"Reminiscing on Reminiscences of a Stock Operator" is a reflective exploration of one of the most celebrated books in financial literature, "Reminiscences of a Stock Operator," written by Edwin Lefèvre in 1923.
Two of my favorite TV shows from the 1960s that dealt with the future were The Jetsons and Star Trek. One has a much better track record of predicting how technology has evolved. While we’re not quite driving the flying cars of the Jetsons – yet – let’s look back on the fantastic technological tools the crew of the USS Enterprise had at their disposal: the communicator (smartphone); tablets (Kindles and iPads); communication earpieces (Bluetooth); and virtual assistants (Alexa and Siri). With computers that can recognize natural language commands, I find myself believing we are still closer to the beginning, rather than the middle, of where technology can take intelligent FP&A in the future.
When discussing the future of intelligent financial planning & analysis (FP&A), I am reminded of the theme song from my high school graduation, Timbuk3’s “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” That is how I honestly feel about the trajectory of the FP&A profession. I believe we are finally at a point where we not only possess the tools to take FP&A to new heights, but FP&A will have to soar for organizations to thrive in the 21st century.
In the realm of finance, passive investing has surged in popularity over the past few decades, with index funds and ETFs becoming the go-to vehicles for investors seeking broad market exposure with minimal management fees.
2018 was a veritable roller-coaster ride for the Indian real estate. Despite signs of recovery across segments, the liquidity crunch – further exacerbated by the NBFC crisis – put all industry stakeholders on tenterhooks. Consolidation via mergers and acquisitions was rife in all sectors, completely redefining the concept of ‘financial health’ among players and drawing clear lines on who will survive the heat. This process will continue throughout 2019, as well.
Value investing, a strategy made famous by legends like Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett, revolves around the idea of buying undervalued stocks and holding them until the market recognizes their true worth.
In the world of investing, strategies come and go, markets rise and fall, but one thing remains constant: the need for a sound investment philosophy.