

Excess Returns
Excess Returns
Excess Returns is dedicated to making you a better long-term investor and making complex investing topics understandable. Join Jack Forehand, Justin Carbonneau and Matt Zeigler as they sit down with some of the most interesting names in finance to discuss topics like macroeconomics, value investing, factor investing, and more. Subscribe to learn along with us.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 1, 2022 • 1h 6min
Everything Investors Need to Know About Federal Reserve Policy with Cullen Roche
There has been a lot of debate about Federal Reserve policy in the wake of the pandemic. But many of those involved in that debate want to promote a specific position and interpret the facts in a way to accomplish that goal. In this episode, we wanted to take a step back cover the facts about the Federal Reserve and how it operates. And we couldn't think of a better person to do that with than our friend Cullen Roche. We discuss the history of the Fed, what its mandates are, the tools it can use to achieve its goals, and how all of that applies to the situation we find ourselves in today.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Aug 25, 2022 • 1h 5min
Talking All Things Value Investing with Tobias Carlisle
This week we are joined by our good friend and first three time guest on the podcast Tobias Carlisle. We talk about a wide range of value investing topics, including the current state of value investing and how value looks relative to growth. We also compare the current period for value to the early 2000s period and look at what we can learn from that period. Finally, we take a deep dive into the many issues value investors face when constructing a value strategy in the real world, including using single metrics vs. composites, portfolio sizing, industry concentration, how to handle intangible assets and a lot more.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Aug 18, 2022 • 1h 2min
Show Us Your Portfolio: Rick Ferri
Our first few episodes of Show Us Your Portfolio looked at some thoughtful, evidence-based approaches to portfolio construction. But we also noticed after listening to them that many of the concepts we discussed might be too sophisticated for the average investor. Given that simplicity often works best in investing, we wanted to talk to someone about the benefits of using a less complex approach. And we couldn't think of anyone better to talk to about that than Rick Ferri. Rick is the President of the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, the host of the Bogleheads on Investing Podcast and a long-time advocate for low fee investing.
We discuss how Rick thinks about building his personal portfolio and his Core 4 approach to investing. We also discuss why all of us tend to overcomplicate our portfolios and what we can do to correct that.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Aug 11, 2022 • 53min
Show Us Your Portfolio: Phil Huber
In our latest episode of Show Us Your Portfolio we speak to Savant Wealth CIO Phil Huber. We discuss Phil's approach to building his personal portfolio and the core principles that guide it. We also discuss Phil's view on the expected returns of stocks and bonds, his approach to selecting alternative investments and a lot more,
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Aug 4, 2022 • 54min
Constructing an Intangible Asset Based Value Strategy with Kai Wu
Research has shown that value investing needs to change. Our economy has transitioned from one dominated by tangible assets like buildings and equipment to one dominated by intangible assets such as brands and intellectual property. Although many researchers have looked at the issue of how to value intangible assets, far fewer are looking at how to translate that into an actual investment strategy.
Our guest this week has done exactly that.
We speak to Sparkline Capital founder Kai Wu about how he looks at intangible assets and the machine learning based methods he uses to value them. We also get into the nuts and bolts of constructing an intangible focused value strategy and discuss issues such as selecting an investment universe, determining the number of stocks to hold, position sizing, industry concentration and a lot more.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Jul 28, 2022 • 27min
What is the One Lesson You Would Teach the Average Investor? Ten Great Investors Tell Us
In each episode of Excess Returns we ask all our guests one standard closing question:
Based on your experience in markets, if you could teach one lesson to your average investor, what would it be?
The question has allowed us to distill the major lessons that some of the best investors we know have learned in their careers into easy to understand principles that all of us can learn from.
In this episode, we bring together all the best answers we have received so far in 2022.
Here are the top 10 lessons our guests would teach your average investor.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Jul 25, 2022 • 49min
Value Investing, Compounding and Lifelong Learning with Gautam Baid
In this episode we speak with Gautam Baid, author of The Joys Of Compounding: The Passionate Pursuit Of Lifelong Learning. We talk about the power of compounding and the criteria he uses to identify long-term compounders. We also cover a wide range of other topics, including why value investing works over the long-term, what to make of the recent struggles of value and the long-term potential of the Indian market.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
GAUTAM'S BOOK
https://www.amazon.com/Joys-Compounding-Passionate-Lifelong-Learning/dp/9390351014/
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Jul 20, 2022 • 60min
Finding Opportunity in the Technology Stock Storm with Robert Cantwell and Lars Cianciolo
After years of very strong performance, technology and growth stocks have had a much more difficult time in the last 18 months. Many of the highest multiple names are now 70%-90% off their highs, and even the FAANG stocks have joined in this year and seen major declines. In this episode, we bring in two experts to help us analyze the situation.
We speak with Upholdings' Robert Cantwell and Lars Cianciolo about how we got here with technology stocks, where we are today, and what the opportunity for the future looks like. We compare the current situation to the 2000 tech bubble, talk about the most important metrics to look at when valuing tech companies and discuss the application of quant strategies to tech and growth investing.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Jul 15, 2022 • 1h 14min
Option Dealer Flows, Inflation and Investing in a Changing World with Cem Karsan
In this episode we are joined by Kai Volatility founder Cem Karsan. Cem has led the way in educating investors about the importance of option dealer flows and the impact of hedging on the market. We discuss this issue in depth and look at how dealer positioning can have a much greater impact on markets than many believe We also look at what that impact means for long-term investors.
In the second half of the conversation, we discuss Cem's unique macro framework and the major secular changes the economy and markets are seeing in the wake of the pandemic. He also provides one of the most insightful answers we have had to our standard closing question so make sure to stay tuned until the end.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau

Jul 12, 2022 • 58min
Investing in a World of Low Expected Returns with AQR's Antti Ilmanen
Investors have enjoyed above average returns for decades now. But long-term evidence suggests that those lofty returns won't last forever. In this episode we take a deep dive into the topic of expected returns with AQR's Antti Ilmanen. Antti is the author of Expected Returns: An Investor's Guide to Harvesting Market Rewards, which many consider to be the seminal work on the topic and has recently released a new book Investing Amid Low Expected Returns: Making the Most When Markets Offer the Least.
We discuss the concept of expected returns and dig into the details of how they are calculated. We then use that framework to understand why future expected returns are likely lower than what investors have become accustomed to in recent decades. We also cover some additional sources of return that might offer investors an opportunity to boost returns in a low expected return world.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
ANTTI'S NEW BOOK
https://www.amazon.com/Investing-Amid-Low-Expected-Returns/dp/1119860199
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Excess Returns is an investing podcast hosted by Jack Forehand (@practicalquant) and Justin Carbonneau (@jjcarbonneau), partners at Validea. Justin and Jack discuss a wide range of investing topics including factor investing, value investing, momentum investing, multi-factor investing, trend following, market valuation and more with the goal of helping those who watch and listen become better long term investors.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/excess-returns-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA
https://www.validea.com
FOLLOW OUR BLOG
https://blog.validea.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau