OUR PHILOSOPHY
Long-term, value-based investment style
We like to buy businesses, not stocks. For us it’s all about the business model, the management team and the board of directors. It’s our style to engage with executive teams and challenge them in a thoughtful and constructive way to enhance the value of the business on behalf of stakeholders. We have built a reputation amongst our clients and in the industry for our involvement and deep due diligence. It’s just the way we like to do business, and it’s what differentiates our advice from others.
OUR APPROACH
Experience has taught us that when it comes to maintaining accurate reads on the businesses we own, it is essential for us to nurture clear, honest and reciprocal lines of communication with management teams. As such, special care goes into seeking out exceptional professional relationships. The benefits from this sort of network are broad, yet one theme stands out above the rest – better information begets better judgement.
What is Stakeholder Advocacy?
We don’t go in search of opportunities to be an activist. Our focus is on working with management teams and boards to enhance and/or unlock value. In theory if we are eating our own cooking then our interests should be aligned. However, if and when a situation arises where we feel our clients interests are not being treated fairly, or justly, you can rely on the fact that we will stand up and be heard.
Advocacy, then, may breed activism.
CORE PRINCIPLES
We buy businesses, not stocks
We buy businesses we understand and believe in. We look at each company with the conviction that we may own it indefinitely; and keeping our money fully invested alongside yours clarifies our commitment to that sense of ownership.
We recognize the power of business models
Each company is distinct, and a business’ success is heavily tied to it’s unique method of generating value for its customers and stakeholders. In the extremely competitive modern era, we find it essential to fully understand how certain companies continue to outperform, so we can participate in that success with our clients. We deeply understand the unique composition of every company we own, so we can predict how changing market conditions will affect your returns.
We deeply understand intrinsic value
There is nothing more important in identifying opportunity than understanding the true value of the businesses we buy. Simply put, price follows intrinsic value and equity markets outperform over the long term with exceptional consistency. Knowing intrinsic value allows us to discern between fluctuations in price and real risks to business model viability. Overreactions in the markets can offer us the ability to buy great companies at great prices.
We put emphasis on free cash flow and dividends
There is a strong correlation between dividend growth rates and stock prices. Our core positions in the model portfolio emphasize businesses and management teams that focus on free cash flow generation, dividends and dividend growth. Markets reward higher dividends with higher stock prices. For our clients this has meant an income growth rate of 8% annually.
We seek to avoid conflicts of interest
The best way we have found to avoid conflicts of interest is to look for management teams that eat thier own “cooking”. By ensuring that their interests are in line with ours, we can avoid conflicts of interest and attain the best outcome possible for all stakeholders.
We believe volatility creates opportunity
Prices fluctuate based on supply and demand which is often influenced by emotional overreactions from investors. Cutting through that noise, we are able to use the market’s mispricing as opportunity to buy good businesses at great prices. Volatility is a risk we understand, and equities have remained phenomenally dependable over the long time horizons upon which we build household wealth.
We delicately balance risk & reward
Understanding the unique relationship between risk and reward is central to what we do, and is the underpinning of why we uphold the highest standards of due diligence. Maximizing the consistent growth of your assets while ensuring the safety of your capital is a top priority.
We triangulate information
The best information begets the best judgement. We filter the leading sources available inside and outside the companies we own to get the clearest perspective possible, and monitor them consistently.
We promote vision
We’ve been individual thinkers since the start. Keeping pace with the changing world requires imagination in one’s outlook and the ability to adapt to new information. We continue to evolve our worldview, and leverage decades of real-world experience to deliver unique insight.
We earn our track record
This is a humbling line of work. We are in the business of mitigating risk, and it’s impossible to anticipate them all. What we want to do is acknowledge our mistakes and learn from them to ensure they aren’t repeated. Over the years, we have managed to do this more often than not, and for our clients the historical after-tax and after-fee returns have reinforced this approach.
PRIVATE EQUITY
We understand that unique opportunities can present themselves outside the sphere of public markets. This is another one of the ways that we like to add value and stay ahead of the crowd. Here are some of the companies we’re adding value to:
A new messenger that turns screen time into family time. Safely introducing children to the digital world.