"Buy, Hold & Hope" Fails For Gurus

In a volatile period such as now, those who exploit real market inefficiencies (e.g. me) tend to outperform everyone else. Hell, even if I only break even, I'd still beat all these "investors" (someone who buys, holds, and lives off hope, often without a clue).

Here's a list of performance via large investors from Seeking Alpha. Sad to see George Soros on that list, I had read and found his book, Alchemy of Finance quite interesting.

all data is as of June 27, 2008:

Manager…………………. 6-months ……………..... 12-months

Marty Whitman ……….. ( - 43.38% ) ………………( - 34.61% )

Mohnish Pabrai ………... (- 41.20% ) ………………( - 36.88% )

Bill Miller ……………… ( - 37.05% ) ……………... ( - 40.90% )

Joel Greenblatt ………… ( - 37.00% ) ……………… ( - 37.00% )

Eddie Lampert ………… ( - 28.95% ) ……………… ( -33.94% )

Robert Bruce ………….. ( - 25.00% ) ………………. ( - 19.16% )

Bruce Sherman ………… ( - 24.68% ) ……………… ( - 30.55% )

Charles Brandes ……….. ( - 24.58% ) ……………… ( - 29.51% )

Robert Rodriguez ……… ( - 22.20% ) ……………… ( - 17.75% )

Mark Hillman ………….. ( - 21.53% ) ……………… ( - 25.40% )

Carl Icahn ……………… ( -21.00% ) ………………. ( - 3.98%)

Edward Owens ………… ( -20.94% ) ………………. ( - 16.74%)

Irving Kahn ……………. ( - 20.75% ) ………………. ( - 24.68% )

Brian Rodgers …………. ( -20.48% ) ……………….. ( - 24.68% )

Arnold Schneider ……… ( -20.39% ) ……………….. ( - 27.25% )

Bill Ackman …………… ( - 19.38% ) ………………. ( - 23.06% )

Chris Davis ……………. ( - 19.17% ) ………………. ( - 19.75%)

Bill Nygren ……………. ( - 17.80% ) ………………. ( - 27.96% )

Richard Snow …………. ( - 17.68% ) ………………. ( - 19.77% )

Hotchkis & Wiley …….. ( - 17.28% ) ………………. ( - 25.02% )

Richard Pzena ………… ( - 16.27% ) ………………. ( - 25.22% )

David Dreman ………… ( - 15.82% ) ……………… ( - 11.87% )

Tweedy Browne ………. ( -14.73% ) ………………. ( - 17.23% )

Arnold Van Den Berg … ( - 14.67% ) ……………… ( - 22.32% )

Robert Olstein ………… ( - 14.46% ) ……………… ( - 21.05% )

Wally Weitz …………… ( - 14.31% ) ……………… ( - 23.00% )

Third Ave. Mgt. ………. ( - 13.84% ) ………………. ( - 11.83% )

John Rodgers …………. ( - 13.57% ) ………………. ( - 21.47% )

Mason Hawkins ………. ( - 13.51% ) ……………… ( - 20.88% )

Dodge and Cox ……….. ( - 13.17% ) ……………… ( - 15.01% )

Bruce Berkowitz ……… ( - 12.26% ) ……………… ( - 3.68% )

David Swensen ……….. ( - 12.19% ) ……………… ( - 12.23% )

Ron Baron …………….. ( - 11.70% ) ……………… ( - 12.80% )

Ian Cumming ………….. ( - 11.05% ) ……………… ( - 11.68% )

David Tepper ………….. ( - 10.68% ) ……………… ( - 14.87% )

Jean-Marie Eveillard ….. ( - 10.62% ) …………….… ( - 7.23% )

NWQ Managers ………. ( - 10.46% ) ………………. ( - 13.39% )

Ron Muhlenkamp …….. ( - 9.58% ) ………………… ( - 13.39%)

Glenn Greenberg ……… ( - 9.45% ) ………………… ( - 15.22% )

Michael Price …………. ( - 9.26% ) ………………… ( - 13.87% )

Tom Gayner ………….. ( - 9.19% ) …………………. ( - 17.50% )

Richard Aster ………… ( - 6.73% ) …………………. ( - 5.00% )

George Soros …………. ( - 6.56% ) ………………… ( - 9.43% )

Ruanne Cunniff ………. ( - 6.40% ) ………………… ( - 10.61% )

David Einhorn ………... ( - 5.91% ) ………………… + 3.18%

Chuck Akre …………… ( - 4.00% ) ………………… ( - 11.08% )

Warren Buffett ……….. ( - 4.00% ) …………………. ( - 3.60% )