Portfolio manager reflects on his 35-year career, discusses navigating downturns, embracing contrarian investing, and his experience living in Hong Kong and working in Europe. He also explores China's business transformation and meeting visionary entrepreneurs. Highlights the constant learning and ever-changing nature of the job.
Navigating market downturns requires avoiding emotional overreactions and focusing on intrinsic company values.
Living and working in different locations globally can provide valuable insights and opportunities in investing.
Deep dives
Navigating Market Downturns and Contrarian Investing
Steve Watson, a veteran portfolio manager, shares his experience navigating 23 market downturns in his 35-year career. He highlights the remarkable transformation he witnessed while living in Europe and Hong Kong and explains the key principles of being a contrarian investor in a changing world. Watson emphasizes the importance of not trying to time the market and instead focuses on cooperating with analysts and carefully assessing intrinsic company values. He also discusses his decision to be fully invested most of the time.
Global Adventure: Living and Working in London and Hong Kong
Watson shares his global adventure, spending time studying and working in different locations worldwide. He describes his journey from suburban Connecticut to Europe and Asia, driven by curiosity and a desire for new experiences. He discusses his time in London, where he worked on the restructuring of Venezuela's debt and developed a keen interest in dividend investing. He also reflects on his 23 years in Hong Kong, highlighting its dynamic nature and its role as a gateway into Asia and China.
Investing Today: Market Narrowness and Investing Beyond the US
Watson reflects on the investing landscape of today, noting the surprising narrowness of the market's growth, primarily concentrated in large market capitalizations and technology companies. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's investment persona and sticking to it, while also acknowledging the need for measured decision-making in buying and selling. Watson shares his perspective on global market returns, favoring opportunities outside the US and expressing a contrarian view on China, seeing potential for good returns despite recent disappointing performance.
Capital Group portfolio manager Steve Watson discusses how he learned early in his career to get comfortable with market downturns, the circumstances that launched him on a professional life in Asia and Europe, and the importance of avoiding emotional overreactions to stock markets.