Episodes

  • SI337: How Best to "Replicate" Managed Futures Returns ft. Katy Kaminski
    Mar 1 2025

    In this episode, Katy Kaminski helps us explore the latest trends in managed futures and how different approaches to replication can impact performance and correlation. We explore the pros and cons of index versus mechanical replication, highlighting how each method reacts differently in various market conditions. Plus, we touch on the most recent developments in the ETF space and how they're reshaping access to CTAs, but also question if all of the new products are truly worthy of the "CTA" lable. Stick around as we break down these ideas and share insights that can help shape your investment strategies.

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

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    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Katy on LinkedIn.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    01:50 - What has caught our attention recently?

    06:09 - Industry performance update

    13:06 - Q1, Rick: Have Katy done any work on Co-Movement Factor and "offsides" systems?

    18:12 - Q1.2, Rick: Katy's work shows us the dispersion between "slow" and "fast" systems w/ an optimal window of 10mo: How does this "optimal window" differ by year?

    25:54 - Q2, Brian: Are there more individual investors than institutional investors?

    28:43 - Q2.2: Are investors holding the ETF “long term”, or do they “chase performance”?

    32:25 - Q3, Niels: How should we think about future returns in trend following?

    36:24 - The beta of trend following and how to access it

    44:05 - Combing index- and mechanical replication

    50:58 - The pitfalls of replication...

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • IL35: The New Age of Economic Warfare: Are We Ready? ft. Edward Fishman
    Feb 26 2025

    Our guest on this episode is Edward Fishman, a world expert on the modern art of economic warfare. Edward is author of the new book Chokepoints: American Power In The Age of Economic Warfare. He currently teaches at Columbia University and prior to that advised the US Secretary of State, Joints Chiefs of Staff and Treasury Department on the deployment of economic sanctions. We discuss the details of how the US uses its dominant position in the world’s financial markets and technology software to pressure countries like Iran, Russia and China. Most importantly this episode explains why these tools used to influence these chokepoints are permanent and are starting to form the contours of the new global economy that will persist for the coming decades.

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

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    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Kevin on SubStack & read his Book.

    Follow Edward on X and read his book.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    02:14 - Introduction to Edward Fishman

    08:24 - The failures of economic warfare

    14:04 - What Stuart Levy can teach us about economic

    19:26 - Who even want to work at banks nowadays?

    22:10 - The most successful sanction in modern times

    27:02 - The dangers of sanctions, export

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • SI336: How to Invest in Turbulent Times? ft. Graham Robertson
    Feb 22 2025

    With global market dynamics shifting rapidly and geopolitical noise reaching new heights, how can investors adapt and thrive? In this episode, we explore why an adaptive approach is crucial for navigating today’s turbulent financial landscape. Our conversation delves into the challenges investors face when competing against dominant market players and how trend-following strategies can shine in times of crisis. We also examine the often-overlooked disconnect between price and value - and how this mismatch might actually present fresh opportunities. Join us for an insightful discussion with Graham Robertson from Man AHL, as we unpack these critical insights and explore why trend following remains a powerful tool for generating "crisis alpha." Buckle up for a fascinating conversation!

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

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    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Graham on LinkedIn.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    01:11 - What has caught our attention recently?

    03:27 - Are kids too worried about the state of the world?

    05:58 - Our current observations on trend

    10:54 - How to capture the moves in the European energy markets

    13:05 - Valuable insights on alternative markets

    17:11 - Are alternative markets trending better?

    23:02 - The state of liquidity in the industry

    25:52 - How Man AHL approaches crypto

    29:47 - Industry performance update

    31:42 - Q1, Rick: Is a cross-over system typically the primary tool for Trend?

    37:14 - The origins of...

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • OI14: Behind the Scenes of a Crypto Hedge Fund ft. Michael Hall & Anatoly Crachlilov
    Feb 19 2025

    In this episode, Moritz Seibert speaks with Anatoly Crachilov and Michaell Hall from Nickel Digital, a prominent London-based crypto hedge fund. Anatoly (CEO) and Michael (CIO) founded the company in 2019 with an initial focus on in-house arbitrage and basis trading strategies. Over the years, their business model has evolved and adapted to the fast-changing world of digital assets. Today, Nickel Digital operates as a multi-strategy, multi-manager setup with more than $250 million in AUM, making it one of the largest and longest-standing crypto hedge funds globally.

    Anatoly, Michael and Moritz speak about the opportunities and challenges of operating a multi-PM digital asset hedge fund, how they differ from traditional asset hedge fund pod shops, and how the attract and find new PMs to work with them.

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

    -----


    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Moritz on Linkedin.

    Follow Michael on LinkedIn.

    Follow Anatoly on LinkedIn.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    02:13 - Introduction to Nickel Digital and how they found their way to crypto

    08:10 - A trip down memory crypto lane

    12:25 - Why is the basis still so wide on crypto?

    15:07 - The state of alpha in the crypto space

    18:23 - What kind of portfolio does Nickel Digital run?

    19:56 - How they...

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • SI335: Trend Following or Mean Reversion: What Works Best When? ft. Rob Carver
    Feb 15 2025

    Join us for a fascinating and in-depth conversation with Rob Carver, where we’ll discuss the current state of gold, the impact of rising borrowing costs on futures pricing, and how these elements intertwine with market trends. Along the way, we’ll tackle listener questions that challenge the status quo, digging into everything from fees in the hedge fund world to the implications of recent political shifts. It's a jam-packed session for anyone looking to get a clearer picture of the investment landscape today.

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

    -----


    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Rob on Twitter.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    01:07 - What on earth is going on with gold?

    04:58 - The hidden fees of the hedge fund world

    11:25 - Industry performance update

    15:00 - Q1, David: Since Rob's book was published, several multi-asset leveraged ETFs have become available. Do you think these products have a place in a long-term portfolio? If so, what kind of allocation would you consider reasonable?

    21:17 - Q2, Carlos: Imagine a systematically traded trend following account starting with $100k across 10 markets. Over time, the account grows to $200k. Would it generally be “better” to split the capital into two separate and different trading strategies (each trading 10 instruments), or to add more instruments/markets to the existing strategy for greater market diversification?

    24:49 - Q3, Chris: Does the use of ETFs to backtest Rob’s trend following strategies provide an accurate representation of performance?

    29:41 - Q4, Steve: Any pointers on how...

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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • ALO28: Why Hedge Funds Still Matter ft. Alexander de Bruin
    Feb 12 2025

    In this episode, Alexander de Bruin, Head of Fund Research at Edmond de Rothschild, joins Alan Dunne to discuss the art and science of selecting managers and building portfolios of alternatives. Alexander shares insights from his background in convertible bond trading and how it has shaped his approach to allocating capital. The conversation explores the rapid growth of private markets, with a focus on the current opportunities in private credit. They also delve into Alexander's framework for constructing hedge fund portfolios, examining the role of multi-manager, multi-strategy funds compared to other diversifying strategies. Alexander provides a behind-the-scenes look at his manager due diligence process, including his unique approach of sitting on the trading floor with hedge fund managers to gain a deeper understanding of their strategies.

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

    -----


    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Alan on Twitter.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    02:26 - Introduction to Alexander de Bruin

    09:08 - The clients and portfolios that Edmond de Rothschild

    13:24 - Should the 60/40 portfolio be revamped?

    15:45 - de Bruin's approach to implementing new strategies

    19:46 - How de Bruin deal with the paranoia of something going wrong

    22:33 - Is there a place for multi-strat approaches?

    25:14 - The challenges of managing risk as a multi-strat manager

    26:59 - How hedge funds deal with portfolio constraints

    29:25 - Opportunities and risks in private markets

    35:37 - How high...

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    1 hr
  • SI334: Why Quants Might Be Your Best Bet ft. Nick Baltas
    Feb 8 2025

    Together with Nick Baltas, we're diving deep into systematic investing to discuss why strategies like trend following is a hidden gem in the current (crazy) economic and geo-political landscape. We touch on recent trends, the implications of AI in investing, and how these dynamics can impact our portfolios. We also discuss the costs of rebalancing and the potential pitfalls when it comes to fixed-weight portfolios, how the trust in the financial system and economic data is starting to fade rapidly and much more. Stay tuned, there is a lot to unpack.

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

    -----


    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Nick on Twitter.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    01:40 - What has caught our attention recently?

    05:26 - A mini crash in the crypto space

    11:24 - Breath vs Size of Crypto Investors

    14:24 - The US Fixed Income policy is changing

    16:07 - Industry performance update

    19:21 - Reviewing current trends in 2025

    23:46 - How people react to trend following as a defensive strategy

    28:51 - What are the most popular risk mitigation strategies?

    30:53 - An alternative way of allocating away from bonds and into "safe" equities

    38:13 - The trust in the system is fading...rapidly

    46:53 - Why price might be more accurate when using trend following

    49:42 - The unintended impact of rebalancing

    Copyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved

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    PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment

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    58 mins
  • ALO27: Unlocking Wealth: Insights from UBS's CIO Mark Haefele
    Feb 5 2025

    Mark Haefele, CIO of Global Wealth Management at UBS, shares valuable insights on the evolving landscape of investing amidst unprecedented government intervention in the economy. He emphasizes that understanding the role of government spending and its impact on market dynamics is crucial for today's investors. The conversation explores the distinction between managing wealth and managing investments, highlighting the importance of adopting a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. Haefele also explains the significance of long-term structural trends, such as demographics and digitalization, which shape investment decisions. Throughout the discussion, he offers practical advice for navigating the complexities of investing in a world where macroeconomic factors increasingly influence outcomes.

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    50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

    -----


    Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

    IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

    And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfoliohere.

    Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

    Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

    And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

    Follow Alan on Twitter.

    Follow Mark on LinkedIn.

    Episode TimeStamps:

    02:30 - Introduction to Mark Haefele

    05:13 - Behind the scenes of Haefele's job

    06:46 - The key takeaways from Haefele's book

    09:01 - The difference between managing your wealth and managing your investment

    11:16 - How has the investing world changed over the years?

    14:50 - Is now a culmination of previous crises?

    16:58 - The 5 structural trends of the global economy and how it relates to government spending

    19:58 - How they apply the 5 structural trends in a broad...

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    1 hr and 3 mins