Changes at the Margin – How to Prepare for a Disorderly Move
In a past life, while still in the clutches of the investment banking world, I’d made a few friends in the “trading fraternity” and visited them on a regular basis for work and social reasons. When it...
View Article007 Just Sent Me This…
One of the most valuable outcomes of running this site has been the people that we’ve met via or as a result of it. I recall a distant time when the people surrounding me were mostly pathologically...
View ArticleMongolia: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back?
Given our bullish stance on Mongolia, which seems to conflict with much coming out of the mainstream press these days, I figured it prudent to reach out to our on-the-ground contacts, mainly...
View Article“Pre-emptive Rights” and “Anti-dilution Provisions”– In Language Anyone Can...
After recent discussions with some of our subscribers it occurred to me that many of our readers may find some very common industry terminology daunting and/or confusing. Mark and I recently...
View ArticleLadies and Gentleman – Grab your “Coats”
That I had to be educated as to who Coats Inc are is a shameful disgrace… But then I’m used to being ashamed and disgraced, I like tomato and peanut butter sandwiches, and THAT my lovely wife tells me...
View ArticleCarnage!
I woke this morning to gale force winds and sideways rain slapping my bedroom window. Yuk I thought, as I crawled out of bed to check the markets, the same way I start every week day. What I could not...
View ArticleMcDonald’s Could do a Better Job!
In 1945, after WWII ended the United Nations was formed. Its mandated purpose was to: “promote and facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social...
View ArticleNo More “Happy Dancing Road”
The intense heat burns your eyes and the fine red dust sticks to the sweat pouring out of your pores, creating a thick paste. “Maybe it’ll protect me from sunburn..?” The sun lotion I generously...
View ArticleAgricultural Streaming
In a bull market one of the most profitable businesses to be in is that of financing. This is largely due to the leverage available, not only financial leverage, but equally important are the leverage...
View ArticleThe Financial System is Completely Corrupt and Broken. Buy this ETF!
Some anecdotal evidence first… I recently corresponded with a friend in Europe who consults to a number of hedge funds managing predominantly European and British money. He mentioned that across the...
View ArticleBeware These Unseen “Friction” Costs!!
Brokers, placement agents, middle men, promoters, consultants, financial intermediaries…call them whatever you wish. They have existed in the financial space since man invented a way to exchange one...
View ArticleInvesting in White Gold!
China circa 2008… six babies die from severe kidney damage while another 300,000 suffer kidney stones. As it turns out, melamine isn’t meant to be in infant milk formula! The result was a few Chinese...
View ArticleHow Traffic Jams Can Lead us to Profit
By: Chris Tell The evolution of the Western shopper is well documented… Gone are the small local outlets from which our previous generation shopped. Modern adolescents now spend their waking hours...
View ArticleOne Night Stand or Long Term Plan?
Far from the maddening crowds, Mark and I sit here on the edge of a primitive rainforest, overlooking a coral reef thousands of miles from the nearest industrialized continent. Not a bad spot to ponder...
View ArticleComing – Phase II of the Mongolian Boom!
By: Chris Tell Since this blog is pretty much a running commentary of our “exploits”, today I decided to post up an email conversation I had with our colleague Harris Kupperman. I took a few liberties...
View ArticleWhat comes after Marbles?
By: Chris Tell When I was a young child, like millions of kids before me, marbles enveloped my life. They were “The in thing”, desirable, a medium of exchange or barter, yet close to completely...
View ArticleA Can’t Lose Deal…“Public” Venture Capital
After the debacle that was Solyndra, we hoped that “public” venture capital would die a much deserved death. Alas, we once again underestimated the arrogance and self-professed intellectual superiority...
View ArticleThe Ramifications of Convertible Debt
By: Chris Tell For many early stage companies two oft-used financing mechanisms are convertible debt and preferred equity. The former typically provides investors a discount to subsequent equity...
View ArticleFunding Your Start-up
By: Chris Tell Further to my last post, I wanted to delve into the options available to entrepreneurs for funding their start-up. The topic may seem obvious – the founders have an idea and need capital...
View ArticleWhen the Theatre Clears
By Chris Tell James Rickards, the author of the book Currency Wars tells a short story along the following lines: you’re sitting in a movie theatre and a couple of people get up and leave. Nobody takes...
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