Can stocks really underperform for bonds decades?! In this special Alpha Architect Round Up celebrating 3,000 subscribers, we sit down with Meb Faber to dig into surprising market truths, diversification challenges, and why buy-and-hold doesn’t always work outside the U.S.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why stocks can stagnate or trail other assets like bonds and gold for decades
• The hidden role of farmland and housing in the global portfolio
• Vanguard’s surprising call for international bonds
• Trend-following: misunderstood or just out of favor?
• The pitfalls of institutional investing and why complexity often loses
• Behavioral mistakes investors keep repeating (performance chasing, sitting on cash)
• Which countries and strategies are “totally not crushing it” today—but might be tomorrow
Follow Meb's summer series "20 Things You May Not Know About Markets (or That Might Surprise You)": https://x.com/MebFaber/status/1936136442079855067
Follow the Alpha Architect Team and Meb on X:
Wes Gray, PhD: https://x.com/alphaarchitect
Jack Vogel, PhD: https://x.com/jvogs02
Ryan Kirlin: https://x.com/RyanPKirlin
Jose Ordoñez Jr: https://x.com/JOrdonezJr
Meb Faber: https://x.com/MebFaber
Subscribe for more insights on diversification, market trends, and smart investing strategies!
For more educational resources, visit:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com
Disclosures:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures
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Can stocks really underperform for bonds decades?! In this special Alpha Architect Round Up celebrating 3,000 subscribers, we sit down with Meb Faber to dig into surprising market truths, diversification challenges, and why buy-and-hold doesn’t always work outside the U.S.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why stocks can stagnate or trail other assets like bonds and gold for decades
• The hidden role of farmland and housing in the global portfolio
• Vanguard’s surprising call for international bonds
• Trend-following: misunderstood or just out of favor?
• The pitfalls of institutional investing and why complexity often loses
• Behavioral mistakes investors keep repeating (performance chasing, sitting on cash)
• Which countries and strategies are “totally not crushing it” today—but might be tomorrow
Follow Meb's summer series "20 Things You May Not Know About Markets (or That Might Surprise You)": https://x.com/MebFaber/status/1936136442079855067
Follow the Alpha Architect Team and Meb on X:
Wes Gray, PhD: https://x.com/alphaarchitect
Jack Vogel, PhD: https://x.com/jvogs02
Ryan Kirlin: https://x.com/RyanPKirlin
Jose Ordoñez Jr: https://x.com/JOrdonezJr
Meb Faber: https://x.com/MebFaber
Subscribe for more insights on diversification, market trends, and smart investing strategies!
For more educational resources, visit:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com
Disclosures:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures
The Trump Bear Trap: Volatility, Tariffs, and Factor Frustration
Markets whipsawed through April, with sudden drawdowns, massive rebounds, and political catalysts fueling confusion. In this episode of the Alpha Architect Roundup, we break down whether this is a true bear trap—or just the cost of being a long-term, evidence-based investor.
Key Topics Covered:
•Is this a bear trap or just market noise?
•The impact of Trump’s tariff threats and 90-day delays
•Why GDP shrank—and whether it means recession
•Crisis alpha and trend following: when should it work?
•Small-cap drawdowns and doubts about the size premium
•Do value and momentum still deserve investor trust?
•What it takes to stick with factor investing through pain
Timestamps:
00:00 –Intro/ Factor investing should be hard
01:27 – April volatility: bear trap or bull trap?
06:39 – "Kicking the can down the road"
12:29 – GDP contraction: signal or noise?
15:31 – Crisis alpha and trend disappointment
19:49 – Is the size premium dead?
21:40 – Factors and the problem of timing
27:04 – Are factors dead?
36:49 – Is technical analysis for n00bs?
40:12 – Final thoughts
Subscribe for more insights on diversification, market trends, and smart investing strategies!
Website & Disclosures
For more educational resources, visit our website:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com
Disclosures:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures
The Alpha Architect Round Up
Can stocks really underperform for bonds decades?! In this special Alpha Architect Round Up celebrating 3,000 subscribers, we sit down with Meb Faber to dig into surprising market truths, diversification challenges, and why buy-and-hold doesn’t always work outside the U.S.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why stocks can stagnate or trail other assets like bonds and gold for decades
• The hidden role of farmland and housing in the global portfolio
• Vanguard’s surprising call for international bonds
• Trend-following: misunderstood or just out of favor?
• The pitfalls of institutional investing and why complexity often loses
• Behavioral mistakes investors keep repeating (performance chasing, sitting on cash)
• Which countries and strategies are “totally not crushing it” today—but might be tomorrow
Follow Meb's summer series "20 Things You May Not Know About Markets (or That Might Surprise You)": https://x.com/MebFaber/status/1936136442079855067
Follow the Alpha Architect Team and Meb on X:
Wes Gray, PhD: https://x.com/alphaarchitect
Jack Vogel, PhD: https://x.com/jvogs02
Ryan Kirlin: https://x.com/RyanPKirlin
Jose Ordoñez Jr: https://x.com/JOrdonezJr
Meb Faber: https://x.com/MebFaber
Subscribe for more insights on diversification, market trends, and smart investing strategies!
For more educational resources, visit:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com
Disclosures:
https://www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures
