2008 AAII Silicon Valley Main Events
All the Past Main Event Topics and Speakers
With presentations you can download, where available....
2008 Presentations
November 8, 2008 Computerized Investing All Day Seminar - What Works, What Doesn't and Why In Today's Market Lynn will discuss how to develop a realistic and quantitative analysis of your financial needs and the extent to which an investment program can help meet them in today's market.Bob Smithson - "Available Computerized Tools and How They are Used"Bob will discuss a number of online and offline analysis tools and data sources that are useful to the individual investor. Two of them, Stock Investor Pro and Excel will be discussed in detail by other speakers. An example of portfolio construction and maintenance using a combination of tools will be given.Andy Prophet - "Basics of SI Pro"Andy will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the AAII's fundamental screening program, Stock Investor Pro. He will present an example of fundamental screening using the programVijay Vaidyanathan - "Excel Programming for Investors"Microsoft Excel programmed with Visual Basic for Applications is the most commonly used method for professional level financial analysis. Vijay will demonstrate the power of this analysis tool. We are planning a series of classes on the details of programming Excel for financial analysis for early next year.Al Zmyslowski - "Quantitative Technical Asset Allocation (QTAA)"Al will discuss the results achieved over the last year with QTAA, the basic concepts behind it, possible enhancements, and how to create a portfolio from multiple asset classes. Finally he will discuss how the various tools introduced by the other speakers can be put together to provide a quantitative system flexible enough to adapt in a challenging market like the present one.
October 18, 2008 FINANCIAL ROUNDTABLE SEMINAR: STOCKS, MUTUAL FUNDS, ETFS, AND REAL ESTATE Former Wall Street CEO, educator and investing guru, Harvey Baraban will present his popular seminar for AAII members. Harvey will share his inside secrets for successful investing and where the best opportunities for profit in the markets are now. With insight gained from over 40 years in the investment industry, he will show how being an informed investor can lead to better overall performance in your portfolio. With timely, market-sensitive information, Harvey will discuss how stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate are impacted by current market conditions, and how ETFs are changing the market.Attend this meeting to learn:
September 27, 2008 Are We There Yet? This presentation will discuss the causes and long-term damage of 2008’s market turmoil. What is ahead for us in the economic and financial outlook for fourth quarter 2008 and early 2009? How do the longer-term structural changes in global economic and financial markets affect the individual investor? Jeanette will provide a forecast for interest rates, earnings, consumer spending, capital spending, the trade deficit and the dollar. She will also discuss the information needed for financial planning and provide economic analyses for various investment sectors.Attend this meeting to learn:
June 17, 2008 Working Session to Define a Possible Open-Source Backtesting Program for Stock Investor Pro.This is a working meeting intended for experienced investors and programmers who are willing to help with this project. It is not a meeting of general interest to most investors. We encourage anyone with back-testing or programming experience to attend. This SI-Pro User's Group (SI-Pro UG) meeting will be a working session where we will examine the feasibility of using SI-Pro, PAST (Portfolio Attribution & Simulation Toolkit) and "R" to develop a backtesting program. The attendees will discuss the possibility of developing a database by formatting the SI Pro historical files in a form that is optimized for back-testing.SI Pro is an excellent vehicle for this endeavor since historical data is available to subscribers via CDs or downloads from the AAII SI-Pro web site. As we have learned in previous SI-Pro sessions, the data resides in a FoxPro database. It can be easily reformatted to be made compatible with most languages and databases, including PAST and "R".Moderator Andy Prophet
May 31, 2008 Harvesting Wealth Through Dividends Attend this session and learn how conservative, cash-rich total returns can improve your portfolio. Under the guidance of Josh Peters, Editor of the DividendInvestor, Morningstar has become a leading advisor on prudent dividend-paying investments. Mr. Peters will walk you through the world of dividends by choosing high- quality stock recommendations that focus on long-term business fundamentals. Using a unique strategy based on the founding concepts of the well-known Morningstar investment philosophy, Josh will show attendees how Morningstar evaluates opportunities and selects the best income-oriented stocks.Attend this meeting to learn:- Why dividends and dividend growth are a better way to extract returns from stocks than capital gains alone- How dividends provide key insights into the attractiveness of individual stocks Speaker Josh Peters, CFA Editor, Morningstar Dividend Investor May 10, 2008 Fundamentals of Investing - an All-day Tutorial Topics covered include the following: Investment Goals and Your Personal Investment Profile; Return Measurements; The Risk/Return Tradeoff; Sharpe and Treynor Ratios; Modern Portfolio Theory and The Efficient Market Hypothesis; Asset Classes and Asset Allocation; The Brinson Study; Building a Portfolio; Monitoring and Rebalancing; Economic and Business Cycles; The Yield Curve; Investment Vehicles: Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Closed End Funds, ETFs, and REITs; The Annual Report; Understanding Financial Statements and Ratios; Basic Stock Screening Techniques; Sources of Data; and The AAII Website.Attend this meeting to learn:How to realize your Personal Investment GoalsAbout the Risk/Return TradeoffHow to Build and Rebalance your PortfolioReasons to attend:Understand Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, ETFs and REITsLearn the benefits of building a Strategic Investment PlanGain valuable insights into the pros and cons of Tactical Investing “Investing Basics … and Beyond”Speakers: Members of the Silicon Valley Chapter Board
April 17, 2008 Second Class on Computerized Investment Analysis This second class will focus on actual stock selection using example spreadsheets that implement the principles discussed in the first session. A brief introduction to the portfolio optimzer discussed at last year's Compputerized Investing seminar will also be presented.The times are: socializing and set-up at 6:30 PM, Meeting starts at 7:00 PM, ends at 9:00 PM. Place: Saratoga Library, 13650 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, California 95070.Leader Dr. Bob Smithson, Registered Investment Advisor, President, Anava Corp. and Manager, Anava Capital Management LLC
March 11, 2008 Using SI Pro Effectively With PAST Backtesting Software Using SI Pro as a vehicle for backtesting custom screens has been a frequent and important topic at past meetings of the AAII Silicon Valley SI Pro User’s Group (SI-ProUG). At our March meeting, Mr. Vaidyanathan will demonstrate a new backtesting program entitled PAST. This backtester is written in “R” programming language and is capable of extracting performance history using SI Pro data files for the past five years. AAII Silicon Valley SI-ProUG is a special interest group that exchanges knowledge and educates members on how to use SI Pro. We encourage active participation in an open, friendly environment. All levels of users from absolute beginners to very experienced are welcome. Join us and refine your stock screening skills, share your knowledge, and learn how to make better choices.Speaker Vijay Vaidyanathan, CEO & Founder, Return Metrics, Inc.
March 8, 2008 Constructing a Truly Global Investment Portfolio Because of the dramatic changes taking place in the world economy, U.S. investors must update their portfolio strategies to fit the new realities. The U.S. balance of payments and the dollar continue to deteriorate. The most rapidly growing economies are outside the U.S., Europe and Japan. Furthermore, several countries with surplus trade dollars are investing them into struggling U.S. financial companies. How does one design a portfolio to, not only account for, but also take advantage of these trends? What portion of your portfolio should be outside the U.S.? What percentage should be in the fastest-growing developing-market economies, such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China)? What portion should be in foreign bonds, and also in assets that will preserve value during inflationary times? This presentation will get very specific with regard to personal portfolio asset allocation among all the asset classes. It will cover how to balance, and rebalance, a modern global investment portfolio.Speakers David and George Marotta, Portfolio Managers, Marotta Asset Management, Inc.
February 9, 2008 Municipal Bonds - A Risk-Reducing Component Mr. Hutchinson will speak about the variety of fixed-income instruments available, and will discuss some "bond basics." John will highlight how to use fixed income to reduce portfolio volatility through diversification. He will address how to add value or alpha over traditional returns by utilizing some simple strategies with municipals and other fixed-income investments. Some strategies to be reviewed: building bond ladders and barbells; using un-enhanced credits and various coupons of fixed income; and different ways to potentially increase your yield. He will also review the current municipal environment.Speaker John W. Hutchinson, CFP, Investment Executive, Stone & Youngberg, LLC
January 4 2008 First Class on Computerized Investment Analysis Basic Principles of Computerized Investment AnalysisFirst of a two-class series specifically on the analysis of individual investments as opposed to portfolio building. Portfolio building does enter the discussion because in order to build a portfolio you need to know certain things about the individual investments. What does it contain? This need determines what you are trying to find out in your investment analysis.The first class will focus on basic principles used in making a quantitative prediction of the future performance of a security, and a quantitative measure of the uncertainty in that prediction. We will also discuss, based on quantitative data, the performance that can be reasonably expected.The second class will focus on actual stock selection using example spreadsheets that implement the principles discussed in the first session.Leader Dr. Bob Smithson, Registered Investment Advisor, President, Anava Corp. and Manager, Anava Capital Management LLC
October 18, 2008 FINANCIAL ROUNDTABLE SEMINAR: STOCKS, MUTUAL FUNDS, ETFS, AND REAL ESTATE Former Wall Street CEO, educator and investing guru, Harvey Baraban will present his popular seminar for AAII members. Harvey will share his inside secrets for successful investing and where the best opportunities for profit in the markets are now. With insight gained from over 40 years in the investment industry, he will show how being an informed investor can lead to better overall performance in your portfolio. With timely, market-sensitive information, Harvey will discuss how stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate are impacted by current market conditions, and how ETFs are changing the market.Attend this meeting to learn:
- - The speaker’s essential rules of investing
- - The 10 top information resources
- - The best ETFs, and why they are the best
- Speaker Harvey Baraban, Former CEO, Baraban Securities
September 27, 2008 Are We There Yet? This presentation will discuss the causes and long-term damage of 2008’s market turmoil. What is ahead for us in the economic and financial outlook for fourth quarter 2008 and early 2009? How do the longer-term structural changes in global economic and financial markets affect the individual investor? Jeanette will provide a forecast for interest rates, earnings, consumer spending, capital spending, the trade deficit and the dollar. She will also discuss the information needed for financial planning and provide economic analyses for various investment sectors.Attend this meeting to learn:
- - the causes & long-term damage of 2008’s market turmoil
- - the economic and financial outlook for fourth quarter 2008 and early 2009
- - the longer-term structural changes in global economic and fi nancial markets.
- Speaker Jeanette Garretty Senior Wealth Manager, Senior Vice President, The Private Bank Wells Fargo Bank
June 17, 2008 Working Session to Define a Possible Open-Source Backtesting Program for Stock Investor Pro.This is a working meeting intended for experienced investors and programmers who are willing to help with this project. It is not a meeting of general interest to most investors. We encourage anyone with back-testing or programming experience to attend. This SI-Pro User's Group (SI-Pro UG) meeting will be a working session where we will examine the feasibility of using SI-Pro, PAST (Portfolio Attribution & Simulation Toolkit) and "R" to develop a backtesting program. The attendees will discuss the possibility of developing a database by formatting the SI Pro historical files in a form that is optimized for back-testing.SI Pro is an excellent vehicle for this endeavor since historical data is available to subscribers via CDs or downloads from the AAII SI-Pro web site. As we have learned in previous SI-Pro sessions, the data resides in a FoxPro database. It can be easily reformatted to be made compatible with most languages and databases, including PAST and "R".Moderator Andy Prophet
May 31, 2008 Harvesting Wealth Through Dividends Attend this session and learn how conservative, cash-rich total returns can improve your portfolio. Under the guidance of Josh Peters, Editor of the DividendInvestor, Morningstar has become a leading advisor on prudent dividend-paying investments. Mr. Peters will walk you through the world of dividends by choosing high- quality stock recommendations that focus on long-term business fundamentals. Using a unique strategy based on the founding concepts of the well-known Morningstar investment philosophy, Josh will show attendees how Morningstar evaluates opportunities and selects the best income-oriented stocks.Attend this meeting to learn:- Why dividends and dividend growth are a better way to extract returns from stocks than capital gains alone- How dividends provide key insights into the attractiveness of individual stocks Speaker Josh Peters, CFA Editor, Morningstar Dividend Investor May 10, 2008 Fundamentals of Investing - an All-day Tutorial Topics covered include the following: Investment Goals and Your Personal Investment Profile; Return Measurements; The Risk/Return Tradeoff; Sharpe and Treynor Ratios; Modern Portfolio Theory and The Efficient Market Hypothesis; Asset Classes and Asset Allocation; The Brinson Study; Building a Portfolio; Monitoring and Rebalancing; Economic and Business Cycles; The Yield Curve; Investment Vehicles: Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Closed End Funds, ETFs, and REITs; The Annual Report; Understanding Financial Statements and Ratios; Basic Stock Screening Techniques; Sources of Data; and The AAII Website.Attend this meeting to learn:How to realize your Personal Investment GoalsAbout the Risk/Return TradeoffHow to Build and Rebalance your PortfolioReasons to attend:Understand Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, ETFs and REITsLearn the benefits of building a Strategic Investment PlanGain valuable insights into the pros and cons of Tactical Investing “Investing Basics … and Beyond”Speakers: Members of the Silicon Valley Chapter Board
April 17, 2008 Second Class on Computerized Investment Analysis This second class will focus on actual stock selection using example spreadsheets that implement the principles discussed in the first session. A brief introduction to the portfolio optimzer discussed at last year's Compputerized Investing seminar will also be presented.The times are: socializing and set-up at 6:30 PM, Meeting starts at 7:00 PM, ends at 9:00 PM. Place: Saratoga Library, 13650 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, California 95070.Leader Dr. Bob Smithson, Registered Investment Advisor, President, Anava Corp. and Manager, Anava Capital Management LLC
March 11, 2008 Using SI Pro Effectively With PAST Backtesting Software Using SI Pro as a vehicle for backtesting custom screens has been a frequent and important topic at past meetings of the AAII Silicon Valley SI Pro User’s Group (SI-ProUG). At our March meeting, Mr. Vaidyanathan will demonstrate a new backtesting program entitled PAST. This backtester is written in “R” programming language and is capable of extracting performance history using SI Pro data files for the past five years. AAII Silicon Valley SI-ProUG is a special interest group that exchanges knowledge and educates members on how to use SI Pro. We encourage active participation in an open, friendly environment. All levels of users from absolute beginners to very experienced are welcome. Join us and refine your stock screening skills, share your knowledge, and learn how to make better choices.Speaker Vijay Vaidyanathan, CEO & Founder, Return Metrics, Inc.
March 8, 2008 Constructing a Truly Global Investment Portfolio Because of the dramatic changes taking place in the world economy, U.S. investors must update their portfolio strategies to fit the new realities. The U.S. balance of payments and the dollar continue to deteriorate. The most rapidly growing economies are outside the U.S., Europe and Japan. Furthermore, several countries with surplus trade dollars are investing them into struggling U.S. financial companies. How does one design a portfolio to, not only account for, but also take advantage of these trends? What portion of your portfolio should be outside the U.S.? What percentage should be in the fastest-growing developing-market economies, such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China)? What portion should be in foreign bonds, and also in assets that will preserve value during inflationary times? This presentation will get very specific with regard to personal portfolio asset allocation among all the asset classes. It will cover how to balance, and rebalance, a modern global investment portfolio.Speakers David and George Marotta, Portfolio Managers, Marotta Asset Management, Inc.
February 9, 2008 Municipal Bonds - A Risk-Reducing Component Mr. Hutchinson will speak about the variety of fixed-income instruments available, and will discuss some "bond basics." John will highlight how to use fixed income to reduce portfolio volatility through diversification. He will address how to add value or alpha over traditional returns by utilizing some simple strategies with municipals and other fixed-income investments. Some strategies to be reviewed: building bond ladders and barbells; using un-enhanced credits and various coupons of fixed income; and different ways to potentially increase your yield. He will also review the current municipal environment.Speaker John W. Hutchinson, CFP, Investment Executive, Stone & Youngberg, LLC
January 4 2008 First Class on Computerized Investment Analysis Basic Principles of Computerized Investment AnalysisFirst of a two-class series specifically on the analysis of individual investments as opposed to portfolio building. Portfolio building does enter the discussion because in order to build a portfolio you need to know certain things about the individual investments. What does it contain? This need determines what you are trying to find out in your investment analysis.The first class will focus on basic principles used in making a quantitative prediction of the future performance of a security, and a quantitative measure of the uncertainty in that prediction. We will also discuss, based on quantitative data, the performance that can be reasonably expected.The second class will focus on actual stock selection using example spreadsheets that implement the principles discussed in the first session.Leader Dr. Bob Smithson, Registered Investment Advisor, President, Anava Corp. and Manager, Anava Capital Management LLC