About

Today more than ever, there is noise all around the capital markets. It is absolutely omnipresent. Most of it is obnoxious. Most of it is distracting. Cable news networks present a never-ending parade of ‘experts’-men and women who will tell you without qualification what trade you should be making now. What trades the market is making. The story de jour is always tradable-even if it is the release of a new 3D children’s movie opening on 50 screens nationwide. Back to school products get an obligatory two hours of screen time everyday in mid-August, winter coats get their run in November. Making money on the lucrative firework market is shamelessly spotlighted in late June. In short, much of the careful analysis clogging cable lines everyday is absolute garbage. But it fuels a rather malicious cycle. Even an asset manager with 5 billion dollars in the bank is going to be affected by the television locked on a certain cable channel for 12 hours a day.  News emerges, and very quickly it is whipped around by investors, asset managers, reporters, and the market as a whole. It shows up on T.V. People talk. Security prices move. Eventually, people come to their senses, and prices end up where they should be. I do my best to beat the market to its own correction. 

My interests are varied, ever-changing, and compulsive. I don’t obsess over balance sheets, technical analysis, or the latest Jim Cramer quote. I’d rather read about the latest coup d’état in Western Africa than analysts’ expectations for Merck’s corporate earnings. I’d rather watch presidential candidates on the stump then pour over the day’s volume numbers for the DJIA components. I’d rather study Arab-Israeli relations than structured product variations. I collect information from a varied sources. I listen to talk radio. I read the Wall Street Journal. I check up on celebrity gossip blogs. I podcast. I feel that in the end, you’re a much better trader when you get the big picture. That’s where I start. Then ideas hit me, and I do my best to translate them into trading instruments. My goal for this blog is to share those ideas with the world. “Vlepo” is the Greek word for vision. I hope you find my “Vlepo” helpful, engaging, and thought-provoking. I always welcome comments, and find intelligent conversation and debate is where the greatest ideas are born. I invite you to follow my vision, and wish you the best of luck in your trades. Best,

Sean

 

I am not a licensed financial professional, and my thoughts should not be interpreted as financial advice. Investing in any market involves significant risk, and you should consult a professional before making any serious financial decisions.