway Capitalist’s 2020 Log
When I tried to co-launch a new investment manager a few years back, I started the habit of reviewing the prior investing year’s actions and setting goals for the new one. This post is a summary of my review of 2020.
Hungry for Knowledge and Ready to Improve Your Investing Skills?
The Castaway Capitalist’s Resources Page is Up and Running!
I have created a page for investors looking for additional resources. You can access the page from the menu bar at the top right of the main page or here.
4 Reasons to Invest in Uranium NOW
And the Best Stock to Consider
The holy grail of investing is finding large mispricings with a clear and imminent catalyst to realign prices. These can be found due to market structure and non-economic factors, like human behavior (as discussed in my prior article on cycles), which causes people to extrapolate recent history beyond what is appropriate.
