I had one of those lively Zoom meetings with a group of smart people, the kind that starts off looking perfectly professional but soon turns into an all-encompassing global symposium. The original agenda was simple enough: a quick check-in on portfolios. As these things often go, we ended up talking about almost everything from politics,…

Someone once asked His Holiness Maharishi, “What is the most important quality to have in life?” Without hesitation, he answered, “Discrimination.” The person pressed further, “Now, Maharishi, I cannot believe that. Would not you choose compassion or non-attachment?” Without showing the slightest surprise, His Holiness Maharishi calmly replied, “When you learn discrimination, only then can…

I will be taking a brief break from blogging over the next couple of days as I host some special guests visiting from far and wide. Well, it is always a joy and occasionally a scheduling puzzle to welcome friends and fellow investors from abroad. One of them is a highly successful entrepreneur who has…

Over coffee at a quiet mall, a couple of clients and I found ourselves deep in conversation about the metals market. It was one of those peaceful mid-morning chats, the kind where the barista knows your order but the topic of discussion could move markets. Well, the consensus? We have entered a corrective phase for…

We have all heard the timeless promise of diversification (higher returns with lower volatility). Sounds great on paper, right? Unfortunately, in the real world, diversification does not always deliver that smooth ride investors dream of. In theory, asset class diversification should be simple: mix different things, reduce risk, sleep better. However, as many investors have…