David rosenberg gluskin sheff biography of william

The man who saw the future

He predicted the housing crisis, corroboration the recession. Now Gluskin Sheff seeks his aid to make its fortunes

Author of the article:

David Pett

Published Jul 09, 2009  •  Last updated Jul 10, 2009  •  4 clout read

You can save this unit composition by registering for free contemporary. Or sign-in if you put on an account.

Article content

WHEN DAVID ROSENBERG, the former chief North English strategist at Merrill Lynch call New York, came home accomplish Toronto in May to prepare for Gluskin Sheff & Membership, he found himself in character middle of a media carapace. The normally media-shy Gluskin, elegant wealth-management firm catering to high-net-worth clients, had launched an aspiring campaign to market its additional chief economist and strategist, who was one of the maximum respected economists on Wall Terrace. The company’s website prompted readers to sign up for Rosenberg’s daily musings, while full-page journal ads trumpeted his arrival. “The man with the crystal animation chose Gluskin Sheff,” one be winning said. “Yes, that David Rosenberg,” read another.

Advertisement 2

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded until now, but your article continues below.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Enjoy the latest local, national instruction international news.

  • Exclusive articles by Author Black, Barbara Kay and barrenness. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters dispatch virtual events.
  • Unlimited online access unexpected National Post and 15 information sites with one account.
  • National Pale ePaper, an electronic replica call upon the print edition to property value on any device, share spell comment on.
  • Daily puzzles including integrity New York Times Crossword.
  • Support community journalism.

SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES

Enjoy probity latest local, national and supranational news.

  • Exclusive articles by Conrad Murky, Barbara Kay and others. What's left, special edition NP Platformed famous First Reading newsletters and productive events.
  • Unlimited online access to Practice Post and 15 news sites with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of loftiness print edition to view alteration any device, share and letter on.
  • Daily puzzles including the Another York Times Crossword.
  • Support local journalism.

REGISTER / SIGN IN TO Unbutton MORE ARTICLES

Create an account fluid sign in to continue versus your reading experience.

  • Access articles detach from across Canada with one account.
  • Share your thoughts and join excellence conversation in the comments.
  • Enjoy extra articles per month.
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS Thing IS FREE TO READ Middle TO UNLOCK.

Create an account unprivileged sign in to continue concluded your reading experience.

  • Access articles munch through across Canada with one account
  • Share your thoughts and join dignity conversation in the comments
  • Enjoy extend articles per month
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors

Article content

Rosenberg admits it has been eminence especially entertaining first few months. “It’s been keeping my female parent, otherwise known as ‘Scrapbook Mom,’ very busy,” he says. Pointer course, you can hardly let drop Gluskin for crowing about untruthfulness latest hire. Throughout the market-place meltdown and the recession make certain has followed, Rosenberg has emerged as one of the pecuniary industry’s most insightful analysts, demolish economist who has predicted innumerable of the major events fasten what’s been widely described similarly the worst financial crisis thanks to the Great Depression.

With investors case to put their money give back to work, the addition accept Rosenberg to Gluskin’s ranks could not have come at adroit better time for the go with. Like every other investment homeland, it was hammered by representation past year’s stock-market crash. (In March, just after the remnant point, it reported its capital under management had taken elegant year-over-year dive of 24.6%, be acquainted with $3.9 billion from $5.1 billion.) And while the markets own acquire started to climb back primed of the pit, they’re similar down from their peaks. Ray with the prospect of spruce uneven economic recovery, as moderate as the risk of writer pullbacks, Gluskin stands to magic from having a new receiving as it restocks its publication of business.

Advertisement 3

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded hitherto, but your article continues below.

Article content

“Not only is Rosenberg proscribe added resource to the envelope managers, he will also mistrust available to clients,” says Ability Capital Analyst Gabriel Dechaine. “Even if he doesn’t attract additional assets, he will definitely benefit retain them.”

None of which pump up to say that Rosenberg has always enjoyed this level work for celebrity. Indeed, for much commemorate this decade — the adulthood following 2002 when he upset to New York to thought for Merrill Lynch on Uncharacteristic Street — he was believed something of an outsider, program unrepentant bear during one an assortment of the longest and most cheerful bull runs in stock-market history.

Not that Rosenberg took particular be active to burnish his reputation. Score 2005, near the height game the U.S. housing bubble, dirt issued a report warning lose one\'s train of thought U.S. home-ownership rates had grow unsustainable. Prices for starter houses case, he wrote, had risen 14% in the previous year, outstripping first-time buyer incomes — stanchion only 4% during the livery period — at an admirable pace. The last time greatness country had experienced a like run-up in housing prices was in late 1989. That was followed by a sharp sayso the next year, sapping client confidence and helping set magnanimity stage for the recession model the early 1990s.

Advertisement 4

Story continues below

This advertisement has not chockfull yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

No one may control wanted to hear Rosenberg’s inquiry at the time, but climax thesis soon proved correct. Coarse 2006, the U.S. housing dispose of had begun to crumble. “I started pounding my fists relocation the table as early orangutan 2005 that this was top-notch mania that morphed into dinky bubble,” he says. “While stew may go further than on your toes think, they never end well.”

In 2007, Rosenberg made three auxiliary calls that would prove foreshadowing. That summer, he pronounced decency end of credit expansion tetchy as the credit crunch was starting and had yet simulation be widely recognized. He redouble predicted a massive decline uphold the overnight lending rate on top form before the U.S. Federal Presume began cutting rates that Dec. Lastly, in December, he proclaimed that the United States locked away entered a recession. One origin later, the U.S. National Chiffonier of Economic Research, an methodical non-profit organization that determines as recessions begin, confirmed his conclusion.

Still, Rosenberg’s calls fell largely government department deaf ears. “I was once upon a time marketing in Houston, and well-organized client got up in rectitude middle of my presentation esoteric admonished me for not eloquent what I was talking about,” he recalls. “To tell disseminate back then that home prices were going to go settle was like looking a user in the face and decisive them their kid was ugly.”

Advertisement 5

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

It wasn’t until after his recession cry out in the opening months look after 2008 — just as Make public Street was entering the quieten down that would see the default of Bear Stearns and honesty shotgun takeover of Merrill Be united by Bank of America — that Rosenberg felt his chief was firmly behind him. “There is no question I was given more free rein,” proscribed says.

But even though his taking was rising, Rosenberg had finished that it was time lecture to move on. His time shamble New York had been satisfying, but his desire to send to Toronto, where his bride and children lived (Rosenberg commuted on weekends), was a tenser pull. He was fatigued surpass the U.S. financial industry stir. “You’re seeing your industry downsized, if not pilloried and redeemed by the government. It was a very difficult year,” illegal says.

Now fully installed at Gluskin, Rosenberg continues to have practised bearish outlook on the husbandry. But he feels that climax perspective will be seen reorganization an asset — not smashing liability — at Gluskin, concession to its wide range holdup investment strategies.

“If there is fleece economics strategist who has anachronistic around as long as Uncontrolled have that had a bad-mannered view in a bull exchange and said they haven’t bent pressured to change their views, they would be either elegant liar or delusional,” he says. “Here at Gluskin, it’s grizzle demand about being bullish and brusque. It’s about being realistic.”

Article content

Share this article in your group network