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The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
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Author: mungerish ✸  😊 😞
Number: of 22353 
Subject: Re: Bogle , back to the real world,
Date: 01/23/26 2:38 PM
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Gemini reports the following on Joel's value weighted "index" funds: As of January 2026, Joel Greenblatt’s Gotham funds continue to follow his systematic, value-driven framework. Both **GSPFX** and **GARIX** are designed to capture the "value spread" (the difference between what a business is worth and its market price), but they do so with very different risk profiles.

Below is the performance comparison against the **VOO (S&P 500)** based on recent trailing data.

### **Trailing Annualized Returns (CAGR)**

*Data as of December 31, 2025 / January 2026*

| Fund / Benchmark | 1-Year | 3-Year | 5-Year | Since Inception |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **GSPFX** (Enhanced S&P 500) | 16.88% | 21.80% | 14.51% | ~15.05% |
| **GARIX** (Absolute Return) | 16.24% | 16.65% | 14.74% | ~9.01% |
| **VOO** (S&P 500 Index) | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | ~15.14% (since 2016) |

---

### **Fund Analysis & Key Differences**

#### **1. GSPFX: Gotham Enhanced S&P 500 Index**

This is an "Index Plus" strategy. It holds all the stocks in the S&P 500 but **re-weights** them based on Greenblatt's value and quality metrics.

* **Performance vs. VOO:** Over the 5-year period, it has slightly outperformed the index (14.51% vs. 14.42%). However, over the 1-year and 3-year periods, it has slightly lagged. This is typical when mega-cap "Growth" stocks (which Greenblatt might find "expensive") lead the market rally, as his system will naturally underweight them relative to the cap-weighted index.
* **Strategy:** It aims to beat the S&P 500 by simply owning "more of the cheap ones and less of the expensive ones."

#### **2. GARIX: Gotham Absolute Return Fund**

This is a **Long/Short** equity fund. For every $100 you invest, the fund typically buys ~$120 of "cheap" stocks and shorts ~$60 of "expensive" stocks.

* **Risk Profile:** It is designed to be less volatile than the S&P 500. It targets a "net long" exposure of about 50–60%.
* **Performance:** You'll notice its 10-year and "Since Inception" returns (9.01%) are significantly lower than the S&P 500. This is by design—it is not intended to keep up with a raging bull market, but rather to provide steadier, risk-adjusted returns with lower drawdowns.

### **Summary for Investors**

* If you want **index-like returns with a value tilt**, **GSPFX** is the closer alternative to a market-cap fund.
* If you want **lower volatility and a hedge** against market drops, **GARIX** is the structural alternative.

**Would you like me to look up the current "Value Spread" Gotham is reporting for these funds to see if they believe the market is currently overvalued?**
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This community has written 21,861 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
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Summary of 2Q 2026 · 55 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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