Episodes

Monday Dec 14, 2020
#105: Party like it's 1999: IPOs Surge as Valuations No Longer Matter
Monday Dec 14, 2020
Monday Dec 14, 2020
Investors Party like it’s 1999 as Airbnb Shares More Than Double in Their Stock Market Debut. Is the Company Really Worth $100 Billion?
DoorDash Stock Skyrockets in its IPO as the Market Craves Tech Offerings. Are we in a Growth Stock Bubble?
Electric Vehicle Deals Proliferate as Four SPACs Announce EV Mergers. What’s Going to Halt the Frenzy in EV SPAC Deals?

Thursday Dec 10, 2020
#104: Leadership Chat: Investing in Music Royalties with David Vankka
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
Join us for an interview with special guest David Vankka, Partner, Managing Director & Portfolio Manager of ICM Asset Management and PM of the ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund. Today we talk about:
-His background on the investment business and how he got to where he is today
-His process with the music royalties investment fund
-Expectations that investors have coming into this asset class in terms of potential returns and what a typical deal looks like
-How investors can access and evaluate music royalty investments

Monday Dec 07, 2020
#103: Rumourtrage: Takeover Speculation and Pre-Arbitrage Investing
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Rumoured Slack Acquisition by Salesforce is Confirmed as Parties Strike Definitive Merger Agreement. Did the “Rumourtrage” Bet Work For Speculators?
SPAC Northern Genesis Acquisition Announces Deal with Lion Electric. Is the Market Still Keen on Electric Vehicle Mergers?
Alaska Communications Receives a Superior Proposal, Triggering Potential Bidding War. What Happens Next?

Thursday Dec 03, 2020
#102: Leadership Chat: Shift CEO George Arison
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
In today’s episode, we chat with George Arison, founder and CEO of Shift, an online peer-to-peer marketplace for buying and selling used cars. Topics discussed include:
-His entrepreneurial background, key experiences building Shift and the milestones that elevated his business
-Why he chose the SPAC structure for his company and other options considered in going public
-Identifying the right SPAC sponsor and whether it’s a competitive process
-The value Shift offers its customers and its advantage over competitors

Monday Nov 30, 2020
#101: Is That Your Blank Check: Jay-Z's Cannabis SPAC Deal
Monday Nov 30, 2020
Monday Nov 30, 2020
SPAC GigCapital2 Abandons Bolder Deal to Combine with UpHealth. Why the Change of Heart?
Salesforce in Talks to Acquire Slack For More Than $20 Billion. What is the Strategic Rationale Behind the Rumoured Deal?
Rapper Jay-Z Strikes Cannabis Deal with Canadian SPAC Subversive Capital Acquisition. Why is Hova Going Public?

Friday Nov 27, 2020
#100: Leadership Chat: Trend-following With Meb Faber
Friday Nov 27, 2020
Friday Nov 27, 2020
Today, we get to celebrate the Absolute Return Podcast’s 100th episode with Meb Faber, co-founder and the Chief Investment Officer of Cambria Investment Management and the host of The Meb Faber Show podcast. Today we discuss:
-what got him interested in investing and how he started Cambria
-his 2006 paper, “A Quantitative Approach to Tactical Asset Allocation,” and the trend-following multi-asset strategy
-strategies he manages that resonate the most with today’s investors
-his greatest lessons learned from interviewing investors on The Meb Faber Show

Monday Nov 23, 2020
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Electric Vehicle Company Arrival to Go Public Through SPAC CIIG Merger. Are EV-Related SPACs in a Bubble?
Blank Check Company Longview Acquisition Strikes Merger With Healthcare Startup Butterfly Network. What Does the Market Think of this Deal?
Taubman and Simon Make Amends, Recut Merger Deal to Avoid Going to Trial. How Much Was the Price Cut and is it Fair to Shareholders?

Tuesday Nov 17, 2020
#98: Quant Shock: Momentum Factor Hit For Worst Day Ever
Tuesday Nov 17, 2020
Tuesday Nov 17, 2020
Vaccine News Causes Quant Shock and Record-Setting Short Squeeze. Is the Short-Covering in Low-Quality Junk Stocks Overdone?
LBOs Come to Canada as Apollo Seeks Great Canadian Gaming Buyout. Will This Deal Close Amidst Shareholder Opposition?
VF Shares Rally With $2.1 Billion Acquisition of Streetwear Brand Supreme. Why Did the Shares React so Positively?

Thursday Nov 12, 2020
#97: Leadership Chat: Gold Investing with Steve Letwin
Thursday Nov 12, 2020
Thursday Nov 12, 2020
- Opportunities and challenges in the gold mining sector
- The top ways to have gold exposure and his outlook on the price of gold
- Gold’s role in a diversified portfolio
- Top investment themes for the next ten years#

Monday Nov 09, 2020
#96: Big Bad China and the $37 Billion Ant IPO Flop
Monday Nov 09, 2020
Monday Nov 09, 2020
China Exerts its Influence and Forces Cancellation of the $37 Billion Ant Group IPO. Why Did the Chinese Communist Party Blow Up the Ant IPO?
SPAC InterPrivate Acquisition Strikes Merger with 4D LiDAR Company Aeva. What Does the Market Think of this Deal?
Dunkin’ Brands to Go Private in One of the Largest Leveraged Buyouts of the Year. Is Private Equity Back in the Game?