Citywire: Mistakes Were Made

Veteran fund manager Chris Davis and best-selling author Morgan Housel share some of their worst investment mistakes and the lessons they learned from these errors. In short, buying and holding great stocks is much harder than you think! 

Are humans completely prone to investment mistakes? Behavioural investment expert Joe Wiggins believes there are a multitude of traps even the most hardened of investor will fall into, so what can you do about it? In the final episode of the series, Wiggins, who has worked across major UK institutions and is now chief investment officer of research group Fundhouse, tackles the waking nightmare of thematics, the pain of past performance and the hubris of high-profile investors.

The truth path to ESG enlightenment is not paved with positive intentions but must be drilled home by the threat of meaningful punishment. That is the view of ESG expert Desiree Fixler, who oversee the sustainability efforts at DWS before being ousted and ultimately outlining what she saw as misaligned or misguided industry standards around sustainable investing. In this special episode, Desiree, who now works for non-profit group VentureESG, casts a critical eye over the world of ESG investing and looks at the most common mistakes investors and companies alike are falling into. We also hear from Jamie Catherwood on a historic treasure hunt that left investors more underwater than the precious jewels they were seeking.

In a lively discussion, Howard Marks, co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management and revered investor, shares his insights on market cycles. He addresses the current economic climate, exploring liquidity risks versus returns. The conversation touches on the psychological allure of easy gains in today's investing culture and the parallels with gambling. They dive into the importance of understanding investor sentiment, especially in light of recent market turmoil like the FTX collapse, advocating for strategic long-term investment approaches.

Politicians have never been under greater scrutiny, but it is important to work out whether they are mad, bad, irrational or a hostage of fate. In a special Mistakes Were Made recorded at Citywire Berlin 2022 with author and commentator John Kampfner, which came after the political expert had shared his experience of where he thinks the world is headed. In this podcast, Kampfner, who has covered political change in Europe and beyond since the 1980s, reveals what he thinks is the currently the biggest political mistake that is being lived through, while also looking at the strange impact of a 24-hour news cycle. Plus, Investor Amnesia’s Jamie Catherwood takes a closer look at how the boom in the automobile industry led a surge – and inevitable pop – in the burgeoning rubber markets of Malaysia.

Dynamic Beta investments' Andrew Beer is having a banner year with his managed futures strategy up big while just about everything else is down. But he’s not always been on the right side of a major bubble burst, as explains to Frank and Alex.

Abrdn’s Hugh Young is open about the mistakes and challenges that have afflicted him during his four decades of building his noteworthy presence in the Asian market. From picking hot stocks at the exact wrong moment to his long-considered concerns about the Chinese growth story. In this latest episode, the Singapore-based investor talks about the evolution of the Asian equity market, as well as how someone with his level of experience contends with the surge in short-termist thinking that is becoming more and more prevalent.

GQG Partners' CIO and star fund manager Rajiv Jain explains how an aversion to energy cost him big, that it's vital for fund managers to have skin in the game, and why PM turnover isn't always a bad thing. Plus, Investor Amnesia's Jamie Catherwood drops by to tell us about Japan's Samurai bunny bubble (yes, you read that right). Enjoy!

A Jamba Juice SPAC, insane trading costs, and a 19th century Fyre Festival... this podcast has it all! Ritholtz Wealth Management’s Josh Brown, Michael Batnick, plus Investor Amnesia’s Jamie Catherwood join the Mistake Were Made crew for a killer episode to kick off season four.

When does it make sense to stand up to your risk manager? For income outperformer Nick Clay it is when you are being strong-armed into doubling your stake in a company you have little faith in. In the last episode of this season, Clay, who works for UK boutique Redwheel, looks back on four decades of income investing and shares the lessons he has learned from being able to push back.