About

Welcome to Pat Larkin's Value Journal. I started the blog as a way to formulate my thoughts on various investment opportunities and principles. I know, some of you are probably thinking that we need another value investment blog like we another Charlie Sheen tour, or a high speed monorail link from Micanopy to Chattahooche. That's fine, its all good. If we've learned anything in this young century, its that "its all good." At least until it isn't, at which point, "it is what it is," and the only appropriate remaining response is to just "deal."

I have always been interested in business and finance. I started reading business books and finance magazines like Forbes and Fortune around the age of twelve. I also learned a lot about business from my father, who started with nothing and built a construction company that at one time employed over 200 people in Tampa, Florida. He often took me to work with him when school was out and he talked to me about the business all the time. I worked off and on at the company for several years, then later worked in the television production industry and as a real estate appraiser.

In the late 90's I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in financial economics. My dissertation was on corporate spinoffs and corporate cash holdings. I finished the Ph.D. in 2001 and since 2002 I have taught university level finance courses full time. I have also published numerous articles in peer reviewed business and finance journals, including the Journal of Banking and Finance, the Journal of Financial Education, and the Journal of Finance Case Research.

I live with my wife and daughter in Cary, North Carolina (adjacent to Raleigh). We originally moved to Cary so that our daughter could attend a very good school for special needs children. The picture above is of the three of us standing by the North Carolina Soldier's monument at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro.

Feel free to quote and cut and paste from this blog in a manner that is consistent with accepted norms of the civilized blogosphere. I reserve all other applicable rights.

All of the opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and not those of my current employer or any other entity, organization, or person that I am or might become associated with.

If you have any comments our questions on the blog feel free to shoot me an email. My email address is plarkin2 at gmail dot com. I look forward to hearing from you.



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I am an individual investor who occasionally shares opinions about investments and other matters on the internet. I am not a registered investment adviser or investment adviser representative. I did pass the series 65 exam in 2011, but I have never been registered as an investment adviser or investment adviser representative in any jurisdiction. I will not respond to any inquiries about investment management services. Nothing posted on this blog should be interpreted as actionable investment advice, financial planning advice, tax advice, or legal advice. I do not derive or seek to derive any income from my blogging activities. This blog is intended solely for the entertainment of the reader, and the author.