Hottest links for Monday, 30th December, the late edition (see prior edition of hottest links). Get our free daily newsletter (which HAS BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED) and never miss a single linkfest. Also, now if you sign up you will get our new e-book on value investing.
Top stories for today are below. 2014 “looking ahead” and 2013 “year in review” articles dominate today’s links, but amongst all the year-end navel gazing, it’s important to keep an eye on what’s happening in the here and now. That’s why we’ve got a few great stories about Target’s security woes, hedge funds going nonprofit, and inexpensive stocks keeping the rally going.
Hottest Links: Stories
Book review
Book Review: Fizz — How Soda Shook Up the World
In Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World, Tristan Donovan provides a compelling account of the soda industry from its very early days to recent controversies regarding health concerns. [The Rational Walk]
Book review: Antifragile
In his latest book, Antifragile, Taleb, goes further than any of his previous works in setting out a ‘theory of everything’. [Nicholas Dunbar]
Value Investing
My Biggest Investing Mistake of 2013
While I have held on to some stocks for 4-5 years now, one stock that really tested my patience was Swaraj Engines Limited (BOM:500407) (NSE:SWARAJENG), which I had bought in September 2010 at around Rs 405. [Vishal Khandelwal, Safal Niveshak]
A Dozen Predictions from Tren Griffin for 2014
Business reporters in general will continue to ignore the difference between revenue and profit and will talk generically about “making money.” [Tren Griffin, 25iq]
The Best Financial Advice I Ever Got (or Gave)
The holidays are a time for relaxing, helping the less fortunate, showering family and friends with love and attention—and, sometimes, for smiling and nodding through unsolicited stock tips from an overbearing relative who has been sampling the eggnog. [Liz Moyer, Jason Zweig, Ryan Wallerson, Liam Pleven, Leslie Scism, Kirsten Grind And David Benoit, The Wall Street Journal]
Funds
This Oddball Gold Investment Hasn’t Even Lost 1% Since February
Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS) (LON:RBS) (AMS:RBS)’s $62 million RBS Gold Trendpilot Exchange Traded Notes (NYSEARCA:TBAR) has basically hovered in place since gold’s February breakdown. [Brendan Conway, Focus on Funds]
A new reality
Dan Fuss likes to describe the structure of the corporate bond market as resembling an ice cream sandwich: bonds change hands between the two crispy wafers on either side, but there’s a fluffy layer in between that facilitates each transaction. [Ben Eisen, Market Watch]
Here’s a switch: Big hedge funders going nonprofit
Billionaire hedge fund investor Tom Steyer was at the top of the hedge fund game last year. At 55, he was managing $20 billion and had produced stellar 13 percent annual returns for investors since founding Farallon Capital Management in 1986. [Lawrence Delevingne, CNBC]
Hedge fund titan to pocket $3B for 2013
David Tepper of Appaloosa Management, with more than $20 billion under management, is looking at a possible $3 billion-plus payday in 2013, which could make him the highest paid hedgie. [Michelle Celarier, New York Post]
The many joys of a dead week
One filing we’ve yet to see, but which we continue to look for, is from Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT). It’s hard to imagine that the massive security breech that was first disclosed at the height of the Christmas shopping season wouldn’t warrant an 8-K, especially since the DOJ is now investigating. [Footnoted]
Misc
The Unofficial Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) Guide to New Year’s Resolutions
Exercise more. Drink less. Travel. Save money. These are your unoriginal regurgitated New Year’s resolutions. [GSElevator, Huffington Post]
Inexpensive Stocks Take Lead in Rally
Investors are homing in on shares seen as bargains, a shift that bulls say could keep this year’s epic stock rally going in 2014. [Alexandra Scaggs, The Wall Street Journal]
Hottest Links: Not The Onion
These Disturbingly Creative Snowmen Would Make Calvin And Hobbes Proud
Bill Watterson’s classic comic strip always took an extra sharp turn for the weird around the season’s first snowfall. And although there hasn’t been a new “Calvin and Hobbes” printed in the last twenty or so years, Calvin’s mischievous spirit has quite clearly lived on. [Sara Boboltz, Huffington Post]
