Stock misconception: listen to experts (II)

It is reported that Pequot Capital will go out of business in next few months (from CNBC). Pequot was headed by Art Samberg (one of the Barrons Rountable 2008 expert), who would have dismal performance if he followed his Barrons Roundtable pick. Quote his best and worst picks (loss > 80%):

Company Ticker 1/4/08 12/31/08 Change

MEMC Electronic Materials WFR 81.40 14.28 -82.5
Qualcomm QCOM 37.03 35.83 -3.2
Focus Media FMCN 55.71 9.09 -83.7
Dogan Yayin DYHOL.Turkey 4.44 TRL 0.66 TRL -85.1

Interestingly, the latest WSJ article still brags about his success. (If he is really that successful, why not stay in the business?) Quote WSJ:

Who to blame for current financial crisis?

Greenspan (regulators): for he kept interest rate too low (1%) for too long, during the recession after dot com bubble.

Bush (politicians): for his failed Iraq war which cost American tax payers more than 500 billions so far. He asked American “go shopping” after 911, in addition to buying a car or a house. Democrats are no better in this aspect: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have deep roots in Democrats leadship.

(Video by LATimes: anxious customers on day 2 of IndyMac Fed takeover)

Asset management in China: I

When I say a mutual fund manager, what kind of personality (impression) appears in your mind? A guy or a lady in his/her 40s, with financial education, 10 years or more experience in investment field…

This is not the case in China. Due to the boom of China stock market in recent years, and the boom of the hedge fund, many experienced guys (like Danbin, more about Danbin later) started or joined hedge fund so that they could make more money. Here is a Chinese article titled “rookie fund managers in charge of trillons of Yuan, only 7 fund managers have more than 7 years experience in China mutual funds”. The following Chinese video below tells the same problem.