Given the complexities of our geopolitical and macroeconomic environment, choosing to hide within our North American investment universe may feel like a comfortable alternative. So, with a diverse set of quality companies close to home, it begs the question: when it comes to investing internationally, is it worth the effort?

Since our first Japanese investment in 1998, Burgundy’s team has demonstrated that there are many advantages to broadening our horizons. In this panel, which was featured during the 2022 Burgundy Forum, our Asian, European, and Emerging Markets team members share their perspectives on the current conflicts and central bank policies, discuss how this is affecting their opportunity set, and provide an outlook on their respective portfolios.

For an alternate format, access the transcript via the “Download PDF” link at the top of this post. The transcript has been edited for clarity.


VIDEO #1: CONSIDERING THE GEOPOLITICAL RISKS:
RUSSIA AND CHINA

Amid mounting geopolitical concerns in Russia and China, Ken, Craig, and Ching add context to the headlines, revealing what they are witnessing in their environments, and how they consider macro risk alongside portfolio management.

VIDEO #2: THE QUALITY “HEDGE” AGAINST INFLATION

With inflationary concerns top of mind, Ken and Craig define what quality means to them. They explore why businesses with competitive advantages and product differentiation may act as a hedge against inflation, regardless of the Fed’s actions and broader economic activity.

VIDEO #3: EMOTIONS & EXPECTATIONS

Craig and Ching discuss how they rely on a well-tested investment process to manage their emotions and find opportunity. In addition, Ching explores today’s low expectation and attractive valuation in the emerging markets.

 

Caroline Montminy

Caroline Montminy, CFA

Vice President,

Investment Counsellor

Craig Pho

Craig Pho, CFA

Senior Vice President,

Portfolio Manager

Ken Broekaert

Kenneth Broekaert, CFA

Senior Vice President,

Portfolio Manager

If you want to learn more about Burgundy’s approach, please see here or contact us.


 

This post is presented for illustrative and discussion purposes only. It is not intended to provide investment advice and does not consider unique objectives, constraints or financial needs. Under no circumstances does this post suggest that you should time the market in any way or make investment decisions based on the content. Select securities may be used as examples to illustrate Burgundy’s investment philosophy. Burgundy funds or portfolios may or may not hold such securities for the whole demonstrated period. Investors are advised that their investments are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. This post is not intended as an offer to invest in any investment strategy presented by Burgundy. The information contained in this post is the opinion of Burgundy Asset Management and/or its employees as of the date of the post and is subject to change without notice. Please refer to the Legal section of this website for additional information.

Caroline Montminy, CFA
About the Author
Caroline Montminy, CFA
Growing up in Quebec City, Caroline was curious about the world and how people lived outside of her cozy hometown. This curiosity was what drove Caroline to study finance, bringing her to Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. After working in the mortgage industry during the 2008 financial crisis, she had the opportunity to work in investor relations for a private equity firm. Working in private equity taught her an important lesson for long-term investors: owning stocks means owning a partial interest in a real business. This philosophy is what led Caroline to join Burgundy in 2011. After working with U.S. institutional clients for five years, Caroline was delighted to return to her home province to join Burgundy’s Quebec private client office. She is honoured to work with an experienced team, help accomplished individuals achieve their financial goals and serve her community through various activities.
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Craig Pho, CFA
About the Author
Craig Pho, CFA
Craig attributes his career success to his upbringing. He was born and raised in the Canadian Prairies where his family instilled in him many personal attributes that have been valuable in his career. After studying in Canada and the U.S., it was a work opportunity that brought him to Asia where he found a passion and an interest in investing. Craig joined Burgundy in 1998 to help build firm expertise in Asian equities and has been building knowledge, experience and judgment in those markets ever since.
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Kenneth Broekaert, CFA
About the Author
Kenneth Broekaert, CFA
Ken’s passion for investing grew out of his interest in business. His interests were as a generalist within business, across business functions and industries, as well as outside of business across subjects such as philosophy, psychology and math, which have also been useful for investing. His interests led him to The Boston Consulting Group at the start of his career. A fascination he developed during that period was the study of how businesses can enhance or lose their competitive advantages. Then he discovered the writings of Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham. Their teachings immediately resonated because the concept of value was embedded in him from his upbringing in a family with modest means and conservative financial views. One of his favourite Buffett concepts is to challenge yourself to make only 20 investment decisions in your life, which requires good judgement about the durability of the competitive advantages of businesses. Ken continuously challenges himself to own a concentrated portfolio of companies that Burgundy could own “forever” that earn stronger long-term returns for clients. Ken’s interests in business as a generalist, competitive strategy and value investing have made Burgundy a very natural and happy home for him.
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