Category: Musings

10Foot Capital declares morals ‘non-core’, diversifies into fraud manufacturing

reprinted with permission from financialnews.net.com.network.au.  Bringing you the hottest news in global finance FNNCNAU reporter Fiona Mastodon recently conducted a live interview with Yeti Bigfoot, founder of controversial activist investment fund 10Foot Capital. 10Foot Capital is in the midst of a major restructuring program as it attempts to rectify market-lagging performance. Here’s the interview transcript for …

10Foot Presents: If-

I was hoping to have my December quarterly review out this weekend. I was also hoping to make some progress on either my deep dive on Mongolian stocks or my look at Blue Sky Alternatives (ASX: BLA). I did, but nothing’s ready to publish yet. Instead I did this: If- If you can keep your …

You should write a blog

I would like to see more investors blogging about their investments. And although I’m new to blogging, I’ve learned a stack about it this year and I wanted to package up some stuff I’d wish I’d known a year ago to make it easier for those who are thinking about starting. Blogspot, WordPress, or Hosting?  …

The Gig Economy, Round 2

I saw the gay marriage result today and that got me thinking about the gig economy and working conditions. What do gay people have to do with the gig economy? Not sure – but AMP’s Shane Oliver asserted on Twitter that workforce participation would likely pick up now that gay people can marry. Why would gay …

Why the life insurance industry needs Amazon

I was having a look at Freedom Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: FIG) after its plunge recently. 4x-5x EBITDA is the price level where 10foot gets interested, especially when there’s embedded value in the existing customers and commissions. Ultimately I’m not comfortable with the business model (cold calling) and probably won’t invest. Freedom is an insurance broker …

Strong narratives: A source of competitive advantage?

One of the best things about investing is that you will draw on virtually all of your skills, knowledge, and experience at one point or another. I studied narratives at school, formally, as an academic pursuit. It sounds dry, and it kinda was, but it’s proven to be valuable in highly unusual ways. Try deconstructing a …

On Catalonia

The general view on Twitter and in the media seems to be that ‘Spain is grossly overreacting to the illegal Catalan referendum.’ Fair point. It is not a pretty picture. However, if we ask why Spain is overreacting, a different picture emerges: Autonomy Although a parliamentary monarchy, Spain is a decentralized nation composed of autonomous regions and cities. …

What is a synthetic subprime CDO?

Six months ago I was asked to explain what a synthetic CDO was.  Well pal, the sky is blue because bankers in Wall Street…. I sort of did my best and drew a few diagrams and we got about halfway there and came to a halt. I understand roughly how a synthetic CDO works, I …

Q1 2018: 10foot is up 70% FYTD

As we prepare our upcoming quarterly review, we are pleased to announce that the 10foot portfolio has returned approximately 70% since last quarter and now has an unaudited total net asset value (NAV) of $16,830 versus an initial value of $10,000 at inception. There has also been a change in the structure of the fund, …

The things that move share prices

I have recently been reading through well-known investing blogs like Bronte Capital (John Hempton) and Bristlemouth (Forager/Steve Johnson) from their beginnings in 2008 or so. They are very good. I read Hempton’s in its entirety a few years ago and I would recommend his earlier posts as an excellent crash course in how the truck …