Some Interesting Recent Headlines
The profit bonanza driven by mega-tech AI cap-ex spending feels a lot like the earnings boost many companies saw during Covid due to stimulus. Will be interesting to see how this one plays out.
the lukas blog
Hi, I’m Lukas and this is my blog. I like learning about how the world works.
Latest posts
Just a few charts to capture Mr. Market’s current mood.
Just a few charts to capture Mr. Market’s current mood. Who knows how long this keeps going, but as they say, Caveat Emptor.
The Art of Un-Learning
The other day I was going through the meditative process of…washing my car. Anywho, while in my flow-state, a thought popped into my head. You see, somewhere along the line I was taught that drying a car required a leather chamois, and until recently, I had dutifully followed this edict. But you know what? I recently switched to a micro-fiber towel and let’s face it, it’s just…
Greed
It’s pretty remarkable that despite what our society has endured over the past year or so, greed is running rampant (e.g., crypto, segments of the equity market). Anyone that has studied history knows that a statement like this doesn’t mean we are close to the end, or that things can’t get crazier. The only real point of this short post is to memorialize the zeitgeist. Stay safe out there…
How Much Research Is Enough?
I’ve been investing for many years now and there have been countless lessons learned along the way (more to come as well!). One interesting thing I’ve realized is that it’s possible to go too deep when researching an idea. Not only is it difficult to internalize mountains of information, too much research tends to lead to overconfidence. Striking the right balance means going as…
The Meaning of Life - A Working Theory
Like many people, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what my purpose is. What am I here for? What should I do? How should I live? While it’s still a work in process, a few sentences I recently wrote down in my journal have continued to resonate with me the past couple days. I thought it would be fun to share these thoughts with the world. In time, we will all be forgotten no matter how…
Knowing When to Hold ‘em, and When to Fold ‘em
The investment world can be surprisingly generous when it comes to offering up good advice (if you know where to look and whom to ask). Two of my favorite snippets of wisdom include: 1. Be patient; have conviction in your decisions. 2. Cut your losses early. Unfortunately, while there is truth behind both of these phrases, they conflict with each other, which makes them difficult to apply in…
Is the E-Commerce / Amazon Narrative the Next Hype “Supernova”?
Like many people, I find extreme swings in opinion fascinating. Perhaps the best example of this today is the narrative surrounding e-commerce, and more specifically, Amazon. Don’t get me wrong, these are a HUGE deal with big implications for retail. That being said, the popular narrative out there feels like it’s getting into “silly” territory. Like most crowded trades, there is a grain of truth…
For the Record
Bill McBride is one of my favorite bloggers, and it’s hard to find someone that has done a better job opining on the economy over the past decade. On top of that, he is a good person that calls it like he sees it. In addition to agreeing with his views on the economy, I also agree with his stance on the ‘16 Presidential Election. More specifically, I think he is right that people should make it…
FOMO
FOMO - short for “fear of missing out” - is one of my favorite acronyms. I believe it is also a powerful contrarian indicator. When FOMO is rampant, it’s usually a good sign of excess. When you are jealous that even your cabbie (Uber driver for you youngsters) is getting rich in the stock market, there is a good chance that the market is overvalued. When cocktail party conversation involves “chest…
Loyalty is Underrated
Loyalty is an underrated commodity in today’s world. Without loyalty, there is a lack of trust. And without trust, it’s virtually impossible to accomplish anything meaningful, if anything at all. A lack of trust is cancerous, and it can destroy many great things (e.g., relationships, companies, countries). In the absence of trust, people start to do crazy things. They only think about themselves…
Advice is Nice but Getting Things Done is Better
As some of you may know, two of my closest friends and I have been working feverishly on building a business in our free time (hence the lack of posting). It’s been a long process and a huge commitment, but I’m confident all the sacrifice will be worth it in the end and I look forward to sharing more with you in the near future. But enough about that, this post is about something I’ve learned…
Getting Started is the Hardest Part
Getting started is often the hardest part. Why do most people live lives of minimal consequence? Why do most people not question the world around them? Why do most people take the shortcut? Because it’s easy. Because it’s the path of least resistance. Because that old saying is true, ignorance is bliss. Why tackle that new project today, when you can always start tomorrow? Why write that new blog…
So cool!
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/alexa-meade-photos-imitate-paintings-1319236464-slideshow/1-photo-1319231555.html
Cherish the Journey as much as the Destination
Today’s fast-paced world has an obsession, nay an addiction, to the “destination”. It’s one of the main reasons that while we may have “more” (e.g., wealth, possessions, etc.) as a society, we don’t seem to be any happier. What we need to realize is that the journey is just as valuable (perhaps more so) as the destination. Who ever coined the phrase: “Stop and smell the roses.” was on to…
How to Maximize Shareholder Value
“Maximizing shareholder value” is business-speak for “being the best you can be”, and it is a hot topic in today’s business world. And while the concept is an important one, unfortunately, the debate tends to be framed incorrectly. The problem lies in our business culture’s focus on “precision”, even if that sense of precision is an illusion. We are a society of numbers. We like formulas and…
Beware the Pitfalls of Relative Benchmarks
(Click image above to see short video clip) Not unlike the hormone-induced singles you might observe at a bar 15 minutes before closing time, we humans have a tendency of falling into the trap of weighing decisions based on “relative” attractiveness. While relative benchmarks are important tools, using them outside of an absolute framework can lead to a poor decision-making track record. To…
Today’s Greatest Investment Opportunity
Unlike what you might read in the financial press, today’s greatest “investment” opportunity is not a financial instrument. Today’s greatest investment opportunity is one’s self. Like financial instruments, investing in yourself can reap huge rewards, but unlike financial assets, when you invest in yourself there is no way to lose. Not only is investing in oneself a prerequisite for…
I’M BLOGGING! I BLOG! I’M A BLOGGER!
(click image above to view short video clip) And so it begins… Before I dive into some topics I thought it would be best to provide a little background on why I have decided to start blogging and more importantly what I plan on blogging about. Why blog? Like a swelling mountain river in the springtime melt, my mind is constantly overflowing with thoughts & ideas; most of which aren’t yet…
hello world
taking the plunge, stay tuned for more…