Millennial Investing - The Investor’s Podcast Network

MI365: The Memos of Howard Marks w/ Shawn O'Malley

Aug 19, 2024

54:23

Snipd AI

Shawn O'Malley, an investment expert, delves into the wisdom of Howard Marks, a legendary Wall Street investor known for his insightful memos. The discussion covers Marks's evolution in investment philosophy over 30 years, with a focus on risk management and long-term returns. They dissect how the 2008 financial crisis shaped investing strategies and highlight critical market calls. O'Malley emphasizes the importance of emotional control, recognizing market cycles, and the dangers of complacency, providing valuable lessons for contemporary investors.

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Howard Marks emphasizes the significance of humility and continuous learning to improve investment decision-making in an unpredictable market environment.

Investing is portrayed as a 'negative art,' highlighting the importance of avoiding bad investments while selectively identifying potential winners for optimal returns.

Marks warns against the 'cardinal sin of investing,' advocating for a contrarian mindset that benefits from buying undervalued assets during market downturns.

Deep dives

Lessons from Howard Marks

Howard Marks emphasizes the importance of humility and self-awareness in investing. He credits his extensive reading of his own memos, dating back to 1990, for refining his understanding of the market. Marks argues that to truly excel as an investor, one must recognize the limits of their knowledge and acknowledge that successful investing often requires admitting what one doesn’t know. By reflecting on his past experiences and market cycles, he illustrates how ongoing learning can empower investors to make better decisions.

Intro

2min

Evolving Investment Philosophy

11min

Navigating Investment Challenges

5min

Lessons from the 2008 Financial Crisis

10min

Navigating Market Risks and Opportunities

7min

Investor Psychology and Market Cycles

16min

In today’s episode, Shawn O’Malley (@Shawn_OMalley_) breaks down 30 years’ worth of memos from one of Wall Street’s most storied investors: Howard Marks.

You’ll learn how Marks’s thinking about beating the market evolved over the course of his career, what it was like going through the 2008 Financial Crisis as a professional investor, the 5 market calls that Marks is most proud of, avoiding the cardinal sin of investing, plus so much more!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN

00:00 - Intro

01:38 - Why steady, slightly above-average returns drive the best long-term returns

05:28 - How to find a balance between finding fewer losers and more winners

07:36 - How to intelligently bear risk for profit

13:48 - Why nobody knows what will happen next in a crisis

14:40 - Why booms and busts are inevitable

22:44 - When Marks realized the dot com bubble was going to pop

24:08 - How low interest rates drive investors to take risks

27:33 - Why beliefs about the housing market were wrong

30:45 - How Marks’s firm responded to the Great Financial Crisis

36:02 - How Marks understood when to start buying stocks again after the 2008 crash

37:59 - When Marks knew bargains were being offered in March 2020

39:37 - How to avoid the cardinal sin of investing

And much, much more!

*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Kyle and the other community members.
2023 Memo: Taking The Temperature.
2023 Memo: Fewer Winners Or Losers?
2012 Memo: Deja Vu All Over Again.
2008 Memo: The Limits To Negativism.
2008 Memo: Nobody Knows.
2007 Memo: It’s All Good.
2005 Memo: Three They Go Again.
2004 Memo: Risk And Return Today.
2000 Memo: Bubble.com.
1990 Memo: The Route To Performance.
Benjamin Graham and David Dodd's book Security Analysis.
Jesse Livermore's book How To Trade In Stocks.
Edward Chancellor's book Devil Takes The Hindmost.
Howard Marks' book Mastering The Market Cycle.
Howard Marks' book The Most Important Thing.
Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here.
Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed.

NEW TO THE SHOW?

Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok.
Check out our Millennial Investing Starter Packs.
Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here.
Try Kyle's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance.
Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services.
Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets.
Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts.

SPONSORS

Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors:

Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export