The Fundamental Analyst has spent time in the trenches as an equities research analyst for a mid-sized broking firm in Sydney, Australia. However, the stifling nature of the broking business didn’t take and he now prefers the autonomy of the blogosphere where he has free reign to lash out in all directions on a variety of topics including but not limited to, the macro economy and the stock market. He likes to think of himself as a natural skeptic and one of his favorite pastimes is poking fun at economists and other so-called professional forecasters (including government agencies) who take themselves too seriously. He believes, contrary to public policy, that capitalism is as much about accepting the consequences of failure as reaping the rewards of success. His investment stance is steeped in the tried and tested practice of value investing and he aims to identify stocks with superior economics that can be purchased at discounts to intrinsic value. Visit his blog at www.thefundamentalanalyst.com.