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Are US Equities in a Bubble? Or Just Priced for a Different World?
Investment Theory Kieran Cook Investment Theory Kieran Cook

Are US Equities in a Bubble? Or Just Priced for a Different World?

Whenever the S&P 500 makes new highs, ‘bubble’ talk returns. Valuations are undeniably rich—CAPE in the high 30s and forward P/Es above long-run norms, but ‘high’ is not the same as ‘irrational’. A lower and more stable inflation/real-rate backdrop, an economy heavier in intangibles, accounting changes, curated index construction, and easier market access can all support a higher equilibrium multiple than in earlier decades. The takeaway is that from rich starting points, long-run returns tend to be lower.

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Do Lower Investment Fees Lead to Greater Wealth?
Practical Investing Kieran Cook Practical Investing Kieran Cook

Do Lower Investment Fees Lead to Greater Wealth?

It is no secret that investment costs eat into returns, yet few investors appreciate the scale of the damage when those costs are layered. Fund charges, platform fees, adviser fees, and discretionary management can easily add up to 2–3% per year. Whilst that might sound modest, the compounding effect is severe: over 40 years, a high-fee portfolio can leave you with less than half the wealth of a low-fee alternative. Academic and regulatory evidence shows higher fees rarely deliver better outcomes—making cost one of the few factors investors can and should control.

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The Paradox of Financial Research: Why Smart People Disagree
Opinion Kieran Cook Opinion Kieran Cook

The Paradox of Financial Research: Why Smart People Disagree

The deeper you go into financial research, the harder it becomes to hold unwavering conviction. For every rigorous paper supporting one strategy, there’s another—equally credible—challenging it. Highly intelligent, empirically-minded researchers often reach different conclusions, not because one is right and the other wrong, but because markets are complex, adaptive systems. There’s no single ‘optimal’ portfolio, only a range of plausible approaches shaped by assumptions, preferences, and behavioural realities. In the end, what matters most is not whether your chosen strategy is perfect, but whether it’s grounded in evidence and robust enough to stick with when doubt inevitably creeps in.

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Understanding Key Financial Ratios in Modern Portfolio Theory
Investment Theory Kieran Cook Investment Theory Kieran Cook

Understanding Key Financial Ratios in Modern Portfolio Theory

Investing is about more than just chasing returns—it’s about understanding the risks that you’re taking to get them. Financial ratios grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) help investors evaluate performance in a structured way, accounting for both total volatility and market sensitivity.

From standard deviation and beta—which capture different types of risk—to the Sharpe ratio, alpha, and the information ratio—which assess how efficiently returns are earned—these metrics offer powerful insights into the true quality of an investment.

Used together, they don’t just measure performance, they help investors make better, more informed decisions.

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