The Biltmore View

I recorded this conversation with Scott Wallace, CIO and Founder of Shorepath Capital on July 12th.  As I write this today on August 5th, stocks are in full correction with the Magnificent 7 stocks shedding nearly $1t in market value. While we talk a lot about the Mag 7, this is broad ranging discussion, as Scott addresses the upcoming election, the dispersion between growth tech and the rest of the market, how to think about the new AI advances relative to the 90s internet buildout, thoughts on the shape of US finances, and finally, Scott provides us with a framework on how to think about economic cycles. As the stock market enters into this new volatile phase, Scott's thoughts are particularly germane to our current moment.  

This podcast was recorded on July 12th, 2024.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Wallace and Biltmore Family Office, LLC..  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

On today’s Biltmore View we’re going to mix it up a bit. Rather than another discussion about niche investments such as music royalties or mortgage derivatives, we’re going to dig into a different sort of niche investment subject – prenuptial agreements. Many are taken aback or even repelled by the mention of a prenup. Like many topics on the Biltmore View, we’re going to challenge these generally held beliefs as broadly misunderstood.  We’ve invited our guest today, Kellie Hall, to demystify and to educate us on prenuptial agreements. I’ve worked with Kellie at Biltmore for over seven years, where she is the Head of Estate Planning. Kelile has spent her entire career guiding complex families in achieving their intergenerational goals. At Biltmore, frankly, Kellie is our secret weapon. She’s a ninja disguised as an attorney.  After this conversation with Kellie, she turned me from skeptic to believer. Get ready to be educated.

This podcast was recorded on May 6, 2024.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mrs. Hall and Biltmore Family Office, LLC..  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

Following the mortgage market meltdown of 2008, a whole new group of investment companies arose from the wreckage of investment banks. I was among the few people at the time running into the fire and actively investing with these startup mortgage investment firms. Amongst those building new mortgage investment businesses was a particularly bright, energetic guy named Skylar Weinand from Texas. Skylar had previously spent time at various investment firms managing large pools of mortgage-backed securities and he saw an opportunity to blaze his own path, trading in the open white space of a brand new mortgage market. Fast forward 15 years and Skylar’s firm, Regan Capital is still innovating, adding mutual funds and ETFs to their long standing hedge fund and private capital businesses. While Skylar is a fantastic trader, he’s a particularly insightful thinker. In today’s podcast, we discuss the impact of high interest rates on the US housing market. To know mortgages, you really need to understand housing. We talk about supply / demand dynamics for both mortgages and housing – and, ultimately, why this moment in time presents a particularly interesting opportunity.

This podcast was recorded on April, 15th 2024.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Weinand and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

One area that seems to be overlooked in the energy transition is nuclear energy. This is an existing zero-emission technology that currently provides over 18% of electrical capacity in the US. At the most recent COP 28 gathering of nations to address global climate change, a declaration was signed to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. 

This is a really big deal. We’ve invited Jay Surina, Managing Partner at Pelican Energy to educate us on the current state of nuclear energy. What Jay has to say may surprise you. New reactor designs promise to expand nuclear power tremendously. Cheaper, emission-free baseload energy could be a game changer for the global economy. 

This podcast was recorded on February, 27th 2024.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Surina and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

My guest today is Darryl Dewberry, Executive Chariman of The Spectrum Companies. Founded in 1982, Spectrum is a Southeastern-focused commercial real estate development and management company, with responsibility for over $2b in properties. There is so much going on in commercial real estate – near Armageddon in the office sector, the rapid rise of interest rates repricing everything, disruption in the banking world – it’s been over 35 years since commercial real estate has experienced this level of disruption. I’ve known Darryl for the better part of my professional career. He’s a strategic thinker & is currently active in some of the fastest growing markets in the country. So, Darryl was really the natural choice for an in depth conversation about commercial real estate – past, present and future.

This podcast was recorded on November 28,  2023.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Dewberry and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

Our guest today is Jonathan Litt, Founder and CIO at Land & Buildings. Jon is a prominent activist investor, focused on public real estate companies. Since founding Land & Buildings in 2008, Jon has waged 36 public activist campaigns frequently resulting in corporate actions to the benefit of shareholders. This is a particularly interesting time in commercial real estate - full of changes. Many public REIT valuations have fallen to 20% discounts to their asset values. While private real estate is generally held at elevated values. The lending environment is radically changed with banks pulling back, and credit unavailable for certain sectors such as office buildings.  Jon weighs in with opinions on the rapidly changing real estate market. Where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

This podcast was recorded on October  16,  2023.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Litt and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

If you ever want to cause a debate with any of your investment friends, a good starter subject is BioTech. People either love it or hate it. Biotech stocks are particularly volatile. The day trial results are released can see a stock falling 50% or gaining 100%. In addition, it takes a high level of scientific and medical expertise to even understand the drugs. 

At the same time, we are living through a period of tremendous scientific discovery.   For all of these reasons, we see Biotech as an area of the stock market full of inefficiency. To make sense of it, I’ve invited Dev Gahndi, Founder and CIO of SilverArc Capital to join for an in depth conversation on Biotech investing. 

This podcast was recorded on September 5,  2023.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Gandhi and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

That’s right, helicopters. At Biltmore we believe a reliable way to produce outsized returns is through purchasing assets and securities below their fundamental value. In efficient markets, that’s a very difficult thing to do. But if you look hard enough, you can find areas that markets overlook, fear or misunderstand. It is this great search that takes us to some unexpected corners of the investment world. And looked at in this context, helicopters become a lot less mundane and a lot more exciting as a place for investment. Matt Rothschild, founder and portfolio manager of Thora Capital will be our guide today as we dig deep into the fascinating world of helicopters as an investment. 

Matt has been an institutional investor dedicated to financial services for two decades and a practicing environmental engineer prior. Before founding Thora Capital, he was a portfolio manager at Balyasny Asset Management, where he focused on alternative asset managers and the insurance sector. Previously, Matt was head of the US Financial Services sector at AllianceBernstein and a portfolio manager at Alyeska Investment Group. Matt holds an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MSE in environmental engineering from Tulane University, and graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with concentrations in civil & environmental engineering and environmental studies.

This podcast was recorded on August 22,  2023.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Rothschild and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

Our guest, Nick Renwick, is Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Research at Cross Ocean Partners. Cross Ocean invests globally in a broad range of credit and hard assets. They specialize in sourcing assets directly from banks. This provides the firm a distinctive sourcing advantage as well as an inside view on the health and future of global banks. Cross Ocean was formed as the European Special Situations Team spun out from Merrill Lynch in 2015. Team members have decades of experience in global credit and hard assets.

In today’s conversation, Nick provides a great explanation of why there are opportunities available in the current credit market. Compared to just a year ago, today- investors willing to fill the capital void can achieve higher returns while taking less risk. Enjoy today’s podcast - a wonderful education on banks, credit, regulation changes, and how the pipes actually work.  

This podcast was recorded on July 14,  2023.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Renwick and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

In the Summer of 2018, I had the privilege of spending a week with Cesar Collier in Sao Paolo on a due diligence trip. In his life, Cesar has become close personal friends with every one of the city’s 12 million residents. Through that networking as well as a great deal of investment acumen, he has built Siguler Guff into the dominant player in a unique asset class - Brazilian legal claims against the government. These claims are written into the Brazilian constitution and known as precatorios. This all may sound esoteric, but the precatorio market has over a $1 trillion face value with over $200b expected in awards. After all, Brazil has the highest ratio of lawyers per inhabitant in the world.  This all makes for a fascinating investment. Today, Cesar joins me to dig in with an explanation of precatorios, of one of my favorite investment markets in the world.

This podcast was recorded on April 14,  2023.  The respective opinions expressed are those of Mr. Collier and the Biltmore Family Office, LLC investment team.  The opinions referenced are as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change without notice.  This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector.  Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.  BFO reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.  The discussions, outlook and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not take into account specific client investment objectives.  Before investing, an investor should consider his or her investment goals and risk comfort levels and consult with his or her investment adviser and tax professional.  

 Biltmore Family Office, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about BFO’s investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.