Valuation is crucial, with growth investing seen as reckless due to its emphasis on stories rather than detailed valuation, despite perceptions changing over time. Value investing was traditionally considered disciplined for exploiting behavioral inefficiencies. However, both can be reckless. Recovery is possible for well-valued companies, but not for undervalued ones, leading to different pathways based on valuation. The speaker focuses on refining valuation methods, considering the distinction between growth and value investing as somewhat arbitrary, and emphasizing the importance of overvaluation risks as well as the potential for recovery based on valuation approaches.
Sanjay Ayer is a portfolio manager at WCM Investment Management, the Laguna-based $80 billion equity manager profiled on three popular past episodes with CEO Paul Black, President Mike Trigg, and emerging market portfolio manager Mike Tian. Sanjay joined WCM in 2007, and alongside Mike Trigg, leads the firm’s research process that follows the mantra: think different and get better.
Our conversation is a fascinating exploration of the differentiated mindset at WCM. We discuss topics, including self-discovery, cognitive dissonance, thinking differently, getting better, compounding knowledge, reflection time, and feedback loops – all in the context of Sanjay’s path and the application of the concepts to WCM’s research process, investment examples, and business.
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