Christopher Zook, founder and Chief Investment Officer of CAZ Investments, which oversees around $5 billion in assets under management, joins Julia La Roche on episode 72 for a wide-ranging macroeconomic discussion.
In this episode, Zook shares that a recession is coming, and it’s “going to be deeper and probably longer than people think.” He adds that we’ll have a “manufactured recession,” where inflation is running so hot that the Federal Reserve has to raise rates fast to slow down inflation, forcing the economy into a recession. Moreover, he points out that markets believe the Fed will start cutting rates by the end of the year, something Zook does not expect to happen.
In these types of environments, Zook is looking for opportunities in dislocated assets or persistent assets that perform well, even if his hypothesis is found to be true.
Zook has over 30 years of experience investing in traditional and alternative asset classes. He was recently honored with the Texas Alternative Investments Association’s (TAIA) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution and sustained support of the industry in Texas. He regularly contributes to major media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg. Before starting CAZ Investments in 2001, Zook served in senior leadership positions with Oppenheimer, Prudential Securities, Lehman Brothers, and Paine Webber.
0:00 Intro
2:12 Welcoming Christopher Zook to the show
2:50 Beginnings in investing
3:43 Trading commodities to pay for college
4:40 Reading about traders
5:55 Managing risk extremely carefully
7:20 Starting own firm
8:20 Managing money at age 22
8:50 Set goal to start firm in 10 years
9:50 Tony Robbins
10:40 The bigger the way, the bigger the try
14:00 Zook’s “why”
16:20 CAZ Investments structure and focus
18:36 Thematic approach
20:30 Betting against subprime housing
25:00 Macro outlook
25:12 Meme stock bubble
26:23 It takes longer than people think to reconcile dislocations
27:07 We haven’t seen true dislocation yet
27:40 Recession is coming and it will be deeper and longer than people think
28:08 A manufactured recession
29:00 I’ll be shocked if the Fed cuts rates this year
30:06 More of a 2-3 year recession
31:00 Disconnect between the Fed and the market
33:20 Be greedy when others are fearful
33:54 Stagflation
34:34 Worst economic regime for financial assets
38:13 Opportunities
40:20 Themes right now
41:09 Cord-cutting
41:40 Opportunity in sports teams, media rights
43:55 Themes that exist in real estate today
45:40 Stress from higher rates will force refinancing
46:45 Why we haven’t seen panic selling yet
47:45 Every sector of real estate will be stressed
50:40 U.S. Dollar outlook
53:39 U.S. debt levels are terrifying
56:29 Growth of private assets
57:04 Opportunity in GP stakes
#099 Peter Cecchini: 3 Reasons Why We're Headed Toward Recession
#098 Rick Rule: 'Potent And Very Ugly Cocktail' In A Rising Interest Rate Environment
#097 Peter Borish: My Concern Is More Than A Recession
#096 Michael Howell: It's Bonds, Not Banks, That Look Dangerous
#095 Carol Roth: You Will Own Nothing
#094 Todd Gordon: Why We're Not Headed Toward Recession
#093 Neil Howe: The Fourth Turning Is Here — How Will This Crisis End
#092 Milton Berg On Why There’s Strong Evidence The Market Won’t Do Well
#091 Peter Atwater On The Troubling Disconnect Between Main Street & Wall Street
#090 Jens Nordvig On How AI Is Changing Investing Forever
#089 Jim Bianco On Why Inflation Will Be Problematic And There Won't Be A Fed Pivot
#088 Dr. Ed Altman: We’ve Reached An Inflection Point In The Credit Cycle
#087 Jason Trennert: If You're Playing The Odds Expect A Recession In The Next 6-12 Months
#086 The Acid Capitalist Hugh Hendry On The Economy: 'I'm Fearful'
#085 Kyle Bass On China: 'We Sit At A Hinge In History Right Now'
#084 Michael Green On Passive Investing Creating Distortions In The Market Right Now
#083 Nassim Taleb And Scott Patterson On Black Swans And Chaos Kings
#082 David Hunter On Melt Up In Stocks, Global Bust, And Gold $20,000 Forecast
#081 Professor Steve Hanke Sees Decline In Inflation, Recession On The Way
#080 Nick Glinsman: Investors Beware China
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
U.S Property Podcast
Aligned Money Show
Dubai Property Podcast
The Ramsey Show
The Clark Howard Podcast