Meet The UK's No.1 Stockpicker!

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Jun 8, 2025

Join James Fox, the UK's top independent stock picker and founder of the soft drink company Sumacqua, as he shares his journey into investing. Discover how he took control of his finances at 18 and his unique stock-picking strategy using the PEG ratio. Hear his thoughts on the investment potential of Pinterest and the nuances of diversifying a portfolio that includes a drinks business. James also assesses the market trends for popular brands like Greggs and explores the evolving dynamics of the drinks and stock markets.

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ANECDOTE

Early Investing Anecdote

James Fox started investing at 18 by taking control from a financial advisor managing inherited money.
His first personal stock was Crest Nicholson, chosen because he bought a house from them but it performed poorly.

ADVICE

Screen Stocks by PEG Ratio

Start stock research using screener tools focusing on low PEG ratios under 0.8 for potential undervaluation.
But always verify data isn't distorted by analysts' projections and consider macroeconomic conditions.

INSIGHT

PEG Ratio Advantages

The PEG ratio adjusts valuation by factoring in growth, making it useful for cyclical stocks with fluctuating earnings.
It provides a margin of safety and avoids overpaying for mature companies with slow growth.

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Is the doctor in or out when it comes to Greggs? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!

This week, we’ve got something different on the show. It’s an interview with the UK’s leading independent stock picker!

Dr. James Fox writes at GuruFocus and Fool UK. And he’s here to talk with Steve W about stocks, shares, and investing.

James tells us about taking control of his finances from an advisor at the age of 18 and reveals what the first stock he ever bought was. It’s not one you might guess.

He also shares a bit about what type of investor he sees himself as and what he does when he’s not investing. Anyone for a sumac-based soft drink?

Finding stocks to buy is one of the most important things for investors. So how does the best in the business go about it?

James talks Steve W through his process and the key metric he uses to screen for investment ideas. It’s not one we talk about much, but it has a good pedigree.

Building a diversified portfolio is the ambition of a lot of long-term investors. But it’s a bit different for someone who also owns their own drinks business.

James talks through the balance of his pension in terms of UK and US stocks. And he also shares his views on the attractiveness of bonds at the moment.

We don’t talk much about Pinterest on our show, but James thinks it’s a stock listeners should know about. And he’s here to give us a run-through on why.

It’s growing impressively and trades at a reasonable P/E multiple. But is a heavy skew towards the US in terms of revenues a risk or an opportunity?

We couldn’t have the UK’s leading independent stock picker on and not get his views on some stocks. And we’ve got quite the lineup to get through.

The big question, though, is what James thinks about Greggs. It’s one of his favourite stocks to write about, but why does he have such as strong view on it?

Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!

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► Timestamps:

0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS

3:01 BACKGROUND

20:20 FINDING STOCKS

34:28 PORTFOLIO BREAKDOWN

48:52 PINTEREST

1:00:53 THE DOCTOR IS IN?

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