Interview: Bob Desmond, Claremont Global - High Conviction

Bob provides an in-depth overview of the investment process at Claremont Global and demonstrates this through a lot of global names.

This chat instilled valuable insights into the qualities a business and a management team ought to possess to become truly great.

Talking points

Introduction - Bob Desmond gives a fascinating rundown of what it was like growing up in his home country, Zimbabwe.

08:15 - Bob's investing career spanning across Zimbabwe, London and Sydney.

24:30 - The Claremont Global investing philosophy starting off with an in-depth discussion about why people and patience are so integral. Companies mentioned include Ross Stores (NASDAQ: ROST) and LVMH (EPA: MC).

36:00 - Why the team at Claremont Global tries to ensure that process and the portfolio are prioritised over one's ego.

40:00 - A different view within the team helped Bob avoid making a mistake (to date) of investing in Alibaba (HKG: 9988).

42:00 - Bob gets stuck into the heavy lifting process of carrying out on the ground research to understand what makes companies so special. He uses Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) as an illustration.

48:30 - The quick numerical metrics that Claremont Global uses to filter out companies.

56:00 - Bob walks through the compound probability framework to determine the forecastability of businesses. Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) gets a special mention.

60:00 - How Bob and Claremont Global have curated a list of around 100 investable companies in their universe.

71:00 - What Bob and his team look for in a high-quality management team.

77:00 - Bob uses Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: FB) as a case study where he and the team couldn't attain conviction on the quality of the management team.

79:30 - The valuation metrics applied at Claremont Global.

87:30 - Why Claremont Global takes the view that European and ASX stocks tend to trade at a premium to the US.

90:30 - How Claremont Global monitors potential fade in a company's competitive advantage.

93:00 - The qualities that Bob looks for in a colleague.

102:00 - Bob reveals the people who have had the most influence on him as a person and investor.

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Full individual disclosures for each guest are available via the show notes page. Owen and The Rask Group Pty Ltd do NOT receive anything for mentioning Super funds, products, shares, bank accounts, etc.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser.

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Date recorded: April 13th, 2022

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