Ploutos
Strategies
Named for the Greek god of wealth. Research and Consulting.
Ploutos, god of wealth
Ploutos (Πλούτος in Greek) is the god of wealth, and in its oldest sense the wealth of the earth: grain, harvest and abundance. Wealth in early Greece meant a full granary, and Ploutos was its giver.
The story of his birth runs through the early epics. In the Odyssey, Homer recalls Demeter lying with the hero Iasion in a thrice-ploughed field. Hesiod’s Theogony names their child Ploutos and says he makes rich whoever meets him. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter adds that the goddess sends Ploutos to the households she favors.
Artists gave him the cornucopia, the horn of plenty. In the fourth century BC the sculptor Cephisodotus showed him as a child in the arms of Peace, a statue that survives in Roman copies.
In Aristophanes’ comedy Wealth (388 BC), Ploutos is a blind old beggar. Zeus blinded him after he threatened to visit only the just, so that he could never tell the deserving from the rest. A poor, honest Athenian leads him to the healing god’s temple, and his sight is restored.
“Zeus inflicted it on me, because of his jealousy of mankind.”Ploutos to Chremylus, explaining his blindness. Aristophanes, Ploutos (Wealth), 388 BC, in the Athenian Society translation of 1912.
Ptolemaic Egypt, Arsinoe II, double cornucopia, silver, c. 3rd century BCAreas of Focus
Research
An event-driven discipline, beginning with spin-offs.
- Spin-offs and Event-Driven Situations
- Spin-offs are the foundation of our research. Corporate separations often produce forced selling, thin coverage and mispriced securities. We study these situations from announcement through the period after separation.
- Capital Structure Events
- Recapitalizations, restructurings, buybacks and changes in leverage can reset a company's value. We examine how these events shift risk and return across the capital structure.
- Persistent Market Anomalies
- Some market inefficiencies last because of structure, constraint or behavior. We look for anomalies that hold up over time and try to understand why they persist.
- Real Estate Market Intelligence
- We track pricing, supply, financing and demand across real estate markets. Our aim is a clear read on current conditions and where they may be heading.
Consulting
Counsel for advisors and firms, drawn from three decades of practice.
- Recruitment
- We help firms find and attract experienced advisors and teams. Each search is matched to the firm's culture, clientele and long-term goals.
- Transition Planning & Negotiation
- Changing firms is a major professional decision. We guide advisors through planning, timing and negotiation so the move protects client relationships and economic terms.
- Advisor Compensation
- We review compensation structures for fairness, competitiveness and alignment. The goal is pay that rewards performance and keeps talent.
- RIA Formation & Best Practices
- We advise on setting up and running a registered investment advisor, from structure and operations to governance. Our focus is a sound practice built on fiduciary principles.
- Investment Strategy & Policy Formulation
- We help write investment policy and strategy that is clear, disciplined and suited to the client. Good policy sets expectations and guides decisions when markets turn.
- Digital Marketing
- We help advisory firms present themselves clearly and professionally online. Our approach is measured and compliant, built to earn trust and reach the right audience.
- Crowdfunding
- We advise on how crowdfunding works in practice and under regulation. This includes its use as a source of capital and its place in a broader strategy.
- Fintech Integration
- We help firms choose and adopt technology that improves service and efficiency. New tools should fit existing workflows and support the practice, not distract from it.
- Historic Preservation
- We advise on the rehabilitation and reuse of historic properties, including the federal and state historic tax credits. Preservation can protect a building's character and still make financial sense.
- Real Estate Investment Analysis
- We evaluate properties and projects on cash flow, financing, risk and exit. Each analysis is built to support a clear investment decision.
Thrace, Lysimachos, Athena seated holding Nike, gold stater, c. 297–281 BC
Macedon, Alexander the Great, helmeted Athena, gold stater, c. 336–323 BCAbout
Pericles Gregoriou
Pericles Gregoriou has worked as a portfolio manager for more than thirty years, at Northern Trust, Merrill Lynch, UBS and Alex. Brown/Raymond James. He founded Quorum Investment Counsel.
He holds an A.B. in Government & Law from Lafayette College, an MBA in finance from Vanderbilt University, an MS in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, and a certificate in crowdfunding from the Wharton School.
Ptolemaic Egypt, Ptolemy I, eagle on thunderbolt, gold, c. 300–282 BC