Dan Davidowitz is lead portfolio manager of Polen Capital’s Focus Growth strategy. We discuss Dan’s evolution as an investor, Polen’s investment guardrails, and other factors that have helped the strategy deliver exceptional returns over the last 35 years.

Show notes:

[01:16] Dan discusses how he pivoted from public health to investing
[02:56] Thoughts on healthcare investing
[04:30] Shifting from a deep value shop to Polen Capital
[07:44] Keep things simple
[10:01] Time arbitrage with businesses that are the best-of-the-best
[12:12] Creating a high performance investment team
[14:23] The importance of being both optimistic and open-minded to change
[16:34] Getting better each day to remain competitive
[17:59] Polen Capital’s evolution
[20:40] Polen’s investment guardrails
[22:14] Vigilance and conservatism for continuous compounding of earnings growth
[24:35] Making sure companies are investing adequately for their future
[26:34] Acquisition-driven companies
[28:45] Investing across the growth spectrum
[31:17] Having a broad mix of competitively-advantaged businesses
[33:51] Valuation discipline
[36:45] Lessons from the last few years
[38:30] Impact of GenAI
[41:03] Why Amazon is a large holding
[45:35] Building any experience is good experience

In this episode we speak to Robbie Robertson. Robbie is on the Board of Personal Assets Trust and spent a nearly 40-year career in the investment trust industry. We discuss the evolution of the investment trust industry, the advantages of a closed-end structure and the role Personal Assets Trust can play in a portfolio.

Show notes:
[01:28] A different world
[03:17] Observations from a career in the investment trust industry
[06:42] Characteristics of successful investors
[08:03] How Robbie got involved with Personal Assets Trust
[09:03] Advantages of the investment trust structure
[11:39] Evolution of the investment trust industry
[15:05] Impact of higher interest rates and a changing cycle
[16:48] Are they investment trusts or operating companies?
[20:54] Valuing assets in newer parts of the market
[22:24] Appropriateness of the investment structure for alternative assets
[23:57] Is there demand for general equity investment trusts?
[25:51] Why some investment trusts scale and others fail
[27:25] Common pitfalls to avoid
[28:57] Trading discounts
[30:50] What makes a great investment trust Board?
[32:58] The role Personal Assets Trust plays in a portfolio
[37:56] Advantages of a discount control mechanism
[39:36] Why most Boards do not commit to a discount control mechanism
[40:47] Enjoy yourself

In this episode we speak to Jim Strang, Chairman of HGCapital Trust. The Trust has an outstanding track record investing in business-to-business software companies. We discuss the evolution in private markets over Jim’s career, the benefits of specialisation and the reasons behind Hg Capital’s success.

Show notes:

[01:15] Jim discusses his early career
[02:12] HgCapital Trust’s history
[03:41] The benefits of specialisation
[05:56] The importance of controlling the capital structure
[08:02] Characteristics of typical Hg investments
[10:07] The growth model
[11:29] End market fragmentation
[13:29] Being highly selective
[16:25] Having the flexibility to own the best businesses over the long run
[18:07] Replicating Hg’s success in the US
[19:58] Why Hg is an attractive owner for entrepreneurs
[22:35] Sustaining Hg’s culture and using greater scale to drive operational improvement.
[25:25] Objectively assessing each company’s potential
[27:03] Low loss rates and a few major successes
[27:57] Why things typically go wrong
[30:22] Leverage and the capital structure
[33:33] Valuing private companies
[38:43] M&A in a higher interest rate environment
[40:54] Trust your gut

Stuart Widdowson founded Odyssean Capital, is co-manager of the Odyssean Investment Trust, and has a wealth of experience investing in UK-listed smaller companies. We discuss the lessons Stuart has applied to public equity investing from his days in private equity, the rewards derived from investing in good quality companies that can be improved, and the overall state of the UK market.

Show notes:
[01:28] Stuart discusses his early career
[04:12] Swapping private equity for public equity investing
[06:11] The market imperfections in small cap investing
[07:44] A focus on global niche market leaders
[09:35] Stuart’s ambitions for Odyssean Capital and its cultural values
[11:51] The meaning behind the Odyssean name
[12:49] The benefits of concentration
[14:25] Managing risk and avoiding bad businesses
[16:41] The quality attributes Stuart looks for
[19:38] Pattern recognition in TMT, healthcare, specialist industrials and services
[22:18] Being cycle aware rather than trying to time cycles
[24:18] The role of static and dynamic valuation
[28:20] Managing for liquidity
[31:27] Identifying companies with the potential for self-help
[34:15] Backing people and focusing on what is fixable
[36:05] Being credible when engaging with companies
[39:37] The structural headwinds facing UK equities and the valuation opportunity
[43:16] Contrarians come in first
[44:18] Navigating a higher cost of capital
[47:20] Find out what you enjoy and are good at and get a good mentor

In this episode we speak to Oddbjørn Dybvad, co-founder of REQ Capital, an Oslo-based investment firm. Oddbjørn manages REQ’s Global Compounders and Nordic Compounders funds, which focus on acquisition-driven businesses. We discuss the entrepreneurial energy within these companies, why they are able to reinvest capital at attractive rates for a long period of time and how their diversified and decentralised nature makes them both resilient and adaptable.

Show notes:

[01:22] Oddbjørn discusses his career
[02:26] The risk and return characteristics of acquisition-driven compounders
[04:25] The influence of geography
[07:01] Defining the different types of serial acquirer
[09:12] Focusing on small/mid-caps with a long runway for redeploying capital
[10:41] The diversification benefits of acquisition-driven companies
[12:11] A preference for insider ownership, decentralisation and acquisitions funded by cash
[13:29] Communicating with investors in a different way
[14:53] Key person risk and the sustainability of culture
[16:28] Change at Diploma
[18:07] Harnessing entrepreneurial energy through decentralisation
[20:43] Decentralisation and adaptability
[21:59] Motivating behaviour through simple incentivisation structures
[24:52] Focusing on track record and management
[25:56] Constellation Software and the decentralisation of capital allocation
[28:07] The valuation differential between public and private markets
[30:51] The attractions of selling to acquisition-driven compounders
[33:06] Looking for the dual engine of organic and inorganic growth
[35:04] The underlying characteristics of REQ Global Compounders
[37:13] Becoming more conscious about evaluating risk and management
[39:07] Finding people who are process-oriented and have a long-term mind-set
[39:55] Learn from your mistakes

Kiril Sokoloff founded 13D Research in 1983 and is a leading global investment strategist who has presciently called a number of major paradigm shifts over the last 40 years. We discuss Kiril’s career, why the current investment backdrop is so challenging and how the geopolitical landscape is evolving.

Show notes:

[01:23] Kiril talks about the start of his career
[04:18] Getting the big picture right
[07:48] The impact of algorithmic trading and passive investing on price discovery
[09:57] Timing is everything
[10:48] Risk control and being willing to change your mind
[12:39] The common traits of successful investors
[14:44] Reading widely to connect the dots
[15:41] Why the investment environment is so challenging
[19:18] The lag effect giving the illusion that everything’s fine
[21:14] The role gold plays in a portfolio
[24:19] The cycle of wealth distribution
[25:54] Cycles go from one extreme to the other
[26:45] Focusing on cash flow and low free cash flow multiples
[28:23] Supply and demand imbalances in the energy and mining industries
[30:47] Resource nationalism
[32:21] A changing market regime
[33:35] Drivers of higher inflation
[37:33] Geopolitics and the shift to a multipolar world
[40:21] Investing in China
[42:15] Accepting fate whilst being flexible and patient

Prashant Khemka has a strong track record managing capital in India and global emerging markets. He established Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s India franchise in 2006, was lead portfolio manager of Goldman’s India Equity and Global Emerging Market Equity strategies, and in 2017 founded White Oak Capital Management, where he has continued to deliver impressive returns. We discuss Prashant’s investment philosophy, how to build a high performing team, why investing is similar to elite sport, and the attractions of investing in India.

Show notes:

[01:27] Catching the investment bug
[04:04] Prashant’s early career
[06:16] Learning from a mentor
[08:10] Building a strong investment culture
[10:25] Having an elite performance mentality
[13:02] The key attributes of good stock pickers
[14:39] India is an alpha rich market
[15:46] The importance of good governance and a strong rule of law
[17:55] India’s equity market is becoming more efficient but it takes time
[20:26] India’s economic strength provides a solid foundation
[22:24] Growth is a function of change
[25:04] Investing in great businesses at attractive valuations
[29:10] Emerging market private sector banks offer more profitable opportunities with lower risk
[32:44] Indian equity valuations relative to history
[36:41] Growth is a critical component of the value equation
[38:47] Spend more time with family and focus on learning what you love

Paul Major co-manages the Bellevue Healthcare Trust and has a wealth of experience of the healthcare industry. We discuss how healthcare has evolved, why existing healthcare systems are fundamentally challenged, and the approach Paul takes to investing in the industry as a result.

Show notes:
[01:15] Paul discusses how he got into finance
[03:15] Bellevue
[04:31] General lessons for healthcare investing
[06:01] Delivering innovation and why R&D doesn’t scale
[10:07] Focusing on the key problems society faces
[13:48] Keeping healthcare investing simple
[16:47] Why the healthcare system is broken
[19:53] Finding productivity gains
[22:07] Preventative medicine
[24:12] Fixing a problem that didn’t previously exist
[29:02] The US healthcare system
[32:03] Transition to value-based care
[33:45] Constructing a portfolio of innovative companies
[36:59] The fast moving pace of healthcare innovation
[39:13] Understanding what innovation looks like
[39:37] The importance of educating physicians
[40:56] Valuing young, innovative companies
[45:47] Corporate finance provides an excellent education