The podcast features an interview with Quoc Tran, discussing his concentrated investing philosophy and different categories of stocks he invests in. He also talks about portfolio management, risk management, and using data for process improvements. Other topics include incorporating a macro view into fundamental analysis, valuation process, and when to sell investments. The podcast also touches on spending quiet time in the office, qualities of successful investors, and the importance of holding on to great businesses.
Quoc Tran follows a concentrated, long-term investing approach, focusing on buying the best businesses at reasonable prices.
Tran Capital implements a three-stage research process, incorporating factors such as moat trajectory review, macro trends, and ESG impacts into their valuation models.
Deep dives
Investing Philosophy and Approach
The guest, Kwok Tran, describes his investing philosophy as a concentrated, long-term approach focusing on buying the best businesses at reasonable prices. He categorizes his portfolio into three types of companies: compounders, picks and shovels companies, and special situations. Tran Capital typically targets high-growth companies with higher return on equity, slightly trading at a premium to the market, but with the potential for multiple expansion as their growth outpaces the market.
Portfolio Management and Risk
Tran Capital sizes its positions starting at 1 or 2 percent and builds them up to 4 or 5 percent. The team aims for positions to grow towards 8 to 10 percent, at which point they start trimming for prudent risk management. They have a high concentration in their top 10 holdings, which make up over 50 percent of the portfolio. Risk management involves security selection, sector concentration, and factor analysis. They pay close attention to company fundamentals, and they run factor analytics to identify overweight and underweight factors in their portfolio.
Process Improvements and Research
Tran Capital implemented two process improvements, the first being a moat trajectory review. They categorize all holdings by moats that are weakening, stable, or strengthening to assess if the moats are changing and if they still align with their investment theses. The second process improvement involved evaluating companies' impact on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. They use internal scales and third-party sources to score each company's ESG metrics. The team maintains a three-stage research process that includes initial research, deep dive analysis of drivers, and adding factors such as macro trends and ESG impacts into their valuation models.
Sourcing Ideas and Valuation
Tran Capital sources ideas through screens, watch lists, and 13F filings from managers they trust. They focus on high-growth companies with high return on equity. Valuation involves building discounted cash flow models, comparing valuation metrics to peers, and considering replacement value or sum-of-the-parts analysis. They also consider the valuation range specific to each sector and the potential growth of cash earnings over time.