Simply Sarbit

The chase continues... Larry and Darren discuss the "tyranny of the index," where investors favor passive indexing over active management. Their conversation includes the importance of having a long-term perspective and the ability to handle market volatility.And Larry explains the origins of indexing, starting with Charlie Ellis' 1975 paper "The Loser's Game." 

In this episode, Larry and Darren discuss the challenges of active management versus index funds. Larry emphasizes the importance of finding undervalued companies and the pitfalls of group think and short-term performance pressure. He also discusses the historical context of indexing, the inefficiencies of market-cap weighted indexes, and the risks of leveraged ETFs.

In this episode, recorded on September 25, 2025, Darren and Larry discuss President Trump's proposal to shift publicly listed companies from quarterly to semi-annual reporting. They debate the pros and cons, with Larry noting that frequent reporting can be a distraction from running the business. Their conversation also emphasizes the importance of thorough company research beyond financial reports.

Larry and Darren discuss the importance of dividends in investing, emphasizing their role in long-term wealth accumulation. They highlight the Dividend Aristocrats, companies that have increased their dividends annually for at least 25 years, as a core investment strategy. Historical data shows that from 1960 to 2020, investing in dividend paying companies in the S&P 500 yielded a return of $6.4 million from an initial $10,000 investment, compared to $982,000 by investing in non-dividend payers.

After leading Berkshire Hathaway for 60 years, Warren Buffett at 94, wiil step down as CEO at year end. On this episode, Larry & Darren discuss all things Buffett.

Darren and Larry discuss market euphoria and financial bubbles, highlighting historical examples like the Tulip Mania of 1630 and the 2006-2007 housing bubble, and they reference John Kenneth Galbraith's "A Short History of Financial Euphoria" to identify common denominators of financial bubbles.

It’s no joke… We recorded this episode on April 1st, just 24 hours before Donald Trump’s Liberation Day. Because of that, Darren and Larry thought it would be wise to discuss the history of tariffs. They also talked about I, Pencil and Milton Friedman’s take on tariffs. And hang in, we will be back soon with updates!

In his 2024 annual letter to shareholders, Warren Buffett warned that today's stock market increasingly resembles gambling, with Wall Street profiting while everyday investors chase quick wins through trading apps. As Larry and Darren point out, this creates a big problem... A new type of addict is showing up at Gamblers Anonymous meetings across the country: investors hooked on the market’s riskiest trades.

There's a lot to be learned, not just from success, but there's a lot to learn from failure and ideally other people's failure.And here's a great example... this business has been gone since the '80s, but was a very successful business from the '50s through to the '80s.This is the story of E.J. Korvette.

As Darren and Larry work their way through analyzing companies in the S&P 500, known as the Magnificent Seven, they stop off at the Apple store and look at this consumer electronics luxury brand.

Darren and Larry discuss Amazon as a "wonderful business" using Warren Buffett's criteria. They highlight Amazon's rapid growth from selling books in 1995 to its current dominance, emphasizing Jeff Bezos's long-term vision and customer-centric approach. Amazon's moat includes its extensive distribution network, Prime membership, and innovative services like Kindle and Alexa. They also discuss Amazon's potential in new sectors and its significant influence through lobbying and the Washington Post.

Larry and Darren discuss the characteristics of a "wonderful business" using Alphabet as a case study. They highlight the importance of management, trust, and a significant barrier to entry, or "moat." The conversation sets the stage for analyzing other companies in the S&P 500, known as the Magnificent Seven, to understand their investment potential and risks.

On this, our first episode, Darren intoduces you to the wit and wisdom of Larry Sarbit. Larry has a long history as a portfolio manager in Canada managing American equities and now shares some techniques and advice for people on how he's had his extraordinary investment success. There's a huge, lifetime's body of work that he's contributed and we're going to bring that to you. Enjoy!