The Meb Faber Show - Better Investing

Today’s guest is Jerry Parker, founder and CEO of Chesapeake Capital and one of the original Turtles trained by Richard Dennis. Together we run the Cambria Chesapeake Pure Trend ETF (MFUT).

In today's episode, Jerry explains why managed futures isn't the same as trend following. He breaks down the math and psychology of hunting outliers, letting a few winners pay for many small losses, and why he'd never chase crisis alpha at the cost of returns. To close, Jerry explains why MFUT trades individual stocks rather than just indices.

Learn more about the Cambria Chesapeake Pure Trend ETF www.cambriafunds.com/mfut

Have questions? Reach out to us any time at info@cambriainvestments.com.

Full show notes: Link

(0:00) Jerry Parker

(3:09) Trend following vs managed futures

(11:00) Misconceptions about crisis alpha

(18:42) Portfolio construction, volatility targeting, and strategy complexity

(23:47) Trend following in individual stocks

(32:18) Performance reflection and importance of sticking to a strategy

(37:46) Allocation challenges and memorable recent trades

TO DETERMINE IF THIS FUND IS AN APPROPRIATE INVESTMENT FOR YOU, CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISK FACTORS, CHARGES AND EXPENSE BEFORE INVESTING. THIS AND OTHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE FUND'S FULL OR SUMMARY PROSPECTUS WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 855-383-4636 (ETF INFO) OR VISITING OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CAMBRIAFUNDS.COM. READ THE PROSPECTUS OR SUMMARY PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY BEFORE INVESTING OR SENDING MONEY.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. The material above has been provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security or strategy.

The Cambria ETFs are distributed by ALPS Distributors Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, CO 80203, which is not affiliated with Cambria Investment Management, LP.

MFUT: This fund is new and has a limited operating history. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment goal. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Commodities Risk: Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Fixed Income Securities Risk: The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer’s credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Foreign Securities Risk: The Fund may invest in foreign securities. Such investments involve certain risks not involved in domestic investments and may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies. Leverage Risk: The derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest provide the economic effect of financial leverage by creating additional investment exposure to the underlying instrument, as well as the potential for greater loss. If the Fund uses leverage through purchasing derivative instruments, the Fund has the risk that losses may exceed the net assets of the Fund. Derivatives Risk: Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. Short Selling Risk: If a security sold short or other instrument increases in price, the Fund may have to cover its short position at a higher price than the short sale price, resulting in a loss. Commodity-Linked Derivatives Tax Risk: The tax treatment of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be adversely affected by changes in legislation, regulations, or other legally binding authority. Non-Diversification Risk: Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

Commodities Risk. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer’s credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in foreign securities. Such investments involve certain risks not involved in domestic investments and may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies. Leverage Risk. The derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest provide the economic effect of financial leverage by creating additional investment exposure to the underlying instrument, as well as the potential for greater loss. If the Fund uses leverage through purchasing derivative instruments, the Fund has the risk that losses may exceed the net assets of the Fund. Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. Short Selling Risk. If a security sold short or other instrument increases in price, the Fund may have to cover its short position at a higher price than the short sale price, resulting in a loss. Commodity-Linked Derivatives Tax Risk. The tax treatment of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be adversely affected by changes in legislation, regulations, or other legally binding authority. Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history.

Diversification does not guarantee against a loss.

Definitions:

Alpha: The portion of an investment's return that differs from its benchmark after adjusting for risk, measured over a specific historical period and not predictive of future results.

Crisis Alpha: Returns a strategy seeks to generate during periods of significant equity market stress — a stated objective, not a guaranteed or expected outcome.

Stop Loss: A standing order to sell a security once it reaches a specified price, which does not guarantee execution at that price in fast-moving or gapping markets.

Trailing Stop: A stop order set at a fixed distance from the market price that adjusts upward as the price rises and holds when it falls, carrying the same execution risks as a stop loss.

Shorting: Selling a borrowed security intending to repurchase it later, which profits if the price falls and carries theoretically unlimited loss potential if the price rises.

Correlation: A statistical measure of how two assets move relative to one another, ranging from -1.0 to +1.0, which changes over time and often rises during market stress.

Derivatives: Financial contracts deriving value from an underlying asset, rate, or index — including futures, options, and swaps — that may involve leverage, counterparty risk, and losses exceeding the initial investment.

Futures: Standardized exchange-traded contracts to buy or sell an asset at a set price on a future date, traded on margin so that leverage magnifies both gains and losses.

Long: Owning or holding a position expected to benefit from an increase in the price of the underlying asset.

S&P GSCI (formerly the Goldman Sachs Commodity Index): A production-weighted, energy-heavy index of commodity futures created by Goldman Sachs in 1991 and acquired by S&P in 2007, which is unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.

Get Stopped Out: Having a position closed automatically when a stop order triggers, which can occur on a temporary price move and exit the position before any recovery.

MSCI EAFE Index: A market-capitalization-weighted index of developed-market equities outside the US and Canada, covering Europe, Australasia, and the Far East, which is unmanaged and not directly investable.

MSCI Emerging Markets Index: A market-capitalization-weighted index of equities across emerging-market countries, which is unmanaged and not directly investable.

Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA): An individual or firm advising others on futures, options on futures, or certain swaps, generally required to register with the CFTC and join the NFA — registration that implies no skill level or regulatory endorsement.

Today’s guest is David Booth, founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors, which now manages over $1 trillion. He studied under Eugene Fama at Chicago and helped build one of the first index funds at Wells Fargo.

In today’s episode, David traces Dimensional’s arc from indexing’s earliest days at Wells Fargo to crossing $1 trillion in AUM this year. He shares what Gene Fama said when he got the call, the story of driving a client to Chicago to walk through the Fama-French paper, and why AI investing looks like the California gold rush.

To close, David makes the case for judging yourself by decisions, not outcomes.

Get David's book: Stay Calm: Learn to Embrace Uncertainty in Investing and Life

(0:00) Introduction

(0:58) David Booth's start to investing

(3:38) The beginnings of index funds and early challenges at Dimensional

(10:09) Long-term investment perspectives and the Fama-French three-factor model

(17:26) Dimensional’s educational focus and advisor partnerships

(20:21) Small cap value performance, AI & market trends

(23:26) Symbolism of bankrupt stock certificates and lessons on diversification

(25:44) Compounding for 45 years

(30:56) David's passion for Kansas basketball

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Sponsor: ⁠Upwork⁠ is the world's largest human and AI-powered freelance marketplace to hire top talent—trusted by businesses and professionals worldwide.

Follow Meb on X, LinkedIn and YouTube

For detailed show notes, click here

To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our mailing list or visit us at cambriainvestments.com

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Follow The Idea Farm: X | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

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Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at Feedback@TheMebFaberShow.com

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Past guests include Ed Thorp, Richard Thaler, Jeremy Grantham, Joel Greenblatt, Campbell Harvey, Ivy Zelman, Kathryn Kaminski, Jason Calacanis, Whitney Baker, Aswath Damodaran, Howard Marks, Tom Barton, and many more.

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Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out here!

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Today’s guest is Luke Gromen, founder of the macro research firm Forest for the Trees, or FFTT.

In today's episode, Luke argues that free trade is dead, and the US is pivoting to Hamiltonian economics: tariffs, reshoring, and a neutral reserve asset. He explains why the US Treasury can no longer be the world's reserve asset, why long bonds have become certificates of confiscation, and why gold belongs in every portfolio. To close, Luke explains why AI has become a snake eating its own tail on the government's tax base.

(0:00) Introduction

(2:38) The Stupid Washington Consensus and Hamiltonian Economics

(9:14) Portfolio positioning and real rates in the current regime

(15:19) Sponsor: Upwork

(16:17) Importance of real returns and gold

(21:18) US fiscal challenges and bond market outlook

(27:21) Gold performance, allocation strategies, and diversification

(35:09) Evaluating non-US equity markets and sectors

(40:54) Investing in electricity and industrials

(45:11) Risks, competition, and national security in the AI sector

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Sponsor: Upwork is the world's largest human and AI-powered freelance marketplace to hire top talent—trusted by businesses and professionals worldwide.

Follow Meb on⁠ X⁠,⁠ LinkedIn⁠ and⁠ YouTube⁠

For detailed show notes, click ⁠here⁠

To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our ⁠mailing list⁠ or visit us at⁠ cambriainvestments.com⁠

-----

Follow The Idea Farm: ⁠X⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠TikTok⁠

-----

Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at Feedback@TheMebFaberShow.com

-----

Past guests include ⁠Ed Thorp⁠, ⁠Richard Thaler⁠, ⁠Jeremy Grantham⁠, ⁠Joel Greenblatt⁠, ⁠Campbell Harvey⁠, ⁠Ivy Zelman⁠, ⁠Kathryn Kaminski⁠, ⁠Jason Calacanis⁠, ⁠Whitney Baker,⁠ ⁠Aswath Damodaran⁠, ⁠Howard Marks⁠, ⁠Tom Barton⁠, and many more.

-----

Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out ⁠here⁠!

-----

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠).

In today's episode, I read the opening of my new book, Investing in America: The Rise of a 250-Year Bull Market, plus a couple of sidebars. The book is available now. Grab a copy on Amazon or learn more at www.investinginamericabook.com.

-----

Follow Meb on⁠ X⁠,⁠ LinkedIn⁠ and⁠ YouTube⁠

To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our ⁠mailing list⁠ or visit us at⁠ cambriainvestments.com⁠

-----

Follow The Idea Farm: ⁠X⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠TikTok⁠

-----

Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at Feedback@TheMebFaberShow.com

-----

Past guests include ⁠Ed Thorp⁠, ⁠Richard Thaler⁠, ⁠Jeremy Grantham⁠, ⁠Joel Greenblatt⁠, ⁠Campbell Harvey⁠, ⁠Ivy Zelman⁠, ⁠Kathryn Kaminski⁠, ⁠Jason Calacanis⁠, ⁠Whitney Baker,⁠ ⁠Aswath Damodaran⁠, ⁠Howard Marks⁠, ⁠Tom Barton⁠, and many more.

-----

Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out ⁠here⁠!

-----

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠).

In the latest podcast episode, I discuss the Cambria Global Value ETF (GVAL).

I share my perspective on the gap between U.S. and international valuations, why I believe concentrated, U.S.-heavy portfolios may carry underappreciated risks, and walk through how GVAL's process screens developed and emerging markets using long-term valuation metrics.

Learn More:

Cambria Global Value ETF (GVAL): https://cambriafunds.com/gval

Contact us at info@cambriainvestments.com, 310-683-5500

TO DETERMINE IF THE FUND IS AN APPROPRIATE INVESTMENT FOR YOU, CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISK FACTORS, CHARGES AND EXPENSES BEFORE INVESTING. THIS AND OTHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE FUND'S PROSPECTUS WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 855-383-4636 (ETF INFO) OR VISITING OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CAMBRIAFUNDS.COM. READ THE PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY BEFORE INVESTING OR SENDING MONEY.

The Cambria ETFs are distributed by ALPS Distributors Inc., 1290
Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, CO 80203, which is not affiliated with Cambria Investment Management, LP, the Investment Adviser for the Fund.

Investing involves risk, including potential loss of capital.

GVAL: There is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its investment goal. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. High yielding stocks are often speculative, high-risk investments. The underlying holdings of the Funds may be leveraged, which will expose the holding to higher volatility and may accelerate the impact of any losses. These companies can be paying out more than they can support and may reduce their dividends or stop paying dividends at any time, which could have a material adverse effect on the stock price of these companies and the Fund’s performance. International investing may involve risk of capital loss from unfavorable fluctuations in currency values, from differences in generally accepted accounting principles, or from economic or political instability in other nations. Emerging markets involve heightened risks related to the same actors as well as increased volatility and lower trading volume. Investments in smaller companies typically exhibit higher volatility. Narrowly focused funds typically exhibit higher volatility.

GVAL is actively managed.