TTU141: The Alternative Trendfollower ft. Douglas Greenig, CEO of Florin Court
Top Traders Unplugged
Niels Kaastrup-Larsen
4.8 • 712 Ratings
🗓️ 3 April 2023
⏱️ 73 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Join us for an in-depth conversation with Douglas Greenig, CEO of Florin Court, as we explore their unique approach to managing $2 billion in assets using a systematic trend following program focused on alternative markets. Discover how they navigate the current macro environment by prioritizing skew over the traditional Sharpe ratio, their process for uncovering new markets, and their strategies for managing risk and uncertainty during times of crisis. We dive deep into their trend following implementation and why it's essential not to become a "backtest junkie." Plus, learn why they steer clear of having money inside of China, despite trading Chinese markets and how the location of their office has impacted their work. Don't miss this enlightening discussion with another industry leader in the CTA space.
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50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE
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Episode Timestamps:
02:46 - Discovering Florin Court's Trend Following Approach
03:54 - The Macro Perspective: Understanding the Big Picture
07:13 - Why Trend Following and Alternative Markets?
15:55 - Skew Over Sharpe Ratio: A Different Way of Looking at Risk
18:31 - Understanding Crisis Alpha: How Trend Following Shines in Turbulent Times
22:27 - Accessing Individual Markets: The Hunt for Alpha
29:20 - Navigating Risks in Alternative Markets
33:39 - The Role of Macro Factors in Alternative Markets
36:41 - From Niche to Mainstream: The Rise of Alternative Markets
40:10 - Working with Trend Following: Tips and Best Practices
47:33 - Managing Risk: An Inside Look at Florin Court's Process
52:06 - The Importance of Macro Awareness in Trend Following
56:02 - ESGs and Investing: A New Frontier?
58:12 - Living the Abu Dhabi Lifestyle
01:01:26 - Factors Impacting Performance: A Closer Look
01:04:54 - The Art of Navigating Different Opinions
01:08:15 - Concerns & Opportunities in 2023: What to Watch Out For
01:11:13 - Thank You for Listening: Closing Remarks
Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved
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PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:
1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about
In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here
2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score
One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here
3. Other Resources that can help you
And if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click Here
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Obviously, we had entered a world where central banks were applying huge amounts of liquidity to the global economic system. |
| 0:15.0 | And liquidity kind of fixes everything until it doesn't, you know, until it causes inflation, until it increases |
| 0:23.4 | and balances that ultimately end up breaking things. |
| 0:28.2 | But I think we're returning to a more normal world. |
| 0:31.9 | People can't get past their anchoring bias. |
| 0:35.2 | And the notion that there's a burst of volatility when |
| 0:39.4 | trends reverse and change direction. That's a universal. The Minsky moments and the anchoring |
| 0:45.2 | bias, they're here to stay. And so I think, I don't think that trend following is in any sense |
| 0:53.2 | obsolete. And I think that certainly that trend following is in any sense obsolete. |
| 0:55.0 | And I think that certainly when you apply it in relatively green pastures, |
| 1:00.0 | in relatively fresh places, I think there's quite a lot left for the future. |
| 1:09.0 | Imagine spending an hour with the world's greatest traders. a lot left for the future. |
| 1:14.3 | Imagine spending an hour with the world's greatest traders. |
| 1:18.7 | Imagine learning from their experiences, their successes, and their failures. |
| 1:20.7 | Imagine no more. |
| 1:26.1 | Welcome to Top Traders Unplugged, the place where you can learn from the best hedge fund managers in the world so you can take your manager, due diligence, or investment career to the next level. |
| 1:32.1 | Before we begin today's conversation, remember to keep two things in mind. |
| 1:36.1 | All the discussion we'll have about investment performance is about the past, and past performance does not guarantee or even infer anything about future performance. |
| 1:44.8 | Also understand that there's a significant risk of financial loss with all investment |
| 1:48.5 | strategies, and you need to request and understand the specific risks from the |
| 1:52.9 | investment manager about their product before you make investment decisions. |
| 1:56.9 | Here's your host, veteran hedge fund manager, Niels Kostrup Larson. |
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