The Sionna Hype Cycle of Investment Products

Over the years, we have watched the annual Gartner Hype Cycle forecasts with interest. For those that are not familiar with it, the Gartner Hype Cycle outlines extreme peaks and troughs that can occur with new technology trends. It demonstrates how hype can build and eventually collapse under the weight of over-inflated expectations, until finally the collective wisdom settles into a more balanced reality about the growth of a new product or concept.

As the hype for the new and novel seemed to gather steam this fall, we developed our own “cheeky” version – the Sionna Hype Cycle of Investment Products – in tribute to Gartner’s innovation.

Sionna Harnesses Diversity to Increase Investment Success (Financial Post)

Walk into Sionna Investment Managers’ downtown Toronto office, and you’ll notice how diverse its investment team is. At Sionna, gender, race and religion are no barrier to career opportunities. What matters to this successful firm – now in its 15th year – is finding the most talented and capable investment professionals to grow its clients’ portfolios.

Practicing Differently

The idea that practice improves performance is widely accepted, but it’s important to recognize that not just any practice enhances abilities. The act of doing the same thing over and over again may not necessarily lead to improvement beyond a certain point. Instead, a different type of practice, carried out over a sufficient period of time, is what can lead to improvement. So what, then, is the right sort of practice?

Artificial Intelligence and Stock Picking – the Future is NOT Here

There is quite a bit of enthusiasm surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential to replace traditional stock picking. But, enthusiasm and hype of a new concept is common in market history. Humans love forecasting extremes – bland forecasts are boring and not worth talking about. Historically, market players fall prey to hype and assume adoption and acceptance of a new initiative will occur much more rapidly than it actually does.

Six Leading Experts on how to Invest Right Now (The Globe and Mail)

Kim Shannon joins a roundtable to discuss trends in today’s market and where investors can find value opportunities.

Hunter Corcoran

Hunter joined Sionna as a Junior Trader in 2017. He earned his Honours Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business at Western University and completed a degree in Economics from Western University. Prior to joining Sionna, Hunter was an Institutional Equities Sales and Trading Summer Analyst at RBC. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of CFA Society Toronto. Hunter is set to complete his Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies from Harvard University next year.

The Sweet Music of the Gritty

Although we often attribute exceptional performance to innate talent, it is likely that passion, perseverance and just plain hard work is the true differentiator of exceptional performers. In our experience, these important attributes are commonly found when partnering with owner-operated businesses.

Bay Street Relives Black Monday; ‘It was Absolute Pandemonium’ (The Globe and Mail)

Sionna's Kim Shannon remembers Black Monday on its 30th anniversary.

Unintended Consequences

Sionna believes in the power of incentives. But what about unintended consequences like the cobra effect? By their very nature these situations are difficult to avoid since the outcomes are never intentional.