Alex Seagle: Ruminations of The Contrary Investor
Comment of the Day

April 28 2011

Commentary by David Fuller

Alex Seagle: Ruminations of The Contrary Investor

My thanks to the author for his highly original letter, published by Fraser Asset Management. Here is the opening:
A Blast From the Past

Most readers know that Fraser Management hosts the Contrary Opinion Forum each year in October in Vermont. The Forum is a collegial gathering of some very smart people at the height of leaf-peeping season (hopefully!), with the idea being the exchange of contrarian ideas. This year will mark our 49th Forum, and we are honored and humbled by the quality of both our speakers and attendees - we hope they feel the same, and find their time with us enjoyable and valuable.

In 1983, Time magazine published an article on the Forum, and the Contrary Investor thought it might be interesting to reflect back on the impressions of what contrarian investing really is - or at least was perceived to be. In its entirety, here is the article, titled "They Love Those Unloved Stocks":

David Fuller's view In my experience, speakers at The Contrary Opinion Forum have a free hand in terms of their presentations which may, or more likely may not, take a deliberately contrary view. However analytical differences are not uncommon and there is plenty of congenial discussion, not least during the informal gatherings.

I look forward to meeting a number of subscribers and their families at this year's Forum.

To my chagrin I discovered that I had not posted the March issue, which is just as relevant today.

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