Hi
What’s your opinion on Spotify. It seems to be giving an interesting opportunity just like Netflix when it was not that big. My investment thesis here is that it might become the audio world of search in future and leader in podcasts and music (it already is). The subscription model is same as that of Netflix.
In the same way i feel at current levels FB is undervalued with both instagram and whatsapp dominance rising. Whatsapp pay and facebook shopping/marketplace are add on.
Hi Harsh. My question is why go global when one can keep invested in local or maybe in other developing countries? I mean if we think about US they are already rich where 1/20 th of world population holds 1/5th of world’s wealth and they just cannot keep going up and up that ladder. Their GDP grows at 2% or so and their population might grow at 0.9% or so… In all as per growth rate approximation they might grow at 1.1% CAGR for next 20 years in gdp per capita which might be about 21-22% percent in 20 years from current levels. Even though they have got innovative companies, those companies cannot grow globally at a phenomenal rate against the GDP growth rate of 2%. It also seems very insightful to see that USA GDP grows today exactly around the growth rate of world GDP. Even Mr. Munger warns of a “wretched excess” which is also relevant from the fact that their market cap to GDP is at record levels. In all, a follow up question is - What kind of a return are you expecting on your global folio?
I have not been able to be convinced about the competitive durability of Spotify, will it have more than 50% market share after 10 years? It’s valuations assumes that it will be the leading music platform over a long time period, I have not seen so many product based applications with a really long runway. Maybe my understanding is lacking, but this is not an obvious kind of bet for me, that’s why I don’t have any position in Spotify.
I have been playing the digital advertising story through alphabet, plus alphabet has a lot of other bets which can potentially be a large revenue driver in the future. I perceive alphabet to have a longer growth runway than Facebook, and more resilient cashflows.
These are narratives, international investing doesn’t mean US investing. I have a much larger bet on emerging markets (China, India). I haven’t had much time to learn more about other emerging markets like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and it’s also hard to get access to these markets.
Another point is that the country of listing has nothing to do with the business profile. An Indian IT company derives most of its revenues from US and Europe, similar thing happens with a generic pharma company or an auto ancillary. It doesn’t matter where a company is listed, what matters is how much cash can a business generate. And India doesn’t have a sole authority or a right on future cashflows.
As of today, I have sold my stake in Alphabet primarily because of rich valuations (~7x EV/sales). This raises cash level to 49.5%. Updated portfolio is below.
| Companies | Weightage (cost basis) |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 3.50% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 5.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Cash | 49.50% |
Facebook looks very reasonable at current valuations. Earnings growing at 30% and options in the form of Oculus, monetizing Whatsapp.
Key risks are Apple’s new privacy prompts with iOS14 and anti-trust lawsuits.
As of today, I have reduced my allocation in Disney from 5% to 2%. This increases cash to 52.5%. I am currently able to find a lot of value in global insurance companies, good ones with high ROEs are still trading at only a slight premium to their book values. I am currently studying Allstate corp, any feedback on this will be quite appreciated 
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 3.50% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Cash | 52.50% |
Hey Harsh,
Really admire you sharing your portfolio and the knowledge sharing.
Have you looked at Brown Forman (Jack Daniels manufacturer)?
It is a highly profitable company with very good margins.
Valuation wise it is not too overpriced.
I invested some portion in Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (690D.DE
Opportunistic play.
2020-2: Haier Smart Home Co Ltd D-Share - Asian Century Stocks
Plus some Chinese companies looks attractive. Many are in pressure due to various reasons - Trump order prohibiting Americans to invest in these, and sell off from recent margin calls by a company.
Any thoughts ?
As of today, I added 2% position in Uber. Updated folio is below.
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 3.50% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| CASH % | 50.50% |
Cash is still quite high, looking for opportunities to deploy soon.
As of today, I increased my position in AB InBev from 3.5% to 5%. This is because of their good delivery on deleveraging, potential disposal of less profitable business leading to more deleveraging and reasonable valuations.
Updated portfolio is below:
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 5.00% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Cash | 49% |
As of today, I added Dropbox as a new position (2% position size). Its a very good business with 80%+ gross margins trading at reasonable valuations (~4x EV/sales). Key risk is increased competitive intensity from peers like Microsoft and Google. The closer peer for them is Box and Dropbox always used to trade at a premium. However, recently they have started trading at a discount to Box. Lets see how future unfolds.
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 5.00% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Dropbox Inc | 2.00% |
| Cash | 47.00% |
Hi Harsh, an off topic question…
Which brokerage account you use to invest in US market🤔
And what are the websites (like screener.in) you use to filter the US stocks
Hi @harsh.beria93, one more question…
What is the reason for you to have US equity exposure 
Is it because rupee will lose its value faster than dollar🤔(eg: decade ago 1$ =50 rs, now same 1$=76rs)
Or the returns are much higher in US market or to have your portfolio diversified or any other reasons??
I don’t invest only in US market, I invest globally using Interactive brokers.
For knowing about a company, I mostly read filings from the company’s website. For quick data scan, I use tikr. I don’t use any specific filter, most of the company discovery is random in nature. I follow a few youtube channels which I have found useful for idea generation (mentioned at the end of this message)
I wrote about it previously, my expected returns from global markets is similar to Indian markets (adjusted for 3-4% INR depreciation). I like studying and investing in general, no reason to limit it to one geography. And I don’t have any problem with being diversified as long as my return expectations are met.
As of today, I added Netflix as a new position (5% position size). Following the last quarter results, stock has de-rated to valuations last seen in the 2010-15 cycle. Its a high operating leverage business which is prone to consumer trends (somewhat similar to fashion, but more resilient than typical fashion brands). Two big risks to this position are:
At their current scale, business produces enough cash to self fund its new content requirement, so there is no real bankruptcy risk. In the coming quarters, growth will be affected as they tweak their business model.
The current downturn in technology businesses has now gone on for slighly over 1 year. Generally, these kinds of downturns last for 2-3 years before everyone loses hope and throws in the towel (e.g. 2000 tech bust which lasted from early 2000 to 2003). I am finding a lot more opportunities to deploy capital as valuations are becoming more reasonable. Some of the stocks which are approaching my buy limits are Starbucks and Suzuki. In the current set of businesses I own, Disney is reaching a level where I can increase my position size. I will keep the thread updated as and when I deploy more capital.
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 5.00% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Dropbox Inc | 2.00% |
| Netflix Inc | 5.00% |
| Cash | 42.00% |
As of today, I have added Suzuki Motor Corporation (the Japanese one) as a new position (5% position size). Today’s price drop seems to be because of raids by German prosecutors for alleged use of devices to manipulate emission readings (link). This can be a serious risk if allegations are proven.
As a business, Suzuki is a cyclical and is currently facing business headwinds due to semi conductor crisis which is reflected in their margins (at cyclical lows). Additionally, they are trading at lower end of their valuation range. Company largely trades in the 10-20x P/E band and is currently trading at ~11x P/E. On a P/B metric, they trade b/w 1-2x P/B and current multiple is ~1x. So, I have valuation comfort + business is currently in downcycle, both are required for my cyclical investing framework.
Given my very good experience in cyclical investing in 2020 (see here), I am broadening my approach to global markets. The idea is to buy cyclicals which are trading at lower end of their valuations during a business downcycle. I then wait for a couple of years, let the business cycle turn and (hopefully) sell at a good profit. Lets see if it works out with Suzuki. Updated folio is below.
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 5.00% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Dropbox Inc | 2.00% |
| Netflix Inc | 5.00% |
| Suzuki Motor | 5.00% |
| Cash | 37.00% |
As of today, I added 5% position in Starbucks. This is the second time I am buying Starbucks, last time was during March 2020 (at around $60) which I subsequently sold in December 2020 (at around $100). The basic rationale for buying remains the same as I had mentioned in the first post of this thread.
Starbucks: This has been a great turnaround story post 2008. Their growth rates are close to 10% with most incremental growth coming from China. India is another market where they are growing quite fast through their partnership with Tata. They cater to the high end customer segment and have a long growth runway.
The current uncertainty is around labor union issues that company is facing along with margin contraction (cyclical phenomena). Lets see how this position does. Cash comes down to 32%.
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 5.00% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Dropbox Inc | 2.00% |
| Netflix Inc | 5.00% |
| Suzuki Motor | 5.00% |
| Starbucks | 5.00% |
| Cash | 32.00% |
As of today, I added 2% position in InMode Ltd. Growth has been very strong and valuations have come down significantly. I do not have a very good idea of the competitive positioning of the company’s products, thats why the position size is small for now. In terms of financial metrics, there is not much to complain (except continuous promoter selling). I will keep on working more on the company and will try to create a thread once I have enough information. Hopefully, I will also be able to increase the position size.
With the current market state, I am really happy to be able to deploy surplus cash. 2022 started with a very high cash balance of 49% which has now come down to 30%. A fun fact, I had sold Alphabet in February 2021 (see link below) at $2075. With today’s fall, prices of Alphabet has come around those level. In the meantime, sales grew by 41% and EPS by 91%. Its good to see that valuations have started mattering!
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 5.00% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Dropbox Inc | 2.00% |
| Netflix Inc | 5.00% |
| Suzuki Motor | 5.00% |
| Starbucks | 5.00% |
| Inmode Ltd | 2.00% |
| Cash | 30.00% |
Wrt AB InBev’s Africa operations, here’s something you might find interesting. There is a listed company in Botswana called Sechaba Brewery Holdings (SBH).
SBH, founded in 1970, has 49.9% ownership stakes each in Kgalagadi Breweries and Coca-Cola Beverages Botswana (CCBB). AB InBev owns the balance 50.1% in Kgalagadi Breweries and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa owns the balance 50.1% in CCBB.
Kgalagadi’s main brands (in descending order of contribution to revenue) are Carling Black Label, Castle Lite and St Louis Lager. The premium brand, Corona, is growing at a rapid pace, with YoY growth of >200%. They also have products in flavoured alcoholic beverages- their brand Flying Fish is growing at triple digits YoY.
CCBB is into non-alcoholic drinks: soft drinks like Coca-Cola, along with water, juice, energy drinks (e.g., Monster) etc. Coca-Cola Beverages Africa’s CEO Mr. Jacques Vermeulen has said- “We see a compelling long-term growth opportunity for non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in Botswana.”
As of today, I have created a 2% position in DWS Group. DWS was formed as an offshoot of Deutsche Bank and is into asset management. They give very good dividend payouts (current yield is 8%+), are growing reasonably and have a net cash balance sheet. I have observed that during every market fall, their enterprise value turns negative (no idea why). Currently, their enterprise value is slightly positive, I may increase the position size to 5% when it turns negative. Cash position reduces to 28%.
| Companies | Weightage |
|---|---|
| AB InBev | 5.00% |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 10.00% |
| Disney | 2.00% |
| Fairfax India Holdings | 10.00% |
| Markel Corporation | 5.00% |
| Philip morris | 2.00% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 2.00% |
| UBS ETF CH-SMI | 5.00% |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd | 10.00% |
| Dropbox Inc | 2.00% |
| Netflix Inc | 5.00% |
| Suzuki Motor | 5.00% |
| Starbucks | 5.00% |
| Inmode Ltd | 2.00% |
| DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA (DWS) | 2.00% |
