‘Tis the season. From Science Friday some science book picks from 2013 including Clive Thompson’s Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better.

 

Quote of the day

Rick Ferri, “Multi-factor investing isn’t for tourist investors. The strategy requires die-hard discipline, which means a complete understanding of all risks.”  (Rick Ferri)

Chart of the day

Bonds_1213

The spread in bond returns in 2013 was notable.  (Capital Spectator)

Markets

Are Treasuries oversold?  (Sober Look)

What would it take for the market to continue its upward path in 2014?  (Mark Hulbert)

Strategy

Ten dividend stocks the ultimate stock pickers are buying.  (Morningstar)

More on the CAPE controversy.  (FT Alphaville)

Cognitive bias+limits of arbitrage=opportunities.  (Turnkey Analyst)

Companies

Carl Icahn of Icahn Partners ($IEP) played us all for fools in 2013.  (Howard Lindzon)

KKR ($KKR) is consolidating its empire.  (Dealbook)

Aubrey McLendon the former CEO of Chesapeake Energy ($CHK) wants another bite at the apple.  (In Pursuit of Value)

How Apple ($AAPL) could get into the payments business.  (Fast Company)

3M ($MMM) and Boeing ($BA) announce big dividend raises.  (WSJ, Reuters)

Funds

Why picking active managers is so hard: poor persistence.  (Focus on Funds)

Investors are rushing into non-standard bond funds.  (FT)

Goldman Sachs ($GS) launched a super-popular unconstrained bond fund.  (Bloomberg)

Bill Miller (and son) are stepping out on their own (in part) to manage a new fund.  (InvestmentNews)

Global

Germany and France’s economies are diverging.  (Sober Look)

Renewables like solar and wind are the future of energy.  (Business Insider)

Real estate

Homebuilder confidence is still on the rise.  (Calculated Risk)

Has the market already adjusted to higher mortgage rates?  (The Reformed Broker)

Are shopping malls becoming extinct?  (USAToday)

Economy

26 surprising charts from 2013.  (Quartz)

What if inflation is no longer an energy problem?  (FT Alphaville)

11 questions and answers about the minimum wage.  (The Atlantic)

Earlier on Abnormal Returns

What you may have missed in our Monday linkfest.  (Abnormal Returns)

Mixed media

The long and sordid story of Boca Biff.  (Doug Kass)

Why Amazon’s Kindles are so cheap?  (Business Insider)

Is this “flat” design going to bring down the costs of LED bulbs?  (GigaOM)

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