Sales Desk – US & Canada   1.877.701.2883
Sales Desk – International   +353.1.525.9677

US INVESTORS
Non-US INVESTORS

Sales Desk – US   877.701.2883
Sales Desk – International   +353 1 525 9677

US INVESTORS
Non-US INVESTORS

Category: Missives

Competing with the Alpha and the Omega

In the Bible, Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” While Jesus infers that he is at both the beginning and the end of time, we as investors can only operate in the present with a knowledge of what has come before. To better understand today’s commodity market circumstances, we believe investors should examine the herd mentality and the psychological backing that may lead to contrarian investment opportunities.

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September 8, 2015

China’s Command Economy: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

With Beijing being selected to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, we at Smead Capital took a moment to reflect on China. We concluded that posturing against China’s attempt to defy business cycles could be one of the best decisions we have made and could be the gift that keeps on giving. Warren Buffett once observed that you get to make approximately 20 major business decisions in your life. As long-duration common stock pickers, we think what you avoid can be just as important as what you select. In this missive we will share why we tend to avoid companies with major exposure to China, and why that could be a good thing for stock-pickers like ourselves.

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August 4, 2015

Solomon’s Long Duration Investment Wisdom

Storm clouds seem to build by the day. Many investors have an ongoing love affair with a few large-cap and more futuristic companies, yet they have corrected the prices of any stock with disappointing earnings or an attachment to the production of commodities.

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July 29, 2015

Peter Lynch on Today

Peter Lynch was one of the most successful stock pickers of all time. From 1977-1990, he managed the Fidelity Magellan fund and produced returns of 29.2% per year, besting the S&P 500 Index returns of 15.8%. The Magellan fund grew from $18 million to $19 billion in assets during that time period. What Lynch said about market timing and investor sentiment appears very useful to long-duration common stock owners like us.

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June 16, 2015

Interest Rates Affect on Intrinsic Value

We at Smead Capital Management believe in the value of compounded returns. They are the friend of the long-duration common stock investor, especially when considering the intrinsic value of a company. With so much chatter among investors, the media and analysts over when the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates, we would like to share with you how we think about and use prevailing interest rates in security analysis. Together with earnings growth estimates and longevity, the discount interest rate is a cornerstone of calculating the intrinsic value of a company.

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May 26, 2015

Common Stocks: A Garden of Wealth Creation

When I was ten years old, my Dad asked me if I’d like to make some money. Those of you who know me are aware the answer to that question is almost always yes. Dad offered me the chance to plant two rows of tomatoes in his one-acre garden. I would weed and water the two rows with the hopes of selling the fruit of my labor to the grocery store in my hometown of Washougal, Washington.

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March 31, 2015

Buffett on the Value of Patient Optimism

Like picking up the Good Book, a read of Berkshire Hathaway’s Annual Shareholder Letter yields
insight, wisdom, and encouragement for the long-duration common stock investor in a world of shortterm
thinking and 30-second sound bites.

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March 3, 2015

Woody Hayes on Portfolio Management

“There are three things that can happen when you pass the football and two of them are bad,” observed The Ohio State University’s legendary coach Woody Hayes. All the Seahawk fans, myself included, know exactly what he is talking about since the Seahawks chose to pass the ball at the one-yard line. You can complete a pass, you can throw it for an incompletion, or you can throw it to the other team (an interception).

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February 4, 2015
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