The ghost of alpha, margin of safety and risk as a proxy for failure | Chris Schelling

In episode 94, Alex Proimos speaks with Chris Schelling, director of alternative investments, at Venturi Private Wealth. In this episode, we cover the eventual decline of everything previously called alpha. We discuss how the chasing of alpha is largely a fool's errands given the significant liquidity in the system, the democratisation of the financial markets, and institutional allocators' expectations. Then we debate the realistic expectations for alternatives and how investor focus should be on a margin of safety relative to required returns. Finally, we explore three methods to build a margin of safety based on Chris' book "Better than Alpha", which include behavioural alpha (thinking), process alpha (habits) and organizational alpha (governance).

Better than Alpha: Three Steps to Capturing Excess Returns in a Changing World

The concept of beating markets is just a lot of hype. Successful investors don’t find “alpha,” they find value―and that’s what this book helps you do. Better Than Alpha provides the perspective, insights, and tools you need to retrain your focus away from searching for alpha and toward actions that produce superior investment outcomes. 
https://www.amazon.com/Better-than-Alpha-Capturing-Changing/dp/1264257651

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.
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