Stephen Clapham: Behind the Balance Sheet & Smart Money Method

If you are curious to learn more about analyzing business, and picking stocks, this episode is a fascinating look behind the curtain with a seasoned hedge fund analyst, who now teaches a variety of courses on the matter. Steve is the founder of Behind the Balance Sheet (https://behindthebalancesheet.com/), the premier investment training consultancy. The company runs Forensic Accounting Courses for leading institutions like Schroders and Baillie Gifford – since the first course in June 2018, over 500 investment professionals have taken the programme. More recently, courses have been made available to private investors online (https://courses.behindthebalancesheet.com/). Steve also produces bespoke research for a small group of institutional clients. Steve is regularly in the press, in the UK’s Investors Chronicle, in the Times and the Financial Times, on Times Radio and on leading investment podcasts, including Bloomberg Odd Lots and the Grant Williams Podcast, talking about accounting issues at quoted companies. Steve spent some 20 years as an equity analyst at different investment banks, covering various sectors, and was consistently rated in the top 10 in his sector in Extel, II and Reuters surveys. He moved to the buy-side in 2005 and was a partner and head of research at two multi-billion dollar hedge funds; he specialised in using a deep dive research approach to identify special situation opportunities. Steve trained as an accountant and lives in London; he enjoys reading, yoga, and skiing and is interested in investment theory, wine and classic cars. His book, the Smart Money Method https://behindthebalancesheet.com/the-smart-money-method) was a #1 Investing bestseller on Amazon in the UK, US and Australia. Stephen publishes a free weekly newsletter at https://behindthebalancesheet.substack.com/ and has a monthly podcast (https://behindthebalancesheet.com/podcasts) on all major platforms. • We dive into Steve's book, "The Smart Money Method, How to Pick Stocks like a hedge fund pro," the inspiration behind it, and its intended readership. • Steve elaborates on his belief that investors often waste time on fleeting information, emphasizing the importance of discernment in what we consume. • Steve delves into the significance of understanding the industry a stock operates in and what he specifically hunts for. • We discussed often-overlooked elements in company financials that Steve believes deserve more attention. • Moving beyond mere numbers, Steve shared his approach to evaluating company management, stressing its crucial role in investment success. ---- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Crisis Investing: 100 Essays⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - My new book. NEVER INVESTMENT ADVICE.