📖Julian Robertson

Position Sizing Discipline

🌿 Intermediate★★★★★

Size positions based on conviction and risk.

💬

The size of your position should reflect your conviction and the risk involved. Never bet so large that a single mistake can wipe out your portfolio.

— More Money Than God,2010

🏠 Everyday Analogy

Portfolio construction is like building a team. You need complementary roles, not eleven strikers chasing the same ball.

📖 Core Interpretation

Julian Robertson views portfolio construction as risk architecture. Allocation, position sizing, and rebalancing rules determine whether you can stay disciplined across market regimes.
💎 Key Insight:Proper position sizing prevents catastrophic losses.

AI Deep Analysis

Get personalized insights and practical guidance through AI conversation

❓ Why It Matters

Without portfolio rules, decisions become reactive and concentrated. Sustainable returns come from controllable risk exposure, not one-off bets.

🎯 How to Practice

Set target allocation by risk tolerance, rebalance by rules rather than headlines, and prevent hidden concentration from dominating portfolio behavior.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

Diversifying superficially without true risk balance
Skipping rebalancing rules and drifting style
Judging portfolio health by short-term returns only

📚 Case Studies

1
Airline Price Wars (1987)
Analyzed brutal fare competition and weak balance sheets across U.S. airlines before the crash.
✨ Outcome:Avoided or shorted several carriers; protected capital as sector suffered heavy losses after 1987 market break.
2
Tiger Management and Asian/Russian Turmoil (1998)
Global Perspective, influenced by Robertson’s macro views, faced losses as Asian crisis and Russian default triggered massive volatility
✨ Outcome:Positioning proved too early; heavy redemptions and losses contributed to the eventual shuttering of Tiger Management in 2000

See how masters handle real scenarios?

30 real investment dilemmas answered by legendary investors

Explore Scenarios →