The ultimate shipping and logistics platform.
If you’re joining us now, you are arriving at the perfect time to take advantage of our updated model portfolios and Top Picks! We have just published our new set of Top Picks for February 2024 along with updates to our exclusive Income Model Portfolio. Our final performance for 2023 was +54.5% from our long only model portfolios (no options nor leverage), which follows our strong +54.9% return in 2022 and blistering +133.2% return in 2021.
We also recently hosted an exclusive interview series to give our members the best possible access to industry insights and the latest trends and we are preparing another series of exclusive interviews in early-2024. Our earnings season coverage is ongoing and we will cover 50 firms as part of the Q4-23 reporting cycle!
We have massively outperformed our industry comps over the past 8 years and we have also massively outperformed the S&P 500 and Russell 2000. Our top trades and model portfolios have driven a cumulative return of over 17x since 2016 (or 43.4% annualized), versus 13.2% annualized from the S&P 500, 7.9% annualized from the Russell 2000, and 10.2% from the overall shipping industry.
Although the past couple years have been better for shipping names on average, a large part of these returns were also achieved during a timespan in which shipping stocks were challenged, further proving the value of our sector research and allocation abilities across diverse market conditions. Our strong performance is not related to industry strength alone: we have massively outperformed the shipping industry over the past eight years (43.4% annualized vs. 10.2% annualized)!
This performance speaks to the power of our market analytics and proven ability to time and ride the cycles, but in case the total difference wasn't clear, here is a hypothetical example of $10k across those levels of varying returns:
Join our platform today to review our latest top picks for 2024 and to see which sub-sectors and specific top picks look primed for allocations in the coming months.
Here are the key features you can expect as a member:
We focus heavily on the maritime shipping sector and related energy infrastructure. This has been a challenging sector over the past decade, but we've proven our ability to outperform with eight years of substantial outperformance. When markets panic, we know which firms are best positioned to thrive and we can easily select the stronger firms and avoid the weak ones.
When the markets panicked in December 2018, we designed two core portfolios which returned an average of 72% throughout 2019. Although 2020 was difficult, we outperformed the industry average by more than 25% even during extremely challenging markets. We then rebalanced our model portfolios to prepare for a recovery surge, and we provided an average return of +136% during 2021. When the entire stock market plunged during 2022, we delivered a +55% average model return in 2022 due to our superior sector positioning. When everyone was fretting about pending recessions and geopolitical risks, we produced a 54.5% return in 2023.
J Mintzmyer, PhD - Founder and President
J is the Founder of Value Investor's Edge. He has nearly 15 years of direct experience analyzing and investing across the shipping sector and is a frequent participant at industry conferences. J has a Bachelor's of Science in Economics from the US Air Force Academy, a Master's in International Economic Policy from the University of Maryland, and a PhD from Harvard (trade and sanctions).
James Catlin - Head of Macro Research
James is the Lead Macro Analyst at Value Investor's Edge. He also holds degrees in Economics and Political Science and has over 20 years of investing and real estate development experience. James focuses on the macro aspects of the shipping industry and provides related research into commodity trade patterns and flows. His macro work and his segment overview reports are highly respected throughout the shipping investment community.
Climent Molins - Head of Shipping Research
Climent is our Head of Shipping Research, where he oversees a team of analysts in providing full coverage of nearly 50 firms across the maritime shipping sectors. He has over five years of research and investing experience in the shipping sector and has honed his experience covering shipping equities during both turbulent and rewarding times as an active member of the Value Investor's Edge team since 2019. Climent directs our earnings coverage and company-specific modeling to ensure that members have the latest estimates and projections at their fingertips.
Henrik Alex - Offshore Energy Analyst
Henrik has recently joined Value Investor's Edge to provide exclusive analysis of the offshore energy sector. Henrik has over 30 years of experience as an investor, trader, and analyst and previously worked as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Michael Boyd - Energy Sector Expert
Michael is the Head of Research at Energy Investing Authority, a specialized research service for energy investors. He has partnered with Value Investor's Edge to share related research in energy midstream and export infrastructure, which ties in sharply to our shipping coverage. Michael has key experience working as an investment bank analyst, but after achieving financial independence at a young age, he now focuses on research and directing his personal investments. Michael is ranked in the global top 2% at TipRanks despite focusing on the challenging energy sector. His work undoubtedly adds value and breadth to our primary shipping coverage.
Don't take our word for it! See what our members think of the research product by scrolling below. We have an eight-year track record of stellar research and market out-performance, outperforming the relevant shipping industry benchmark and average industry returns by wide margins including outperforming both the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 in 7 out of the past 8 years. Our service includes exclusive, actionable advice sent directly to you alongside a live chat room that enables you to share ideas and gain insights from other serious investors and traders.
Do you want to know all about shipping stocks and shipping markets? This is the place to go, with coverage of earnings, valuation models, macro trends, exclusive interviews with the top executives at these firms, and a very knowledgeable group of members who discuss news and trading of shipping stocks. It’s a risky sector, but you can’t be better informed than with VIE. If you are investing enough in shipping stocks, this is well worth the price.
edit: lowered my rating for recently telling the public ahead of his paid subscribers about some of his larger trades and moving the market against them. not cool!
reedit: its been several years since my above complaint and things have been going very well, both with the performance, the service generally, and the trade disclosure. back to 5/5.
Simply fantastic service and a fantastic group of analyst who are truly invested in their work. it’s a big team and the members of the chat group add icing to the cake. he has the membership fees are high, but you will make money in no time . Deep and detailed analysis and also updates are provided frequently. Have no second thought to join the group.
Best service I have ever used. Follow along with the commentary and watch your portfolio grow. Can't say enough positive. Track record speaks for itself.
Fantastic service with first rate research and great community
I subscribed to this service a year ago. I made money, which of course is great. But what has impressed me more than the strong track record is the remarkable quality of discussion on the chat platform. Over the past few years, I have subscribed to several research services on Seeking Alpha. Most of the people who speak on the VIE community platform are knowledgeable. The average amount of new information or insight per post is much higher than I have seen in the other services that I have subscribed to. The VIE community members have a diversity of backgrounds; they add depth to the evaluation of the companies of interest and the economic context. The VIE staff follow up and also add high quality, new information.
Shipping is affected by many crises. We see them, we talk about them, we certainly don't all have the same views of them, but the angry, divisive comments that troll so much online discussion are not present here. This has required skilled moderation. It has been done subtly enough that I don't know how this team achieves it.
The VIE staff post articles weekly. Because of the chat, I gain significant new value every day.
World class research, model portfolio with a tremendously successful track record and a community that is second to none when it comes to shipping markets
Timely and thorough research of shipping companies. The competence of the team and their investing tenacity is reflected in the outperformance of the model portfolios.
Value Investor’s Edge has helped grow my family’s net worth considerably since joining. VIE’s 8 year track record speaks for itself; J finds alpha through world class research into obscure shipping stocks. He’s simply the smartest guy in the space. It’s not cheap, but it pays for itself many times over if you have a decent size portfolio.
I've been using VIE for two years and it has been the most profitable service I've ever used, bar none. The depth of knowledge, timeliness and insightfulness of J and the community here is impressive. I highly recommend VIE.
I have been a subscriber to VIE for 3-4 years and very impressed with J Mintzmyer and team re their attention to detail, responsiveness and dedication to stay on top of their shipping industry specialty and changing environment not only on the macro level but on the company level. Their performance has been outstanding and recommend them highly. I am semiretired, having been a CEO, CFO, Investment Banker, M&A manager for public and private companies and through my extensive and varied career I have seldom met folks that are as smart and dedicated as J and his VIE Team.
Fantastic Actionable Research! You Will Make Money Using This Service.
Outstanding service:
- complete transparency on virtually every trade - even those done on J's personal account
- periodic educational webinars on shipping - which is a very niche industry
- fundamental understanding of global macro and market regimes - less common than you think on Seeking Alpha
- weekly previews on all holdings and other companies that are being watched
- maintained performance chart for the portfolio
- maintained historical performance for all previous years of VIE
- monthly model rebalancing updates with in-depth analysis
- community of friendly, intelligent, and experienced investors (but also welcoming to noobs)
- post-mortems on mistakes and transparency around losses and learnings
- strong performance!
It's not the cheapest service on Seeking Alpha, but it's probably one of the best!
I hesitated to buy VIE initially for 2 reasons. 1, the price... $2k is alot of money when compared with many other investing services and 2, J Mintz does do alot of publicly posting his opinions which I did trade on. What I have learned being a subscriber is that there is so much more that comes with VIE other than tweets. Rocket chat, Weekly previews that come in every Sunday, immediate analysis of company earnings, investing model updates, the live analytics platform, shipping research guides, glossary of terms, etc. On top of that you also get to watch and/or interact with some really well connected shipping investors and J Mintz himself. I've made a tremendous amount of money in the past 2 years in shipping. Since adding the VIE service I much better understand the companies I am buying, the industry itself and have a confidence that I won't be under water as investment horizons change.
Honest advice
Extremely valuable information and really good vibe in chatroom. Together with EIA both top noch services and lot of regular common users (with big portfolios and lot of experience) on both service as I have understand, who are sharing their views, investment ideas etc, depends on subjects: shipping or energy. Truly recommend!
VIE is an outstanding service. Above all, the transparency and honesty is incomparable. The preformance of the portfolios is exactly and as profitable as it is described. I have tried numerous other investment advisors and none can compare.
However, one gets tempted by the flurries of (mostly) profitable option trades J discloses. Following these leads to madness - unless you possess J's mental abilities and attention to detail. If you cannot restrain yourself and have a large margin, I recommend sticking to the shipping stocks in trades you understand and ignoring his hedges against growth stocks.
The VIE research platform is an incredible value that all types of investors can benefit from - beginners to professionals. The quality of J's work is second to none as well as his knowledge of the maritime shipping sector. In addition, his analysis of market conditions is superb.
Honest good service and if interested in investing in the shipping world, this may be the best.
Darren from CFK recommended his subscribers get another perspective and recommended VIE. So I did it! Yeah, it is "expensive" and using real (not tax deferred) money, I hesitated. Now I have returned that investment over 100% on my way to 1,000%! As my wife exclaims in all caps about anything extraordinary..."HOLY CRAP!" I am not a sophisticate, I don't have spreadsheets and I don't ease my way into positions. I do subscribe to three services and am interested in dividends versus capital appreciation. VIE is the most thorough review of information and clear explanations of the "why". Additionally the whole team is good, the information flow is fantastic, the interviews are exceptional and it is money very well spent. I gave up on shipping several years ago when I thought they were all crooks or incompetents (Think NMM, maybe even DAC?). With VIE you get a new perspective and numerous ways to a profitable future depending on your own risk metrics. Start a two week trial now!
Top notch research conveyed in a professional, understandable format.
The Value Investors Edge ("VIE") excels at providing candid assessments of both upside and risks, and not overstating it's own results. I am a relatively conservative investor, and have found that J. Mintzmyer's publication is well suited to both 'traders' as well as more conservative approaches, which is an incredibly difficult spectrum to appease. J focuses exclusively on his sector of expertise, provides insights into portfolio allocations and weighting, and his single-minded focus on shipping has enabled me to achieve returns that are over 3x that of the best performing major index over the past three years. I've subscribed to dozens of investment services and publications over the last several decades, and his has by far provided the most actionable investment insights.
I'm very satisfied with the service. It has improved a lot since I first joined it 4 or 5 years ago so I'm now making money with it instead of losing money. It's a great service now.
I was initially skeptical it would be worth the price, but the VIE service paid for itself very quickly for me. J's analysis is excellent, and the additional contributors he has brought on also provide tremendous sector insights. The caliber and the pace of the content is very impressive.
Both specific company analysis and sector-wide macro analysis abound. The member community is very active in chat and adds additional value through their own independent analysis, insider insights, and live collation of relevant news and events. Additionally, J actively trades these sectors himself (puts his money where his mouth is), and is 100% transparent and timely in his disclosures. Overall, a truly excellent service.
Excellent service, the perfect mix of broad market analysis and specific actionable ideas. J is as sharp as they come.
The amount of alpha on this platform is truly unbelievable. J is a true expert in his field, well connected, and a very successful trader who posts his trades in real time. The whole community on the forum is very knowledgeable and adds significant insight as well. You are missing out if you don't subscribe to this service.
It's a must if you wanna be updated on the shipping sector. Very worth it.
Phenomenal service! One of the most knowledgable analysts I have come across and truly does care about his subscribers. J has produced nearly immaculate returns for me over this past year. Don't let the steep price tag scare you away, the content is well worth it. Thanks again J!
I have no good reason for waiting to write this review for so long. My only excuse to myself was J's work was so good and he had established such a great name for himself that my review was not needed. It likely still isn't, but I just wanted to share some thoughts and feedback after having been a part of the VIE community for several years. Military term, BLUF, do a trial for this asap if you can, and if you are a value investor, like finding an edge in smaller less followed names, and just looking for actionable insight this is for you. Arguably your portfolio has to be large enough to justify the cost of the service. J is an absolute professional and maybe a a robot. I don't know where he finds the time for all he does. His analysis is top tier. He is transparent with his trades as well and puts his money where his mouth is. He also maintains a professional and collegial chat that is an integral part of the service and a great forum for exchanging quality ideas. He has access to top management in the industry and posts live interviews, writes up detailed analysis on companies, you name it. I have been investing/trading in shipping for almost 15 years and it was probably life changing finding this service a few years back. Kudos to J for all he does, happy to be a part of it, and look forward to many more years of success for you and VIE.
This has been a great service, with lots of meaningful quantitative data for the value-focused investor. The community tied to the service is engaging, respectful, and thoughtful. Currently in my second year of subscribing to this service (2021). I plan to continue. It has paid for itself many times over.
Excellent service with helpful guidance for investing in the challenging shipping industry. By the far the most valuable service (out of many) to which I have personally subscribed. Recognizes deep value and opportunities for me to be able to pursue. J has been very approachable, friendly, and active on the chat. Speaking of chat, it's an amazing community with wonderful members that share/provide valuable information; the other members are arguably the best part of the service. I have only been a lurker absorbing their knowledge. I never thought I would say this after being lured to shipping from the oil tanker/ contango situation that fizzled, but shipping has provided the best risk/ reward opportunities that I can confidently pursue as a direct benefit of this service. Model portfolios within weekly updates and constant instant new information with interpretation relayed via chat have been most useful.
As a small individual investor it might seem hard to justify the cost of the this service, and on some level it may not be worth it if you aren't prepared to dedicate the time to its prolific content and don't have the enthusiasm to put at least mid-5 figures into the shipping space when opportunity knocks, but I can say with confidence that without J and the many highly intelligent and active participants in this VIE community I would have lost a LOT of money in shipping and thrown in the towel during 2020. Instead, I'm up a LOT of money in shipping and have learned so much along the way that I expect shipping to remain a staple within my portfolio for years to come given the many asymmetric opportunities it presents to investors that have at least an intermediate understanding of the underlying sector dynamics.
I have been a VIE member for a year, and would strongly recommend the service for investors interested in the niche shipping securities market.
Shipping securities are out-of-favor, with few timely and reliable sources of information. If 50 analysts covered this sector, it would be difficult for any value to go unnoticed. But only a few analysts, such as at VIE, cover shipping. In my opinion, this lack of coverage provides VIE the ability to find value.
I currently read all the articles, and read/listen to some of the interviews. I also keep a daily eye on the chat room, which is an outstanding way to get often up-to-the-hour info on breaking shipping-security news.
Prior to joining VIE, my shipping investment knowledge was largely coming from public chatrooms, free SA articles, and comments on those SA articles. (This is how I became aware of VIE.) This meant sifting thru a lot of nonsense, often to find outdated info.
I recently renewed my VIE membership. The investment returns (and confidence) attributable to knowledge I gained thru VIE far exceeds the fee.
This service is good for two main things:
First, the free trial is long enough for you to realise whether you can actually stomach shipping sector. Make sure you figure this out ASAP, because most people can't take it. Just listen to your senses and be honest with yourself.
Second, if you can stomach shipping sector and can enjoy it, this service is a must have. The amount of information is immense at times, and the level of support from the whole community is irreplacable. You don't just get access to all the valuable info, you also get access to other experienced investors in the sector, who can knock some sense into you on the greedy days, and help you get thorugh the panic days.
The biggest investment mistake I ever made was fooling around in shipping stocks before subscribing to Value Investor's Edge. Don't make the mistake I made. VIE is invaluable for anyone hoping to figure out this sector and make money investing in it. I subscribed nine months ago and have made back the subscription fee many times over thanks to the extensive research reports and the amazingly well-informed community on the chat board.
J has real expertise in the shipping industry and his work etic is admirable, resulting in solid coverage on almost every listed shipping company
VIE offers extensive research, chat is amazing with many well informed members who contribute daily, and VIE is very engaged with the user basis. HIGHLY recommended!
I find Value Investor's Edge to be most informative. The analysis and insight into the shipping industry are, in my opinion, excellent and actionable. I would recommend V.I.E. to any investor. Thank you.
Excellent coverage of the sector. The community they have built is very involved and knowledgeable, and the research provided is the best you can find.
Great updates, not the usual broker bs and a chat which is extremely helpful.
Really enjoying VIE. Joined in October. J is a workhorse and I really enjoyed the podcasts with all leading shipping CEOs. The reviews are comprehensive and have made it easy for someone who knew nothing about shipping to get comfortable with investments in the sector. Wish i had more time for the chat.
Great analysts and investors, who I would bet to have an edge in this niche market. Expensive, yes. But the analytics provided and coverage more than covers it. I subscribe to many marketplaces. This one tops them all. I've been an investor and analyst for 20 years and I know quality when I see it.
I have little knowledge of shipping (drawn in by the value and explosive upside potential that seems due in all fairness). J provides a fantastic set of notes to get you started that would otherwise take years to work out on your own. Chat room is very active and highly informative. Research output is likewise constant and of high quality. Highly recommended!
J is great, very knowledgeable, easy going, always responsive. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to keep up with everything in the shipping and energy industries. J definitely makes it easier. The VIE trial is worth checking out if it's offered. I'm looking forward to subscribing once I'm profitable on J's top picks!
I love the international community of shipping investment enthusiasts in one place. J. does a good job of providing current financial data and analysis to help all of us make our own investment decisions.based on facts and not hype. I would recommend that the service focus more on the shipping industry and less emphasis on specific stock recommendations.with target prices and timing predictions. I think the discussion, data and analysis is worth the subscription price alone.
J is fantastic! The quality, detail and frequency of his analysis is outstanding. He is also responsive in the live chat, which is a vital feature of the service, and is also supported by excellent members. Overall, the VIE community and level of sophistication can't get much better. A must for investors, especially in the shipping space! Excellent service!
These guys write excellent reports: Detailed, informative, timely... They explain terms, and their level of jargon seems just right for me. They seem to explain price movements on rates fairly well. The only think they don't (and can't) explain is when Mr. Market will realize the cash flow effect these new rates will have on individual companies. So we sit and wait for Mr. Market to make its move!!!
In summary, these guys have a real zeal for these shipping markets, and it shows very well in their research reports. I am very satisfied, and would recommend them to anyone newly interested in the space.
J Mintzmyer's service is probably the best service offered on SA. I have never seen such detailed research or such a wealth of info on any other service. His tracker for an entire sector is class leading. Somehow he also manages to remain responsive to his subscribers, despite having oodles of them. (Probably never takes holidays or a day off.) He should be charging 5x as much.
Before I became a subscriber, we had a quick chat about SSW and ETP via private messages. Those two trades alone made me almost $100k. I'm a subscriber for life now.
I also love the active chat boards with tons of people contributing further research and trade ideas. There's a lot of eyeballs there combing the internet for signs of danger and signs of everything being on track. It's like having full time employees, except without the expense. There's also a good mix of differing points of view, but everyone keeps it civil, unlike the public internet. A very good crowd to learn from.
His service isn't as simple as some, but none of the research is shallow. If you're a glutton for detailed research and desire knowledge and understanding of a sector, his service is for you. After a few hundred hours of reading, you should have a deep understanding of all these companies, which assists in knowing when to buy, short, or fold.
I highly recommend his service to anyone that wants an excellent shot at making lots of money. Both SSW and ETP were greater than 100% gainers for me.
Very detailed and thorough analysis.
Excellent service providing top notch analysis and commentary, VIE is one of the best tools I have ever used. I recommend it to all my peers for solid advice.
I strongly recommend this service. Value Investor´s Edge provides an excellent stock picking in a bad covered market.
He also provides a continuous and timely updates and explanations and he resolves any doubt inmediately
The number of ideas is staggering, covering all risk and investment profiles. Chat board runs most of the day due to so many international chatters. I check it all the time and have invested in many ideas. Coming in as a non shipper type it took a little while to get up to a basic competency, something I never could or would have done on my own. I've been a very active and professional investor for decades and this club is my favorite.
Investor's Edge provides the most in depth analysis of the companies it covers, far superior to any other subscription I've seen.
Better yet, J Mintzmyer, is a super nice guy who will always take the time to answer everyone's questions.
If there is only one subscription you're planning to subscribe to let it be VIE.
Value Investor's Edge offers compelling guidance on the shipping industry and I believe the service fits perfectly novice as well as professional investors' needs by providing constant market updates, live trackers, and live chat with all other subscribers. Long VIE!
I've been a paid subscriber for one year now. I waited on writing a review until this point. I'm a pretty cheap guy when it comes to paying for advice. This is the only subscription I have.
When I evaluate the value of a subscription, which I view as a service that helps do the heavy lifting of reading every single shipping report, reading every conference call transcript, talking with management teams to ask the questions that analysts seem too scared to, and basically building the financial models/spreadsheets to really understand relative valuations. It's that work, on building detailed models, that is essential to make appropriate stock trading/investment decisions because things can change quickly in this space.
At that point after the initial work is done, if the case seems compelling of what to buy (and most importantly, what NOT to buy!) I'll do my own work. But I don't have the skill set, time, etc. to do the initial work. I feel like I pay J to do that, with my annual subscription.
I think something as simplified as "do all or most of his picks go up" just isn't fair. With that said, I have made substantial money on his service in the last year.
But the more important metric I use is... what "alignment" do I have between the work her does and the picks he puts forward as his best idea, and the picks that after my own research/consideration I concur and make an investment. If I only hit on 10% of his picks, then I don't think I would pay the subscription. But in the case of Value Investor's Edge, I have between a 60-80% match rate. Which is about as high of praise as I can give, and says that J's evaluation metrics and decision criteria match well with my own investment style and risk tolerance.
So how do you compare what you get for "free" on public articles and what you get on the paid service? Obviously, you get access to the research earlier and can establish positions before everyone else, or before the public is able to decipher public news releases. Second, you get much more frequent updates. It's nice to know after every little release, whether the business case is still there or if it has diminished. If it's a big news item, usually a full blog post is made. If small, a chat message comes out near real time with J's thoughts. If nothing else, that near real time feedback help me to sleep better at night. And third, the investors subscribing are often full-time investors in shipping. What can be almost as powerful as J's research, is getting 4-5 full time investors in the space picking at the analysis and finding it's flaws/strengths. If nothing else, if everyone agrees, and your own due diligence concurs, it gives greater confidence.
Obviously, everyone has to weigh their shipping allocation size against the subscription cost. For small portfolios, it might not make sense. But I think for serious investors in shipping, with enough capital to deploy, J's service can be priceless and between hits and perhaps most importantly near misses, it can pay for itself many times over.
We are new to Shipping and VIE marketplace. So far we have learned tremendously from J and fellow members of the forum. Overall, the product and community provide comprehensive, up-to-date and very responsive analysis. It almost represents a subsection of the shipping investment community. There are traders and long-term investors so it has been very interesting for us to see investment from different perspectives.
I have been with Mr. J Mintzmyer for a short time. I have paid my years subscription already. I guaranty you will get a LOT of reports on all the stocks he covers. Ask him a question, and you will get a prompt honest answer. This is the best service I have ever had. Try it. You will be very happy.
Regards to all.
Geno
VIE has taken my knowledge of the shipping industry to a completely new level. The research is thorough, and of great value. In the short time I have used it, it has has helped my investing accumen greatly,its and has easily paid for itself.
Before my trial even ended I made about 9% on the first stock I bought based on J's research. So yeah, "there's gold in them there hills".
I am just beginning my experience with investing and found Seeking Alpha about a year ago. A friend of mine turned me onto Jay Mintzmeyer's service. My self managed portfolio is tiny compared to most of his members (I assume) but his service only costs me one-seventh of my car payment each month so I figured it was a worthwhile investment. If you are contemplating signing up but are worried you are too small a fish, fear not, and consider what you pay for other things in your life. I follow the chat daily and read every article and the accompanying comments section. The helpful nature of Jay and really all of his members is simply incredible. One can tell that everyone involved is truly fascinated by the machine called the market. Through Jay's articles, and the chat board, I have garnered valuable investment idea's and more importantly, experience and confidence. I hope to one day soon be able to manage my entire portfolio.
J is good ...his threads are excellent as is his research ...well worth the subscription.... he is polite and responsive ..i made so much money off of J that his subscription is paid for for life lol
Covers listed shipping companies mainly in the US.
The information is timely and extensive. A must if you are interested in getting serious exposure to listed shipping entities. J has developed deep knowledge about companies in the sector. The good thing is he is getting better all the time.
Value Investor's Edge is the best! J Mintzmyer is enthusiastic, energetic, detailed, passionate AND objective. The community he has assembled here is stellar and it is a place where members, at all hours of the day, make informed, knowledgeable contributions. If you have any interest in the shipping sector you need to be here.
I've been a daily market participant since 1984 and worked on the Street for over 20 years and VIE provides the highest quality research(deep dive) and the most profitable outcomes of any service I've ever used or even heard of. J's research has allowed me , in this sector, to trade larger and with the level of confidence required to hang in there for very large percentage gains.Simply put, there is no equal in the shipping sector.
I particularly appreciate the depth, clarity, and accuracy of the information provided.
To some degree all investing is "crystal ball" gazing, however when you have real reliable information with which to "gaze" it takes investing out of the realm of gambling and into the realm of speculating.
The fundamental research that "J" provides is among the best that I have found.
Clearly that is what has attracted the other knowledgable and experienced members of VIE's membership who add additional value through their participation in the associated chat.
I whole heartedly recommend J's service to any investor who truly wants to be able to make informed decisions about investing in the shipping arena.
J's coverage of the shipping sector has been excellent. It has earned me my subscription cost many times over. But it is not just J. There are a number of other knowledgeable and thoughtful investors on the service who have also added significant value. A group of knowledgeable investors working together, contributing what they can, where they can, will always be be better than any one person can be on their own. I think Value Investors Edge the best coverage of the shipping sector that exists, bar none.
J covers an under-covered, volatile sector. Because this is his specialty, you get the best research available. Not only from a company to company standpoint, but they also write about macro trends in shipping. A bonus to the service is the addition of Ian Bezek. Ian is not a specialist, but he is a unique analyst in the sense that he covers a lot of international smaller ideas, particularly in Latin America.
This is the best shipping research for investors interested to dabble in shipping. I like and appreciate J's honest articles as he sees it and sometimes going against consensus.
This is simply the best research platform I have ever used in my 30+ years of investing. J and the other contributors do a great job of explaining their ideas, and actively solicit input from the many knowledgeable members. The results of these collaborative efforts are second to none, and give me great confidence in my buy and sell decisions.
The service is worth the subscription price without a doubt. It's only a question of how much you are investing. While learning about shipping, I came across this service. It provides you all the tools you need to learn. The live chat window is great. There are several people on the chat that are very well versed in shipping. Learning is a daily experience.
Good value - the author knows about shipping industry (dry bulk and gas/oil tankers in particular). Additionally, value opportunities are well written by Ian Bezek.
J Mintzmyer is dedicated to his craft. He has significant knowledge of the shipping industry; after reading his research it will become immediately clear that other analysts (both on SA and sell side) don't understand these businesses like he does. The chat is very active with useful insights from both J and other subscribers. Since subscribing to his service I have become fascinated by the industry and he has inspired me to learn more. Thanks J!
J. Mintzmyer (JM) is an extremely capable shipping investor and analyst. Despite being a fairly savvy investor myself, shipping is an extremely difficult sector that I would never invest in on my own, however, with JM's guidance I have added a new dimension to my investments. Value Investor's Edge (VIE) provides a wealth of content including indepth articles on shipping companies, previews and reviews of company earnings, as well as a thorough weekly status report on all companies recommended/tracked by JM + the latest shipping rates. JM writes thorough replies to subscribers' comments and is also very active on the chat. I have noticed that several of JM's subscribers have themselves become more or less experts on shipping. I have learned a lot about the industry since becoming a VIE subscriber about 8 months ago and have recently bought a book about shipping to further educate myself.
I would strongly recommend a subscription to VIE to everyone investing in or contemplating an investment in shipping. This is a cutthroat and extremely cyclical industry that holds much opportunity for investors who know what they're doing.
A great thing about VIE is that your monthly or annual subscription fee is fixed and you keep paying the same for as long as the service exists.
J knows his stuff and really does due diligence. I feel like I can rely on his analyses. The community is also very engaged and informative. Every day we are discussing actionable ideas via chat.
I have been a subscriber for about half a year now and I don't regret a single minute of it! J Mintzmyer is really second to none within shipping stocks, He provides very thorough and insightful analyses as well as up-to-date earning previews which are almost always spot on. He's incredibly productive, and yet he has always got time to answer my specific questions sent to him in the chat or directly. I have nothing but praise for Value Investor's Edge and J's services, and I wouldn't miss the daily discussions in the Live Chat for anything.
Very well researched, both by J and his associates. Added bonus is that very informed subscribers keep up a lively discussion. If you invest in shipping, this service is great.
OH
This is hands-down the best SA subscription out there. I'm subscribed to several others but if you are looking for shipping related information, this is the place to be. J has built a strong community of fellow subscribers (professionals in the industry) who bring a lot of additional information and insights into the private chat rooms. J is also extremely fast in answering questions, it's unbelievable. I'd give Value investor's Edge 6 stars if I could. Also J- you need to raise your prices. I think most of us would pay more and still think that we receive way too much value for the price!
Very highly recommended if you are interested in anything shipping related. We like the prompt detailed analysis following company specific developments and the direct interaction with JM if we have some further questions. We already sent him one bottle of whiskey after making good money on a couple of his ideas and we expect to send him some more.
I wish I had found Value Investor's Edge by J Mintzmyer, a lot sooner. Unfortunately I'm not knowledgeable enough to grasp all the information
that is presented in Value Investor's Edge. But even with my limited knowledge, I have logged nice gains on CPLP, TGP, EURN. With each
recommendation, J. has presented very sound research which justifies his recommendation.
I would say that, by far, the best thing about VIE is the service -- this isn't about agendas, or fees, or commissions, but instead an intelligent analyst providing insight on stocks and options and personally answering questions<\b> . I have seen many very well-argued and reasoned articles by other authors, which get questioned and harangued in the comments... and those other authors never bothers to justify themselves, or (even worse) gets into ad hominem BS in the comments section, and gah. I understand that assholes can be right, and have great investment ideas, but while it is not strictly rational I'd rather subscribe to a service like J's that takes disagreements in stride than some stock-picking genius who's a jerk. Anyway, J is close to a stock-picking guru as judged by tipranks.
Okay enough of the fuzzy stuff. Specifics:
Pros:
--Avoids politics, ignores personal attacks, and is always polite. In and of itself, this proves integrity. I suspect that, politically, I have very strong disagreements with many people on the forum, but it's not an issue. I appreciate that.
--Is EXTREMELY responsive to user input. Maybe too much (unsustainably so?).
--I really, really like the active reporting of trades based on VIE ideas and reports. I don't follow the trades, usually. I don't copycat "just because". That said, publishing overweight/hold/underweight reports etc. is cheaper than a cup of coffee... I don't want material; I appreciate actionable ideas. Seeing not only how JM values entities, but also his strategies for acting upon that information, is definitely the most critical part of this service for me. I have, after research and consideration, followed some options trades off of VIE and... ummm... they've been spectacular. Fundamentally, as a user I want to make money, and some of these have been excellent.
Mixed:
--VIE used to have articles about non-shipping issues, such as coal, oil, etc. The track record on trades was poor. That said, I appreciated the analyses. I kind of wish they would come back, because if the only topic is shipping and all of shipping is in the dump... where do we go?
--I love options plays. Catalysts are extremely difficult to call out, but for every trade I love to hear potential options plays... I don't expect recommendations or advice, but I appreciate identification of interesting choices.
--Hey SA: PLEASE IMPROVE THE CHAT UI. Thanks.
--The service has evolved, from this and that to just this... I think it's good. I don't know exactly where it's going. I think shipping will always be a big component, but I don't know where it will be next year or 3 years from now.
--There has been a very interesting twist in the last year toward activism, as opposed to passive trainspotting. This is kind of fascinating. I actually wonder, some times, if J would actually raise an activist fund to pick some of the low-hanging fruit in the VIE space, using crowd-sourced funds and the SA platform. That's kind of off-the-wall crazy-talk, though.
Potential Improvements:
--Right, the chat UI sucks. Not J's fault. Still a problem.
--A small number of users dominate the discussion on chat and in comments. To date, most of them are helpful, but what happens when we get a bad one??
--Email updates seem a bit irregular, i.e. sometimes you're online on the VIE page you see stuff happening, but if you're not you miss it... and then it's after hours...
--J: your bear calls (puts) have an amazing track record. The bull calls are good -- but mixed. So why don't you pull the trigger / call out more falling stocks? (I can think of many answers but I'd like to make you think about it)
Random thoughts from NQP. Keep it up, J.
I think that J Mintzmyer does an excellent job of keeping his subscribers updated at all times with his great writing style. Always goes out of his way to leave comments to comments written by subscribers. A great service for those like me that like to own and follow tanker names. And J Mintzmyer also writes about all other sectors in shipping.
I have only been a member for a short time, but I can't recommend J more highly. His research is thorough, timely, and relevant. But above all, J welcomes feedback, dialogue, and questions. Very professional and responsive. A great place for information and ideas.
I am a retired income investor with a portfolio that includes largely bond CEFs, BDCs, REITs, and a few preferred stocks. I was initially impressed by Mr. Mintzmyer's articles on Seeking Alpha and also by the interesting and civil comments to his articles. There appeared to me to be a pretty knowledgeable and reasonable group of folks who focused on shipping stocks; as a result, I took the plunge and signed up for Value Investor's Edge, mainly with the goal of educating myself on the universe of shipping stocks and the factors that drive them, and to get some continuing expert commentary on the market. I have to say that the service has met my already high expectations. The first thing I would say about Mr. Mintzmyer is that he is entirely honest and trustworthy; he has no qualms about pointing out when (and, more importantly, why) he has been wrong. I am extremely impressed with his integrity. Secondly, he is very knowledgeable about his subject matter, is generally unambiguous in his views, and lays out his analysis in a very clear manner. Bottom line here is that he provides actionable insights and is right far more often than he is wrong. Thirdly, the clarity of his analysis makes his work a very useful learning experience. By virtue of his work, I have come from being a complete dolt about the shipping industry to someone who at least understands the basics and can follow an extensive watch list more than halfway intelligently. Fourth, I would credit a new co-contributor to the service, James Catlin, as someone who always provides always-interesting analysis, often at the big picture level (which definitely helps me.) Finally, I would have to the members of the service, who provide daily live chat about current developments and who are way more knowledgeable about the shipping industry than I will ever be. They are really awesome and a great asset to the service (thanks guys!!). Now I know that the real test of any service is results. So far, I have made some significant profits following up on the unique information provided by the service (e.g., up 41% on NAP). So, yeah, I am a more than satisfied customer, and I voted with my wallet by converting my monthly subscription to a yearly subscription, with absolutely no doubt that this will be a very productive investment.
Best source of shipping investment knowledge on the net !
I originally signed up for this service because I wanted to diversity into a sector I knew nothing about. I was immediately pleased by the quality and timeliness of the research from J.
What I didn't expect was how communicative and responsive J is. He provides weekly updates, insight into his trades (winning and losing), and is always around to answer subscriber questions. It's clear J knows what he's doing and I'm hard pressed to think of a better value for the money!
I focus on value to invest for income. This allows me to boost income and yield while lowering (but never eliminating) market risk.
The shipping industry is particularly interesting to income investors because of its frequent very high dividend yields. Throw in the accompanying market volatility driving high option premiums, the combination can be very rewarding for income investors at times. Alas, it often means value traps that soon collapse, killing both income and capital value. It is essential to have an expert eye to navigate these waters and recognize value vs. value trap when sifting for quality and sustainability. J. Mintzmyer is my goto guy for everything shipping. His expertise and up to date coverage on the industry has brought me opportunities and kept me from being led into some serious value trap errors. Before you buy a position in shipping, buy a subscription to Value Investor's Edge.
I think the author is well read and diligent in his thoughts and presentations. I would recommend his premium research to colleagues.
Awesome, actionable investment advice from J.
Start following his lead on stocks/options/preferreds with small positions, and soon you will have paid for your annual subscription and much more.
I've been a subscriber to Value Investor's Edge for a few months now, and I have to say that I really enjoy the service so far. Shipping wasn't something I was really interested in when I joined, but I enjoyed J's writing and decided to give it a shot. The subscription is risk-free so why not? J definitely puts in the time to write detailed reports about companies across the shipping sector. J will write not only about stocks, but preferred shares, options and other investment vehicles that are appealing to me. He also writes about interesting trade ideas outside of the shipping sector. I jumped on one of these trades and paid for my subscription for several years in less than a week. Give it a try for a month and see what you think.
J's analysis of the shipping market is by far the best. His long/short calls have been extremely profitable.
Jay is a great educator on shipping technology as you quickly try to develop your investment decisions.
J Mintzmyer is one of the top ranked maritime shipping analysts on Seeking Alpha. His analysis is clear, concise, to the point. He responds promptly to any comments and questions. He is willing to share his advice and knowledge openly. He covers traditional long positions as well as options. His excellent analysis is not limited only to maritime stock issues but also includes analysis of "blue chip" issues as well. I appreciate that along with his successes he is not shy about sharing his misses as well. Given that his day job is not in this field, I'm amazed at his level of productivity in the investment reporting realm. Great value from my perspective.
I have been a subscriber to Value Investors Edge since inception. It is great value and the analysis of stocks and the options trades available on those stocks are best in class. I new little of the shipping market when I started following J's analysis and the yields and capital gains I have made in the last 6 months are far ahead of my standard investing portfolio.
If you're reading this then you probably already know Mintzmyer provides exceptional value based analysis. If you pay for his service you'll get early looks at his work in addition to frequent updates with his market insights. To me, there is no question that his service pays for itself.
What I need from a speculator is intelligence, honesty and smarts. That's why I come here.
I'm novice in many ways to the real intricacies of the market (also very new to global shipping as an investment vehicle... or as like to call them, the trains of the sea. I'm sure J. will love that.) and how to evaluate a companies balance sheet. J. has exceeded my expectations in his content and ability to convey it to someone with my level of experience. He has also been a machine when it comes to volume of content and quickly gets back to my questions (He also throws out alerts time to time when he sees a great opportunity). Getting this service at the current price feels like stealing for the education alone. I'm a little biased toward anyone who graduated from a military academy (Air force, where the brains go), J. has only reinforced that bias.
Value Investor's Edge is the first premium service I felt compelled to sign up for on SA, given J's insightful coverage on both the shipping sector as well as his perspective on blue chip companies. After only a few months, the service has paid for itself several times over, with my favorite aspects including:
-Dedicated Author: J is the most responsive author I have come across on SA. Look at any article and you will see he does not leave a single question/comment unanswered.
-Variety of Publications: J publishes analyses, industry summaries, pair trades, and (most importantly) trade updates, which highlight specific trades he is looking out for. These trade updates are especially helpful for overlooked options plays.
-Clear Analysis: J provides detailed yet understandable analyses of the shipping industry, which is helpful for those like myself who are not as familiar with the industry.
I have not been using Value Investor's Edge by J Mintzmyer for long but it has already helped me tremendously with which tanker stocks to buy and how long to hold using J's comprehensive breakdowns of each company. I also subscribe to Lloyd's List and Tradewind's which combined cost over 16 times what I pay to get a more in depth understanding of crude & product tankers using Value Investor's Edge. I highly recommend anyone buying tanker stocks in this market to try J Mintzmyer's service.
plus: different opinions appear, reviews pretty much in time to reports of firms covered.
minus: some reports are not "deep diving" but only scratching on the surface
I like the sum of the parts, therefore decided to grade up to PRO some weeks ago
As far as VIE is concerned: Despite my poor performance in shipping stocks for the last years: joined VIE last November. Up to now it is really value added. I expect this is sustainable, time will tell !
J is consistant and thorugh and I have made out very well on his recomendations