stock analysis

The “Company” We Keep
A group of magnifying glass
by Billy Garver, Data Analyst

How many strangers do you know? This isn’t some Zen riddle, but this question is trickier than the gut answer of “zero.” At one point, wasn’t your best friend a stranger?

As we meet new people, we may decide to remove the “stranger” label in favor of “acquaintance.” We learn the basics of the person at that point—name, occupation, and so on. We may develop a closer relationship, learning more intimate details. How’d they get where they are? And how are things going now?

We take a similar approach when building portfolios. When an investment opportunity arises, we may or may not have any prior experience with the company. We start by getting to know the basics—what they do, why they do it, how long have they done it, and so on.

From there, we may opt to remove that “stranger” label and start going deeper. When getting to know a company, understanding the company’s management, cash flows, and debt loads gives us a clearer picture. Only then does a company have a chance to enter your portfolios—the real inner circle!

Our relationship with the company doesn’t end there. Quarterly, we review each holding—making sure their business hasn’t deviated too far from what we expected. We check whether our understanding of the fundamentals is playing out.

Why does all this matter? Well, especially in the bumpiest of economic times, you don’t want any strangers in your portfolio. A swift change at the macro level can completely upend a business model. One thing that helps us weather the storms is knowing how our crew might navigate their way through them.

Being friends with the companies you own—being familiar with the details of their operations—helps prevent some of those big surprises in the long run. (Of course, it never eliminates the possibility of a surprise; friends can change and friends can make mistakes).

But, in the long run, it may pay to be careful of the “company” you keep.

Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss.

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Extreme Discounts

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One of the basic distinctions made in the stock market is between growth and value. Growth stocks offer the potential or history of above-average growth in revenues and earnings. Investors are buying a brighter future.

Value stocks present a low cost in terms of price for a current dollar of earnings, or price/earnings (P/E) ratio. In the late 1990’s growth stock boom, value stocks were derided as “old economy” stocks. The exciting “new economy stocks,” computer chip and internet and fiber optic companies, were all firmly in the growth camp.

Investing in growth worked well until it didn’t. Value stocks went nowhere until the Tech Wreck, when growth stocks peaked and then fell a long way. The stock market often experiences periods where one of these factors outperforms, and the other one lags.

A recent article at MarketWatch.com1 detailed the work of a Wall Street analyst who claims that value stocks are at their biggest discount relative to growth in many years. The charts show that valuation differences generated by a decade of strong growth stock returns put value stocks at perhaps the biggest discount in history relative to growth.

In plain language, the bargain stocks have generally become bigger bargains.
When there are sound reasons for expecting better stock prices at some point in the future, we may own companies that are underwater, or down from what we paid for them, for an extended period.

We strive to own the best bargains. It is hard to watch as bargains become even better bargains while more expensive stocks do better. But we know how this works. We believe that sooner or later the bargains will produce gains.

If the differences in valuations are at extreme levels, perhaps the trend change is coming sooner rather than later.

Clients, if you would like to talk about this or anything else, please email us or call.

Notes & References

1. MarketWatch, “Value Stocks are Trading at the Steepest Discount in History”. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/value-stocks-are-trading-at-the-steepest-discount-in-history-2019-06-06. Accessed June 14th, 2019

Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss.