Avoid desire for instant gains to win investment battle: Mark Spitznagel (2024)

If investors are searching for a unique approach to investment management, they can consider Mark Spitznagel's style of investing.

Spitznagel is not as popular or a household investment name like Warren Buffett but his unique investment approach surely makes investors sit up and take notice of his investment exploits. His fund saw a staggering return of 4,144% in the first quarter of 2020.

The skilled fund manager says embracing risk and some losses in good times is the way to prosper in an investment crisis.

Mark Spitznagel is a hedge fund manager, founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer of Universa Investments L.P., an investment management firm that has specialized in risk management since it was founded in 2007.

Spitznagel was introduced to the investment world through a family friend who worked at the Chicago Board of Trade.

Spitznagel established Empirica Capital in 1999, along with Nassim Taleb, one of his professors at NYU. Later, Spitznagel started Universa but retained the relationship with Taleb, who would remain an advisor.

Investment Philosophy
Spitznagel and his firm Universa Investments use certain investing techniques that might seem unreasonable to the average investor. His firm, which trades options, aims to make spectacular returns in times of market crisis.

When the coronavirus pandemic sent financial markets tumbling, Spitznagel had one of his most profitable periods ever.

Spitznagel encourages his clients to take on more systematic risk because his portfolio is constructed in such a way that it can mitigate risk.

The Dao of Capital
Spitznagel is also the author of a few best selling investment gems. In one of his books, The Dao of Capital, he backs a long-term approach to investing rather than a desire for immediate gains.

In the book, he explains how his investment approach is similar to the one used by ancient societies and species in nature for success and survival.

Elaborating further he says just like a forest is suppressed from small fires to clear the ground for new growth, markets can become unstable due to various factors.

According to Spitznagel, while most investors search for immediate gains and instant gratification, investors should be looking in the opposite direction.

Investment strategy
Using ancient Chinese Daoist concepts and Austrian investing techniques, Spitznagel defines his investing approach as taking the road less traveled, or as following a “roundabout” path.

According to Spitznagel his strategy involves suffering small losses for long periods when markets are buoyant, then making huge returns during very occasional market slip ups.

"That is almost the mirror image of what most investors are taught to do: make steady gains most of the time but accept the odd huge loss. When someone wants to bet against a crash, I will take the other side. I can’t have everyone agree with me. I need to be the contrarian, crazy guy that everyone snigg*rs at," he says in his book "The Dao of Capital".

Spitznagel says his investment theory uses logic, probability and history and aims to justify and show that most sought after safe havens investors run to, like bonds, hedge funds or tail-risk funds do not work.

"There are frighteningly many ways that the investment industry regularly smokes people with complicated and unfalsifiable (and thus pseudoscientific) theories and cherry-picked market data”, he says in the book.

While Spitznagel's strategy is designed to hedge against a market fall, Spitznagel often distances himself from the hedge fund industry, which he says does not hedge properly and is expensive.

“The term ‘hedge fund’ is a complete misnomer. I can’t give you a reason the hedge fund industry should exist. What hedge funds have going for them is that they lose less in a crash and make less [in normal markets]. It just makes people poorer. Another popular haven, bonds, provide only “low returns in a crash” and investors have “to put a lot” in their portfolios. For the rest of the time, the underperformance is costly,” he says.

The Roundabout Path
Spitznagel says by focusing on the long-term and avoiding the need for immediate gains, investment battles are won, capital is allocated more responsibly.

Spitznagel gives many examples of using a roundabout way of thinking.

"Once you fully grasp the concept of the roundabout path, it’s hard not to find its existence all around you," he says.

Spitznagel says nature provides wonderful examples of long-term, roundabout paths as entire forests are constantly developing and competing for survival by applying roundabout methods.

Spitznagel uses the example of how conifers compete with angiosperm, a faster-growing flowering plant. By their slow initial growth relative to the angiosperm, conifers fall behind in stature but develop strong roots and thick bark in the process.

Also, the conifer’s ability to grow on rocks and areas where other plants can’t survive gives the species a defensive position. Then, when wildfire strikes, the conifers send their seeds through the wind to claim the newly cleared ground.

"It’s nature’s way of using roundabout methods to compete for survival and explains many of the reasons the conifers (firs, pines, and spruces) are the oldest tree species on earth. With these strong, deep roots and protective bark, conifers eventually grow taller and live much longer than the competing angiosperm. By taking the roundabout path, conifers are awarded advantageous positioning in the forest where they can gain not only access to sunlight and water but also favorable positioning when the opportunity presents itself to spread their seeds," he says.

Be prepared to take short term losses for long term gains
Spitznagel says investors shouldn't mind taking short-term losses to gain a much more advantageous position in the future.

Spitznagel says by accepting initial losses and setbacks to make progress in the distant future, the roundabout path can be applied to business, economics, and investing.

Tail Risk Hedging
Spitznagel says investors should attempt to avoid the risks associated with markets that have been distorted by central banks and other outside forces.

Knowing that distorting systems’ natural effects lead to instability and eventually a crisis or a crash, Spitznagel says investors need to clearly define actions that need to be taken to manage this instability.

Spitznagel says one of the primary objectives of investors should be to focus on a risk mitigation strategy to avoid large losses from unforeseen events, or “Black Swans.”

“What matters the most to one’s rate of compounding isn’t the small losses, isn’t the small gains, it isn’t even the big gains, it’s the big losses. When it comes to risk mitigation, it’s the largest losses; they’re essentially all that matters,” he says.

Spitznagel says to avoid this problem of potentially large losses investors need what he calls “explosive downside protection” in stock market investing.

Spitznagel says he measures risk mitigation performance by the impact on the compound growth rate of an entire portfolio.

Spitznagel stresses that his goal of risk mitigation is not to negatively impact the overall return of the end user’s entire portfolio but to enhance it.

"If a risk mitigation strategy merely slashes a portfolio’s risk at a cost of growth of capital in that portfolio…then it is simply ineffective and probably not worth doing. After all, what is the point? The goal of risk mitigation must be to achieve the portfolio effect of raising the compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and thus the wealth in the end user’s entire portfolio, by mitigating risk in that portfolio,” he says.

Hence Spitznagel’s investment approach, can help investors build a more robust and strong framework which can be applied not only in markets but in other aspects of life as well.

(Disclaimer: This article is based on Mark Spitznagel's book The Dao of Capital)

Avoid desire for instant gains to win investment battle: Mark Spitznagel (2024)

FAQs

What is Mark Spitznagel strategy? ›

According to Spitznagel his strategy involves suffering small losses for long periods when markets are buoyant, then making huge returns during very occasional market slip ups. "That is almost the mirror image of what most investors are taught to do: make steady gains most of the time but accept the odd huge loss.

What is safe haven mark Spitznagel book about? ›

Mark Spitznagel's Safe Haven Investing. According to financial theory, you can only increase returns by accepting higher risk. But Spitznagel argues the theory is plain wrong and goes on to set the theoretical framework on how risk mitigation can raise wealth by lowering risk.

What is the safe haven strategy? ›

A safe haven is a type of investment that is expected to retain or increase in value during times of market turbulence. Investors seek out safe havens in order to limit their exposure to losses in the event of market downturns.

What is the minimum investment in Universa? ›

Universa Investments also advises several private funds. Namely, eighteen hedge funds. The minimum investment commitment required of non-related persons is $50,000,000 for each fund.

What is the most profitable hedge fund strategy? ›

Top hedge funds follow Equity Strategy, with 75% of the Top 20 funds tracking the same. Relative Value strategy is followed by 10% of the Top 20 Hedge Funds. Macro Strategy, Event-Driven, and Multi-Strategy make the remaining 15% of the strategy. Also, check out more information about Hedge Fund jobs.

What is the most famous hedge fund strategy? ›

Sub-Categories: The most famous strategy In this category is convertible bond arbitrage, in which the hedge fund will long the bonds and short the company's equity, or vice versa, based on whichever one is underpriced.

Is safe haven book appropriate? ›

Safe Haven is aimed toward young adults, but it is a great read for anyone who loves suspense and mystery. Borrow this from the library or give it as a gift.

Who is the owner of Safe Haven? ›

Safe Haven's current Founder, Chief Operating Officer is Andy Demeulemeester.

What happens at the end of the book safe haven? ›

But, you see, there is a twist! (Not the twist, though.) It turns out that the police officer obsessed with finding Katie is her husband. And it turns out that Katie didn't kill anyone, she only slightly stabbed her husband in self-defense because he's an abusive drunk.

What is the price prediction for safe haven coin? ›

Safe Haven price prediction 2033: Safe Haven's price for 2033 according to our analysis should range between $0.078 to $0.11 and the average price of SHA should be around $0.097.

Is gold still a safe haven asset? ›

The authors observe that in the short term, the correlation between stocks and gold is near zero in times of recession, which only qualifies gold as a “weak safe haven.” The same holds true in times of bear markets against most stock indices.

What currency is a safe haven? ›

A currency is generally considered a safe haven if the economy behind it is stable, able to withstand turbulent times and unexpected ('black swan') events such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Independence from trading blocs, a secure political system and a diverse economic base are all part too.

How to invest $100k low risk? ›

Best Investments for Your $100,000
  1. Index Funds, Mutual Funds and ETFs. If you're looking to invest, there are a lot of options. ...
  2. Individual Company Stocks. ...
  3. Real Estate. ...
  4. Savings Accounts, MMAs and CDs. ...
  5. Pay Down Your Debt. ...
  6. Create an Emergency Fund. ...
  7. Account for the Capital Gains Tax. ...
  8. Employ Diversification in Your Portfolio.
Apr 19, 2023

Can I invest with only $20? ›

Yes, you can buy stocks with just $20. Thanks to discount brokers, the barrier to the stock market has never been so low. To buy individual stocks, you need to open an investment account with a self-directed brokerage.

What is the minimum investment for Davidson Kempner? ›

Minimum investment amounts vary by fund, but can range from $2 million to $5 million.

Which hedge fund lost the most money? ›

Than $200 Billion Last Year. Tiger Global and Third Point were among the biggest losers.

What is the 20 2 rule for hedge funds? ›

The 2 and 20 is a hedge fund compensation structure consisting of a management fee and a performance fee. 2% represents a management fee which is applied to the total assets under management. A 20% performance fee is charged on the profits that the hedge fund generates, beyond a specified minimum threshold.

What are the 3 common hedge strategies? ›

There are three common hedging strategies: diversification, options trading, and futures contracts. Each strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on your individual needs and goals as an investor.

Who is the smartest hedge fund manager ever? ›

James Harris Simons (/ˈsaɪmənz/; born 25 April 1938) is an American mathematician, billionaire hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. He is the founder of Renaissance Technologies, a quantitative hedge fund based in East Setauket, New York.

Do billionaires use hedge funds? ›

Private Equity and Hedge Funds

Private equity and hedge funds sit adjacent to securities and trading markets. While they aren't the same thing, these two types of investment tools are popular among billionaires. They appeal to people of high net worth who can afford large investments and higher risk.

What is the strongest hedge fund in the world? ›

Bridgewater Associates, the hedge fund previously run by legendary investor Ray Dalio, is the largest hedge fund in the world with more than $235 billion in assets under management. Needless to say, Bridgewater has had tremendous success since it was founded in 1975.

What is the terrifying secret in Safe Haven? ›

The movie ends by revealing that Jo, who had supposedly left town moments before, was actually the ghost of Alex's late wife.

What is the secret of the girl in Safe Haven? ›

A flashback reveals that on the night Katie ran away, she stabbed Kevin with a knife when he attacked her in a drunken rage.

What is Safe Haven kids in crisis? ›

Kids In Crisis offers temporary shelter for babies, children and teens in need of a safe place to stay during a time of crisis. Shelter services include counseling, medical assessment (at the on site TLC Health Center), educational support, advocacy and strengths-based perspective to build resiliency in each client.

How old is Mimi Kirkland? ›

What town did they film Safe Haven on? ›

Safe Haven, a romantic thriller film adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel, debuted on the silver screen Valentine's Day 2013, and two North Carolina coastal cities played starring roles. The production shot in Southport and Wilmington during the summer of 2012.

How old is Katie in Safe Haven? ›

Katie is a mysterious woman who is 27 years old. Katie moves to Southport, North Carolina. She starts working at Ivan's restaurant.

Is Jo an angel in Safe Haven? ›

And Josh Duhamel portraying his character in the movie just made him a hundred times more perfect! Josh and Kristen are also sweethearts. And Jo, she's an angel.

Is Jo a ghost in Safe Haven book? ›

Startled, she begins to think that Jo had been a complete figment of her imagination. Upon reading the letter, Katie realizes that it was written by Alex's late wife, Carly Jo, whom friends called "Jo". Katie realizes that her friend Jo was really Carly's spirit.

Is Jo in Safe Haven real? ›

The film ends on an emotional note, as we are shown that Jo, Katie's neighbor, was actually a ghost of Alex's deceased wife. She left a letter titled 'for her' which Alex gives to Katie.

What is the most stable coin to invest in? ›

One of the earliest stablecoins and potentially the most well-known is Tether. In fact, according to Yahoo Finance, Tether is the largest and most actively traded stablecoin on the market, with a market cap of $65.3 billion as of 24 November 2022.

Which coin will reach $1 in 2023? ›

The top 5 cryptos under $1 that could give 50x gains in the 2023 bull market are RenQ Finance, Shiba Inu, Cardano, Dogecoin, and Algorand. As with any investment, it is important to conduct your due diligence and invest only what you can afford to lose.

Which coin will boom in 2023? ›

8 Best Crypto Coins With 50x Potential In 2023
  • Metacade (MCADE)
  • Ripple (XRP)
  • Shiba Inu (SHIB)
  • Polygon (MATIC)
  • The Sandbox (SAND)
  • Polkadot (DOT)
  • Solana (SOL)
  • Dogecoin (DOGE)
Jan 23, 2023

What asset is better than gold? ›

A good S&P 500 index fund will do you better than gold in the long run, but this can be a good countercyclical asset if you want to ensure liquidity in the event of a recession.

What is the safest precious metal to invest in? ›

Since platinum is a valuable metal and platinum prices depend on economic factors, it is considered an uncorrelated asset. If you want some assurance with precious metal investments, platinum can be a great portfolio addition.

Is there a better investment than gold? ›

If you want an investment that provides an income stream, stocks are likely the better choice. Note: You might be able to earn dividends from gold stocks or gold ETFs, but these are riskier than investing in physical gold like bars and coins.

What is the most stable dollar? ›

Swiss Franc (CHF)

The Swiss Franc, supported by renowned Swiss financial secrecy, is the most stable currency in the world.

What is the best currency to store wealth? ›

Gold. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of currency is as follows: “Any form of money in actual use as a medium of exchange.” Therefore, gold applies. The best attributes for gold: can be bought and stored, easily converted to almost any currency, highly liquid, limited supply.

Where is the least safe place to keep your cryptocurrency for us? ›

The least safe place to keep your cryptocurrency is on an exchange.

What to do with cash during inflation? ›

Most of these options are generally solid investments, but can be especially safe during inflationary times.
  1. Real estate. Real estate is almost always an excellent investment and should be at the top of your list. ...
  2. Savings bonds. ...
  3. Stocks. ...
  4. Silver and gold. ...
  5. Commodities. ...
  6. Cryptocurrency.
Apr 27, 2023

How much interest does $100000 earn in a year? ›

How much interest can $100,000 earn in a year? If you put $100,000 in CDs, high-yield savings or a money market account for a year, you could earn anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 based on current interest rates.

How to turn $100 K into $1 million in 5 years? ›

Consider investing in rental properties or real estate investment trusts (REIT). The real estate market is a fertile setting for a $100k investment to yield $1 million. And it's possible for this to happen between 5 to 10 years. You can achieve this if you continue to add new properties to your portfolio.

How to smartly invest $20,000? ›

How to invest $20K
  1. Put some in a high-yield savings account. ...
  2. Pay off your debt. ...
  3. Pad your retirement account. ...
  4. Invest with a robo-advisor. ...
  5. Put some money into a brokerage account. ...
  6. Get started in real estate. ...
  7. Consider peer-to-peer lending. ...
  8. Your most important financial goals.
Apr 3, 2023

Where should I invest $20,000 right now? ›

8 ways to invest $20,000: From conservative, long-term investments to risky, short-term options.
  • 8 best ways to invest $20K right now. Conservative investments. ...
  • Conservative investments. ...
  • Retirement accounts. ...
  • Stocks. ...
  • Exchange-traded funds. ...
  • Robo-advisor. ...
  • Alternative investments. ...
  • Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
Apr 10, 2023

What if I invest $50 a month for 20 years? ›

Let's start with the obvious: If you're not contributing any money to retirement, even $50 per month will make a substantial difference. That monthly contribution could add up to nearly $24,600 after 20 years, $56,700 after 30 years, and $119,800 after 40 years. That's still not enough to retire on, but it's a start.

How much do I need to invest monthly to be a millionaire? ›

If you're starting from scratch, online millionaire calculators (which return a variety of results given the same inputs) estimate that you'll need to save anywhere from $13,000 to $15,500 a month and invest it wisely enough to earn an average of 10% a year.

What is a smart investment for $5000? ›

Your best way to invest $5,000 is to spread it across many financial instruments, including stocks, index funds, and REITs, as well as safer alternatives such as bonds or CDs. You can invest it as a lump sum, after which you can add onto your investment by dollar-cost averaging.

How much money do I need to invest to be a millionaire by 30? ›

Here's the breakdown: A 30-year-old making investments that yield a 3% yearly return would have to invest $1,400 per month for 35 years to reach $1 million. If they instead contribute to investments that give a 6% yearly return, they would have to invest $740 per month for 35 years to end up with $1 million.

What is the strategy to hedge risk? ›

Hedging is an advanced risk management strategy that involves buying or selling an investment to potentially help reduce the risk of loss of an existing position.

What is the strategy of Universa hedge fund? ›

Universa Investments specializes in risk mitigation, deploying a tail-risk hedging strategy to limit losses from an outsized market event, like a "Black Swan." Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of "The Black Swan," is the "Distinguished Scientific Advisor" to Universa Investments.

What is the main strategy of hedge fund? ›

The most prevalent of the hedge fund strategies, equity strategies hedge funds take long positions in stocks perceived as undervalued and short positions in stocks considered overvalued. Equities' correlation with macroeconomic factors mean they are seen as a riskier class for investment than cash and bonds.

What is an example of a strategy used by hedge funds? ›

Some hedge funds take advantage of the mispricing of securities up and down the capital structure of one single company. For example, if they believe the debt is overvalued, then they short the debt and go long the equity, thus creating a hedge and betting on the eventual spread correction between the securities.

What is the most common way to hedge exchange rate risk? ›

The two primary methods of hedging are through a forward contract or a currency option. Forward exchange contracts. A forward exchange contract is an agreement under which a business agrees to buy or sell a certain amount of foreign currency on a specific future date.

How do you hedge against financial crisis? ›

To protect your portfolio from bear markets and even recessions, consider diversifying your portfolio with a good mix of stocks, bonds, cash, and alternative assets. To identify assets that have historically gone up when stocks went down, look at traditional assets like bonds and alternatives like real estate and gold.

Is hedging an effective strategy? ›

Hedging helps to limit losses and lock in profit. The strategy can be used to survive difficult market periods. It gives you protection against changes such as inflation, interest rates, currency exchange rates and more. It can be an effective way to diversify your trading portfolio with numerous asset classes.

What is opportunistic hedge fund strategy? ›

Opportunistic Strategies. As the name indicates, such strategies seek to profit opportunistically from fundamental themes, inefficiencies and dislocations in the financial markets at a macro, market sector, stock specific, factor, or even exchange level.

What are the hedge fund strategies for 2023? ›

Across HF strategies, investors indicated that Distressed Credit, Equity Market Neutral, Global Macro, and Multi-Strategy are the most in-favour strategies for 2023.

Will hedge funds exist in 10 years? ›

Overall, the consensus is that hedge funds will continue to grow but will adapt to lower fees, greater use of technology, and increased access to retail investors.

What is the first loss investment strategy? ›

Definition: First Loss Capital refers to a type of funding arrangement where a capital provider typically allocates to a separately managed account traded by the manager. The manager is required to provide their investment capital of 10-20% of the total managed account which is usually matched by the FLC Provider.

What is the biggest hedge fund in the world? ›

Bridgewater Associates, the hedge fund previously run by legendary investor Ray Dalio, is the largest hedge fund in the world with more than $235 billion in assets under management. Needless to say, Bridgewater has had tremendous success since it was founded in 1975.

What is the long short arbitrage strategy? ›

Long-short equity is an investment strategy that seeks to take a long position in underpriced stocks while selling short overpriced shares. Long-short seeks to augment traditional long-only investing by taking advantage of profit opportunities from securities identified as both under-valued and over-valued.

What are the best examples of hedging? ›

A classic example of hedging involves a wheat farmer and the wheat futures market. The farmer plants his seeds in the spring and sells his harvest in the fall. In the intervening months, the farmer is subject to the price risk that wheat will be lower in the fall than it is now.

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