Management
Networking in Tough Times
Be clear. Be professional. Do your research. It’s never a bad time to network. For some, it comes easier than others…so it’s time for a refresher: »
Life Lessons from an Ad Man
Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. »
7 Deadly Sins of Fund Management
Re-visiting a report by Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein that tore the fund management business a new one back in 2005. This report explores the common behavioral mistakes made by investment fund managers. Identifying and mitigating psychological biases is important if one plans to become a good fund manager. Here are the 7 deadly sins: 1. Forecasting 2. The Illusion... »
M&A Boom?
I’ve often said that one way out of the current economic mess is through an M&A boom. Theoretically, an increase in M&A activity would ‘unlock’ hidden value in assets and free up capital for more productive investments. Of course, anyone who recalls some of the disastrous marriages that occurred at market peaks (AOL – Time... »
Buffet Writes to Shareholders
Warren Buffet, of Berkshire Hathaway, published his annual letter to shareholders. Perhaps my favorite part is this: Long ago, Charlie laid out his strongest ambition: “All I want to know is where I’m going to die, so I’ll never go there.” That bit of wisdom was inspired by Jacobi, the great Prussian mathematician, who counseled... »
High Dividend Yields = High Earnings Growth
I thought the investors out there would appreciate this one… There’s plenty of evidence out there that, despite popular belief, high dividend yields and payout ratios indicate high future earnings growth rates. One reason for this is that dividends are sticky and when a management commits to a dividend increase they are constraining future cash flows.... »
Davidowitz is Bearish on Retail
Prior to founding Davidowitz & Associates, Mr. Davidowitz was a Principal at Ernst (now Ernst & Young) where he was Director of National Retail Consulting Services and Chairman of the Retail Committee. He has a B.S. and M.A from New York University and resides in Manhattan. »
Recalling the ‘Peanut Butter Manifesto’
A classic read for anyone stuck in a slow-moving, over-staffed, lumbering bureaucracy. This is the internal memo – written in 2006 – by Brad Garlinghouse, a senior vice president at Yahoo. I think this is the paragraph that says it all for many people: We lack a focused, cohesive vision for our company. We want to... »
The Lizard Brain
This book will teach the individual to fight through the natural resistance that causes us to be mediocre. He calls this natural resistence the 'lizard brain'. »