Alex Wright: “Fundamentals look really strong, particularly in the consumer area”

Being a contrarian investor has been a tough gig over much of the past decade but Alex Wright, manager of Fidelity Special Values (FSV) and Fidelity Special Situations believes the best way of making money is to go against the consensus. In this interview, he tells Mary McDougall how he identifies mispriced assets, what he has been buying and selling recently and in what sectors he sees the best opportunities. He also explains how he mitigates the challenges faced by value investors. The interview was recorded on 8 December.  00:00 - Intro00:55 - What did you learn from Anthony Bolton?02:17 - Investing style03:33 - Process for spotting mispriced assets04:33 - How intangibles affect thinking05:23 - Avoiding value traps07:23 - Turnarounds08:50 - Recent fund performance and current outlook11:24 - What have you been buying and selling recently?14:17 - Inflation impact17:42 - Fund turnover19:10 - Challenge of needing lots of investment ideas20:09 - Need for a large portfolio21:54 - Pricing methodology24:39 - When to sell when stocks don't rerate as you hoped?30:06 - Why small caps hold better value31:44 - Liquidity problems in funds?34:13 - Volatility vs risk36:13 - M&A39:10 - UK vs European markets41:38 - UK holdings you're excited forInvestors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.