As someone who’s been investing for many years, I’ve realised that investing is a psychological battlefield, where the hardest decisions are rarely about numbers and valuations—they’re about emotions. Howard Marks captures this dilemma perfectly in The Most Important Thing, where he reflects on the tech bubble and the 2008 financial … Read More
Howard Marks: The Art of Holding
If you’re like me, one of the things I often struggle with is the question of when to sell. The instinct to lock in gains when something is up, or to cut losses when something is down, feels natural. But as Howard Marks recently explained on The Money Maze Podcast, … Read More
Howard Marks: Why History Always Rhymes In Markets
Howard Marks is one of the most insightful voices in investing. He recently spoke at Moneycontrol GWS 2025, discussing market behavior, cycles, and investor psychology. His reflections are a reminder that while the specifics of history change, human behavior remains remarkably predictable. As he quoted Mark Twain, “Well, of course, … Read More
Uncomfortably Idiosyncratic: Howard Marks on Smart Investing
In the latest episode of Behind the Memo, legendary investor Howard Marks shared his wisdom on navigating market cycles, particularly during speculative bubbles. His insights serve as a crucial reminder for investors: true success comes from independent thinking and resisting the herd mentality. One of Marks’ most striking points is … Read More
Howard Marks: Market Cycles and the Illusion of Average
For as long as I’ve followed financial markets, the prevailing wisdom has been to think of economic and market cycles in terms of ups and downs—booms and busts, bull and bear markets. But after listening to Howard Marks on the Sweat Your Assets podcast, I’ve come to see cycles differently. … Read More
Howard Marks: Why Risk Is Perverse
Risk is often misunderstood, not because it is complicated, but because it defies intuition. As Howard Marks explains in his discussion on the character of risk, “risk is counterintuitive” and “risk is perverse.” The way we perceive risk can often be the exact opposite of reality, leading investors, policymakers, and … Read More
Howard Marks: Is Now the Time to Exit the Market?
In this interview with The Market, Howard Marks suggests that stocks are currently overvalued by 20-30%, with a 60-65% probability the market will be lower in a year. However, there’s still a 35-40% chance it could rise, highlighting uncertainty. While a downward tendency exists, it’s not a certainty, and valuations … Read More
Howard Marks: When Something Is On The Pedestal Of Popularity, Risk Of Decline Is High
In his latest memo titled – On Bubble Watch, Howard Marks discusses how bubbles, while often grounded in a kernel of truth, lead to excessive valuations fueled by optimism, FOMO, and a belief that prices can’t fall. He reflects on past bubbles, such as the late ’90s internet mania and … Read More
Howard Marks: Adapt Your Portfolio to the Present, Not the Unknown
In his book, The Most Important Thing, Howard Marks explains that strategic decisions in various fields, such as driving, golfing, or dressing, are influenced by current conditions. Similarly, he argues that investment actions should reflect the present investing climate rather than uncertain future predictions. While many investors attempt to adjust … Read More
Howard Marks: In Investing It’s Really Easy To Be ‘Average’
In this fireside chat with the HKUST Business School, Howard Marks discussed the cyclical nature of markets, emphasizing that cycles are driven by excesses in psychology and behavior. He explained that an excess of positive psychology leads to unsustainable behavior above the trend line, which eventually corrects back, often overshooting … Read More
Howard Marks – Top 10 Holdings – Latest 13F
One of the best resources for investors are the publicly available 13F-HR documents that each fund is required to submit to the SEC. These documents allow investors to track their favorite superinvestors, their fund’s current holdings, plus their new buys and sold out positions. We spend a lot of time … Read More
Howard Marks: What Warren Buffett Taught Me About ‘Desirable’ Information
In this presentation to Banco March, Howard Marks discusses the futility of predicting the future in investing, noting that most investors cannot accurately forecast macroeconomic factors like markets, currencies, or interest rates. He highlights quotes from John Kenneth Galbraith, Amos Tversky, and Mark Twain to stress the dangers of acting … Read More
Howard Marks: Second-Level Thinking Separates Good Investors from Great Ones
In this interview with Global Money Talks, Howard Marks reflects on key investment lessons he learned early in his career. In the 1970s, he realized that no asset is so exceptional that it justifies an unlimited price. Regardless of quality, every asset has a fair value, and overpaying can lead … Read More
Howard Marks: The Key Difference Between Good Assets and Good Investments
During his recent interview with Barron’s, Howard Marks reflects on his early days in finance, noting that banks in the 1970s invested in the “Nifty Fifty” — America’s top-growing companies, seen as infallible regardless of price. Despite the companies’ quality, investors who held these stocks for five years lost over … Read More
Howard Marks: Great Investors Don’t Rely on Economic Predictions
During his recent interview with the 3 Takeaways Podcast, Howard Marks argues that economic forecasting is largely unhelpful for investors. He points out that even renowned investors like Warren Buffett avoid relying on economic or market predictions when making investment decisions. Instead, Buffett emphasizes the value of information that is … Read More
Howard Marks: Choosing the Right Risk Level in Investing
In his recent memo titled – Ruminating on Asset Allocation, Howard Marks argues that in an efficient market, the expected return rises proportionally with risk, meaning no position on the risk spectrum is inherently superior—all offer a similar risk-to-return ratio. This view assumes markets price assets fairly, negating the chance … Read More
Howard Marks: After Significant Gains Take A Little Off The Table
In this interview with Global Money Talk, Howard Marks discusses the importance of flexibility over rigid rules in investing. He uses the example of a stop-loss order, which limits potential losses but may cause investors to miss out on future gains. There are no perfect rules that guarantee both safety … Read More
Howard Marks: Why We Never Wait For The Bottom To Buy
In his book – Mastering The Market Cycle, Howard Marks discusses the difficulty of timing market bottoms and the risk of waiting too long to invest. He discusses the concept of “falling knives,” where investors fear buying before a market decline stops, leading them to wait for certainty. However, by … Read More
Howard Marks: The Contrarian’s Edge In A Hot Market
In his book – The Most Important Thing, Howard Marks reflects on the 2004–2007 period, where investors mistakenly believed that cutting risk into small pieces and distributing it could eliminate risk. This false sense of security contributed to the financial crisis of 2008. Popular strategies like absolute return funds, low-cost … Read More
Howard Marks: The Economic Lessons of Animal Farm
In his latest memo titled – Shall we Repeal The Laws of Economics?, Howard Marks reflects on his early understanding of economic systems, shaped by George Orwell’s Animal Farm. He highlights the dangers of centrally planned economies, using the book’s motto—”From each according to his ability, to each according to … Read More