In this episode of Yet Another Value Podcast, host Andrew Walker welcomes back Cliff Sosin of CAS Investment Partners for his second appearance. Known for his concentrated, long-term investing approach, Cliff discusses the unique characteristics of Carvana's lending model, the intricacies of subprime finance, and why he believes Carvana's comeback story deserves a closer look. The conversation explores Cliff's investment philosophy, alternative data use, and risk management, while diving deep into market misconceptions around subprime lending, inventory valuation, and self-driving cars. Tune in for a data-rich breakdown of one of the market's most discussed turnarounds.

Links:

YAVP with Aaron Chan on CVNA: https://www.yetanothervalueblog.com/p/recurve-capitals-aaron-chan-on-the

CAS Investment Partners - ⁠https://www.casinvestmentpartners.com/⁠

Yet Another Value Blog - ⁠https://www.yetanothervalueblog.com⁠

See our legal disclaimer here: ⁠https://www.yetanothervalueblog.com/p/legal-and-disclaimer⁠

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[00:00] Intro to the podcast and guest, Cliff Sosin

[01:38] Cliff on his podcast return

[00:02:11] Cliff reflects on past public exposure

[00:05:26] Cliff’s focus in subprime and securitizations

[00:12:17] Carvana’s lending model and performance vs peers

[00:24:29] Alt data, trading signals, and Carvana

[00:30:58] Evolution of Carvana’s operational resilience

[00:34:03] What keeps Cliff up at night about Carvana

[00:38:11] Risks from used car market decline

[00:40:08] Potential disruption from low-cost EVs

[00:47:00] Threat of autonomous vehicles

[01:01:50] Stanford, Google, and Carvana

[01:10:10] Tail Risks

[01:13:00] Getting better with expert networks

[01:18:00] My trite Cliff saying

[01:19:00] What is Cliff researching now

In this episode of the Yet Another Value Podcast FinTwit Book Club, Andrew Walker is joined by Byrne Hobart of The Diff to discuss Clashing Over Commerce, a sweeping political and economic history of U.S. trade policy. Against the backdrop of current debates on tariffs, they explore how deeply tariffs shaped American politics, the surprising economic nuance found in 19th-century policy, and the recurring tensions between protectionism and free trade. From supply chain shifts to presidential power dynamics, they unpack what history might tell us about today’s trade decisions—and what it doesn’t.

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Chapters

[00:00:00] Introduction to the episode and the featured book, Clashing Over Commerce

[00:03:33] Byrne Hobart on why reading the book made him feel better about modern tariffs

[00:07:08] The role of modern supply chains in shaping today’s trade complexity

[00:10:52] Reflections on historical perspectives: agrarian vs. industrial interests

[00:14:41] How lobbying and special interests shaped tariff legislation

[00:19:30] The political economy of tariffs from the Civil War to the Gilded Age

[00:25:22] Evolution of U.S. revenue sources and tariff enforcement mechanisms

[00:30:48] Historical voting patterns and their echoes in recent trade policy

[00:35:19] Shift of tariff authority from Congress to the executive branch

[00:40:51] Modern-day political identity vs. regional trade interests

[00:45:37] How tariffs function as economic handouts or job guarantees

[00:50:44] Presidential comparisons and the rhetorical lineage of tariff advocacy

[00:55:28] Historical trade-offs in trade deals: from Britain to banana imports

[01:00:16] The legacy of statehood as a political tool for tariff influence

[01:03:33] Critiques of the book: length, editing, and lack of a strong conclusion

[01:08:49] Final thoughts on the enduring impact of tariffs on U.S. political systems

Links:

Alphasense activism webinar: https://go.alpha-sense.com/wb-imp-genai-fs-yavp-inside-boardroom/?utm_source=pt_YAVP&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=WB_DG_04-21-25_IMP-GENAI_FS_Yavp-Inside-Boardroom

The Diff Newsletter - https://www.thediff.co/

Yet Another Value Blog - https://www.yetanothervalueblog.com

See our legal disclaimer here: https://www.yetanothervalueblog.com/p/legal-and-disclaimer

In this episode of Yet Another Value Podcast, host Andrew Walker shares a webinar conversation with Thomas Li, CEO and co-founder of Daloopa, diving into how AI is transforming the workflows of fundamental investors. They explore real-world applications across hedge funds and investment banks, highlighting both the promise and current limitations of large language models in financial analysis. From note synthesis to risk modeling and center book evaluations, Thomas outlines the practical realities of AI implementation, discusses adoption across firm sizes, and explains how contextual data—not just algorithm quality—is becoming the differentiator. Whether you're a solo analyst or part of a multi-manager platform, this episode offers a grounded perspective on where AI in finance is heading.____________________________________________________________[00:00:00] Andrew introduces the episode as a repost of a webinar with Daloopa on AI and investing.[00:01:58] Thomas Li outlines AI’s strength in generating language vs. processing structured financial data.[00:06:43] Discussion on practical AI use cases like cross-referencing notes with earnings calls.[00:10:12] Andrew asks how to structure analyst notes for better AI input and efficiency.[00:12:38] Comparing large pod shops and long-only firms in terms of AI adoption and internal tools.[00:17:34] Why foundational models are commoditized and context is key to AI application value.[00:22:18] The crowding factor as a risk vector and how pod shops hedge against it.[00:29:01] Generating alpha today: human edge through timing, perception, and behavioral insight.[00:35:07] Long-term value of internal data and modeling analyst performance over time.[00:41:49] How AI might evolve: foundational models vs. application layer as the value driver.[00:46:22] Adoption outlook—AI use is growing, but nuanced finance problems slow full automation.[00:52:14] Importance of internal champions (agency) to drive meaningful AI integration.[00:57:30] Center books at pod shops use AI to backtest and analyze analyst effectiveness.[01:02:40] Closing thoughts on AI’s trajectory and data as the real moat for firms.Links:Daloopa: https://daloopa.com/yavp See our legal disclaimer here: https://www.yetanothervalueblog.com/p/legal-and-disclaimer