A loss is just a gain that hasn’t happened yet

Authored by

Owen A. Lamont, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager, Research

In today’s volatile markets, you need to effectively communicate your performance to external stakeholders. Dreading that difficult conversation? Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you describe your returns.


 

Down 5%

Almost up

Down 10%

Positive adjacent

Down 15%

Ephemeral sub-zero return

Down 20%

Attractive entry point

Down 25%

Healthy correction

Down 30%

Keeping it fresh

Down 35%

Coiled alpha

Down 40%

Ignore the noise

Down 45%

No pain, no gain

Down 50%

It’s not a loss if you don’t sell

Down 55%

Diamond hands, baby

Down 60%

Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Down 65%

We’ve never seen bargains like this

Down 70%

The market is broken

Down 75%

The Fed must act now

Down 80%

Could you repeat the question

Down 85%

Let me get back to you

Down 90%

I’d like to network with you about opportunities at your firm

Down 95%

The number you have dialed is not in service.

And remember, a loss is just a gain that hasn’t happened yet. A drawdown is just a run-up that’s on vacation. And your alpha is only as negative as you feel.

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About the Author

Owen Lamont Acadian Asset Management

Owen A. Lamont, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager, Research
Owen joined the Acadian investment team in 2023. In addition to more than 20 years of experience in asset management as a researcher and portfolio manager, Owen has been a member of the faculty at Harvard University, Princeton University, The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and Yale School of Management. His professional and academic focus is behavioral finance, and he has published papers on short selling, stock returns, and investor behavior in leading academic journals, and he has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Owen earned a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.A. in economics and government from Oberlin College.