Going the Extra Mile
We do the hard work, so you do not have to. Our value-oriented investment process emanates from the framework established by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd in the 1930s. Two primary tenets of value investing are intrinsic value and margin of safety. Through our fundamental analysis we strive to calculate an intrinsic value for each business or stock and make investments when they can be purchased at a sufficient discount to that value. When investments are available for purchase at a discount to intrinsic value, a margin of safety is said to exist. This mindset permeates everything we do and can help reduce the risk of a permanent loss of capital.
We concentrate on underlying business fundamentals and price relative to intrinsic value, regardless of ever-changing market sentiment. Sometimes we are viewed as contrarians. This is not by design, but often a byproduct of the investment process. When everyone loves an investment – it is often overpriced.
We generally take a long-term view when evaluating investments and people. Having clients or investment partners who are philosophically aligned with us is key to long-term success.
We approach equity investing as if we are purchasing an interest in a business, rather than simply buying and selling shares of stock. This same business-like approach is also applied to our fixed-income and private investments.
Being entrusted as stewards of our clients’ capital is a privilege and responsibility we take seriously. In an effort to fulfill this responsibility, we are committed to an environment of continual learning, disciplined investing and being as transparent as possible. We value independent thinking and believe being a privately owned investment firm located in the mid-west, far from Wall Street, is a competitive advantage that helps us avoid a herd mentality.