The Commoditization of Information

I work in the investment business and I’ve come to realize that many investment strategies seem to be really information problems in disguise. This essay discusses why the speed of information might be a root-cause of declining investment alpha, and what it might portend more broadly for certain business models and their future profitability.

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The Investment Paradox of Software

The period 2014 to the present has been one of soul-searching for value investors as many formerly successful fund managers retire following stagnant performance. Commenters increasingly describe a market rally that is remarkably narrow in breadth led by FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) and other software-driven technology stocks which trade at valuations which appear unhinged from traditional cash-flow based valuation metrics. There are several possible explanations for value investors' under-performance: more competitive markets, diminished information asymmetries, a venture capital bubble, or changes in business models, especially in terms of technology and intangible assets. Yet, there is also some historical evidence that our current tech-dominated market indexes may simply reflect the out-sized importance of software in emerging business models

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