KTS #3 RE-POST : Don't Label Yourself
Originally published on Blossom on March 20th, 2024
Please find retrospective commentary at the end.
All of the greatest investors have the performance to prove their greatness. But which one is the best? Which one is more in line with your investment strategy?
Pull up the greatest investors. They have labels:
Benjamin Graham
The Value Investor
Sir John Templeton
The Contrarian
Thomas Rowe Price, Jr.
The Stock Picker for the Long-Term
John Neff
The Value with High Dividend Yield Investor
Jesse Livermore
The Trader
Peter Lynch
The Observationalist Investor
George Soros
The Big Bet, Short Term Speculator
Warren Buffett
Value for the Long Term Investor
Jack Bogle
The Index Investor
Carl Icahn
The Activist Investor
Bill Gross
The Bond King Investor
As a new investor, I would urge you not to run into any classification or investment style. Instead, learn from these greats and build your investment strategy toolkit so you can apply the best investment for the ever changing current market conditions.
I see posts all the TIME that say everyone has their investment strategy that works for them. But why limit your potential to a defined investment strategy? The reality is that different market conditions warrant different investment strategies. New investors should be accumulating all of these different tools in their toolbox just as a new homeowner would. In the world of investing, there’s TIMES where the market favors value investing or growth investing, or income investing, or index investing, or market cap size investing, international investing, etc.
Why not develop knowledge in all and expertly apply the right tool for the right market? Have you ever had a need for a socket wrench but you grab the needle nose pliers (because that’s what you have available) and try to work out the screw?
Back to the markets.
There are both short and long periods of TIME (months or even decades) where one style can outperform another (e.g. growth vs. value, domestic vs. International, aggressive vs. Defensive, etc.). So suggest we start building the toolbox so we have the right tool for the right market. How did Bill Gross do with his bonds over the past decade of stock appreciation? How did investing in Japan over the past year do compared to investing in Japan over the prior 17 years?
So it’s clear, the objective should be to learn all strategies.
Later in this series, I plan to post how to develop an understanding of what kind of market you’re in so you can apply these newly acquired tools.
But for now, quit calling yourself an ETF Investor, or a Momentum Investor, or a Tech Investor! You have the potential to be so much more than that.....so get busy and build your own toolbox by learning from the greats!
Retrospective commentary - September 7th, 2026
Since the publication of KTS #3, TIME has obviously passed. And if this is your first TIME here, you will notice – as we re-post the whole KTS series – that we adjusted to the styles that the market dictated to us.
We have said it countless TIMES: the meltup is a momentum market: speculation, liquidity injection, loose credit, rising prices of everything, and smallcaps re-emergining from hibernation was expected. International stocks were favored as well as the shift took place.
So let's take a moment and look at how the various styles have actually performed since the original publication of KTS #3 in March 2024 (see attached chart).
As expected, Japan and International, along with Growth and Momentum, have outperformed the S&P 500, while Value, dividend stocks, and the Aristocrats (defensive & dividend) have underperformed.
Now, you might say: Beskar, this is simply normal, Growth outperforms Value and dividend stocks. And what about smallcaps? You said they would outperform, and they didn't.
Yes, and yes. Growth does outperform over a long TIME. But in our study of the real estate/banking crisis cycle, we work within specific periods of TIME – that is how we read and listen to the markets. Growth outperforms over a long TIME. It does not outperform at all TIMES. As for smallcaps, keep reading. Total return since Liberation Day and year-to-date make the point for us.
What about since Liberation Day (see attached chart)?
Smallcaps jump two positions, moving ahead of International and the S&P 500. Momentum now leads Growth. That is the meltup: unloved areas and the speculative end of the market gaining ground as euphoria takes hold and liquidity is injected. As expected… until the music stops. Keep in mind this was published 18 months ago and the tempo of the music is getting faster and faster. 😉🥁
On to Year-to-Date now (see attached chart).
Well, well, well. The story is changing, isn't it? Dividend stocks post the best total return year-to-date in 2026. They underperformed the market across both prior TIMEframes. Now they lead. What does that tell us about where we sit in the cycle?
Growth has dropped hard and lost its place in the top three, now ahead of the S&P 500 by barely 1%. Momentum holds its top-three position – hype, euphoria, and liquidity injections have not faded… yet.
One more observation. Since March 2024 and since Liberation Day, Value and the Aristocrats have underperformed the S&P 500 by wide margins (Value: -19% since March 2024, -15% since Liberation Day; Aristocrats: roughly -30% across both TIMEframes). Year-to-date, both sit within approximately 1% of the index. Again, what does that tell us about where we sit in the cycle?
So, Beskar. What does that mean? How are you acting on it?
First, let's recognize that developing your ability to read and listen to the markets and build a toolbox for every type of market – as shown above – is a winning strategy that gives us a chance to generate amazing double-digit outperformance over our rigid peers that only stick to one strategy. A total WIN. 🏆
In recent weeks, we published our analysis of the 2Q26 13F filings, dissecting the positioning of several whales in depth. In addition, most member-exclusive KTS, published since February 2026, are built around a specific theme reflecting our assessment of the current market status.
This is just one component of how we express our ability to identify what strategy is warranted, in our opinion, and what signals for us a change in style and approach as we read and listen to the markets, while the Sector Surfer is our weekly compass, assessing the strength and investability of each sectors/subsectors.
Our trade alert page shows members exactly how we are acting on this.
So, are we noticing a real rotation? Are we changing our approach? Are we adapting in order to survive?
This is what the membership gives you access to. We give our members a front-row seat to how Beskar Capital observes and acts.
Remember, we want YOU all to Win! 🏆
I always give you my best.
Natural selection is alive and well! 😂
This is the Way! 🏄🌊
