Dear Clients: The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high (ATH) on February 19 (just after Valentine’s Day), its 60th ATH since the beginning of 2024. Investors’ love affair with stocks seemed to be in full bloom. Alas, heartache was right around the corner, as the S&P 500 plunged into “correction” territory [...]
Don’t panic over partisan firestorm, market plunge Mickey Kim / March 21, 2025 The S&P 500 reached an all-time high (ATH) on February 19. Two days later, my column “Are stocks in a ‘bubble’ after two spectacular years?” was published. We won’t know the answer for many [...]
After two spectacular years, are stocks in a ‘bubble’? Mickey Kim / February 21, 2025 Two short years ago was a dark time for U.S. financial markets as the Federal Reserve’s crusade against inflation resulted in a record destruction of wealth. In 2022, U.S. stocks had their [...]
Kirr, Marbach Partners Value Fund (KMVAX)—Another Year of Top Performance Ranked Top 4% of Morningstar Mid-Cap Blend Category with 27.89% Total Return for 2024. COLUMBUS, INDIANA, January 27, 2025—Kirr, Marbach & Company, LLC is pleased to announce the Kirr, Marbach Partners Value Fund (KMVAX) demonstrated exceptional annual performance [...]
These Stock Funds Crushed the Market in 2024. What They’re Buying Now. In a tough year for stockpickers, a handful of funds managed to trounce the market. Here’s how they did it—and what they like for 2025. By Ian Salisbury | Jan 09, 2025, 1:00 am EST [...]
Dear Clients: As long-term investors, we don’t focus on and try not to get too hung-up on short-term performance, whether good or not so good. Still, the great news is client equity portfolios produced strong absolute and relative-to-benchmarks performance throughout 2024. As we’ll discuss, this was particularly satisfying given 1) the “average” [...]
MicroStrategy’s ‘Infinite Money Glitch’ an illusion Mickey Kim and Roger Lee / December 20, 2024 During his first term, former President Trump was openly skeptical of cryptocurrency, but went “all-in” on crypto during the campaign, dubbing himself the “Crypto President” and his sons launching World Liberty Financial, a [...]
Stock market booming, but beware of tax pitfalls Mickey Kim / November 22, 2024 Can you remember how you felt two years ago? Hard to believe now, but it was a very dark time for the U.S. financial markets as the Federal Reserve’s crusade against inflation resulted in [...]
Harris, Trump both live in economic ‘fantasyland’ Mickey Kim / October 25, 2024 Close your eyes and imagine you have a credit card with no spending limit and no requirement to ever pay the balance. Further, foundational “laws” of economics like supply and demand can be repealed [...]
Q3 2024 Market Recap - Podcast Director of Client Service Zach Greiner, CFP and Chief Investment Officer Mark Foster, CFA touch on the market's performance over the first three quarters of 2024 and cover several topics that might be of interest to clients: the performance of founder-led companies, housing affordability and the [...]
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Associate Director of Client Service |
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Current Board Member and Vice President of Sans Souci. Past president of Sans Souci and Columbus Young Professionals. Finance Mentor for Turning Point’s Dance Marathon. Leadership Bartholomew County – 2014 and Coalition for Collaborative Learning – 2015. Zach was previously a Credit Analyst and Commercial Lender for MainSource Bank and, most recently, Financial Advisor for Raymond James. Zach joined KM in 2018. |
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Associate Director of Client Service |
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Current member of Heritage Fund Bartholomew County Grants Committee and First Presbyterian Preschool Policy Board. Before joining KM in 2018, Maggie was a financial analyst at Cummins, Inc. |
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Roger Lee, CFA, CPA
Senior Research Analyst |
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Roger joined KM as a Senior Research Analyst in 2016. Prior to joining KM, he sharpened his research skills while on the investment teams of Pacific View Asset Management, the Artisan Partners Global Equity Fund, and Tradewinds Global Investors, a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments. He began his career in assurance services at Ernst & Young. Roger has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York since 2010. |
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Collin Foster, CFA
Research Analyst and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager |
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Collin joined KM as an Equity Analyst in 2015. Prior to joining KM, he worked as a credit analyst and credit manager at MainSource Bank. |
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Mickey Kim, CFA
Managing Partner, Chief Operating/Compliance Officer |
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Mickey was Senior Research Analyst at Driehaus Capital Management, a Chicago investment management firm, from 1982 to 1985. Mickey joined KM in 1986 and has been the firm’s Chief Operating Officer since 1996 and Chief Compliance Officer since 2004. |
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Mark D. Foster, CFA
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Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager |
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Mark was formerly associated with American Fletcher National Bank (now JP Morgan Chase, Indiana, NA) as a research analyst from 1980 to 1982 and with Merchants National Bank as a portfolio manager/research analyst from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1987 he was associated with Merchants Investment Counseling Inc. as Director of Equity Strategy, directly responsible for managing approximately $200 million of equity assets. Mark joined KM in 1987 and has been the firm’s Chief Investment Officer since 1997. |
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Matt Kirr
Partner, Director of Client Service |
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Current Board Member of Heritage Fund Bartholomew County and Foundation for Youth. Past president of Foundation for Youth, the Day Nursery Foundation Board, and past vice-chairman of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Indiana. Matt was previously a Vice President and Private Banker for Bank One, N.A. and, most recently, McDonald Financial Group. Matt joined KM in 2005. |
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Darrell H. “Kip” Wright, CFA
Partner, Portfolio Manager, Senior Research Analyst |
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Kip was a Trust Investment Manager for various banks in Iowa from 1982 through 1995, most recently with Brenton Bank, N.A., with responsibilities of overall strategy and equity selection. Kip joined KM in 1995 and is a portfolio manager and senior research analyst. |
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Colin King, CFA
Senior Research Analyst |
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Colin joined KM as an Equity Analyst in 2012. Prior to joining KM, he worked in assurance services with Ernst & Young and in business valuation with Blue & Co., both CPA firms. Colin has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Indiana since 2012. |
