Invest In The Best

Book excerpt: This book concentrates on the investment style of Business Perspective Investing, as practiced by Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett. It takes the reader through the realisation that the thought process involved when buying shares in a company is no different to buying the company in its entirety. Beginning with how to assess the quality of a business, it explains and illustrates with examples what to look for in company accounts, how to determine the value drivers of a business, the strength of its franchise and how to interpret key financial ratios and performance indicators. It discusses the ideal characteristics of a business worthy of investment so that you will develop a mental checklist of what to look out for. The book then sets out a number of valuation methods to determine the likely economic worth of a company. It is against this estimate that a judgement can be made as to whether a share price offers good value. The book concludes with thoughts on portfolio construction, in particular Focus Investing, where a concentrated approach is taken, and legitimate reasons for deciding to sell a holding. Throughout, the emphasis is on the methodology used to manage the Sanford DeLand UK Buffettology Fund.