The Galanthus Notes

History of Investment Thought

Fifty-five papers, one argument.

From 1900 to today, investment thinking has been one long argument about a single question: where do returns come from, and what should a sensible person do about it? These fifteen chapters follow that argument in order, one paper at a time.

Each chapter has notes in plain language and at least one concrete example you can try on your own money. Chapters are written and published one at a time.

6

Behavioral finance

How do real humans decide under uncertainty, and what does it cost them?

Tversky & Kahneman 1974 · Kahneman & Tversky 1979 · Barber & Odean 2000

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11

Who keeps the alpha

What drives institutional results, and when is active management worth paying for?

Brinson, Hood & Beebower 1986 · Sharpe 1991 · Grinold 1989 · Berk & Green 2004 · Fama & French 2010

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13

What alternatives are made of

What do hedge funds, private equity and venture capital really earn, and where does it come from?

Fung & Hsieh 2001 · Asness, Krail & Liew 2001 · Kaplan & Schoar 2005 · Harris, Jenkinson & Kaplan 2014 · Cochrane 2005

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14

The slow mark

Is property a distinct asset class, or familiar risks behind a slow-moving mark?

Case & Shiller 1989 · Geltner 1991 · Plazzi, Torous & Valkanov 2010 · Pagliari, Scherer & Monopoli 2005 · Jordà, Knoll, Kuvshinov, Schularick & Taylor 2019

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15

Long horizons and adaptive markets

How should horizon change strategy, and what kind of thing is a market, really?

Samuelson 1969 · Lo 2004

Not yet written