ALPHA Investor Forum ran on June 27th at Churchill College, Cambridge. The event comprises a series of presentations from quoted companies and expert investors.
This event opened at 10:00 and closed at 17:15.
Beating the market with AIM: David O'Hara
David O'Hara is Publisher of AIM Prospector, the online magazine dedicated to AIM companies. The AIM portfolios that he introduced at the inaugural event in 2016 are since up 63% and 138% respectively. David will be reviewing these portfolios and introducing his latest AIM Top Picks at ALPHA Investor Forum.
One of the UK's finest companies: Diploma PLC
FTSE 250 manufacturing group Diploma PLC is frequently offered as an answer to the question which is Britain's best quoted company?" Dividends at Diploma PLC have increased every year since 1999, at an average annual increase of 13.6%. The company maintains a net cash position. Diploma will be represented on the day by Group FD, Mr Nigel Lingwood. Diploma has a market cap of £1.8bn.
The City Sage: Jeremy Grime
For decades, hedge funds and other financial institutions have paid for the investment insights of Jeremy Grime. One of the City's most popular figures, he has made a career analysing companies in the financial sector. Jeremy has seen it all — and more than once. Whether it is management teams setting companies on a headlong charge to failure or smart operators creating big winners in established markets. Jeremy will be sharing his macro call on global equities and highlighting a select number of quoted companies that he thinks investors could know better.
Powerful turnaround stock: Northbridge Industrial Services
Northbridge Industrial Services is an AIM-quoted industrial services and rental company. The company rents tools to the upstream oil industry and power testing equipment to large industrials. Northbridge Industrial Services is already demonstrating the magnitude of its operational gearing: preliminary results for 2018 showed a 21% increase in operating profit on revenues just 5% ahead.
The stock Warren Buffett would love
With brands dating back to the 18th century, AIM-quoted Portmeirion operates a classical business model beloved by many of the world's most successful investors. Its merit is borne out in its operating performance. Portmeirion has paid a dividend every year for more than thirty years and that dividend has never been cut. In the last five years, dividends at the company have been increased by an average of 9.3% per annum. The tableware manufacturer behind the Spode and Royal Worcester brands also enjoys a net cash position.
Finding huge winners first
We'd all love to spot the next FeverTree, ARM or Abcam. It is the job of Tom Britton, co-Founder at Syndicate Room, to do just that. Operating from Syndicate Room's Cambridge base, the cradle of many of the UK's finest technology companies of the last generation, Tom gets to meet many of the UK's most exciting growth companies before the public ever hears about them. He will be highlighting the common themes among the big winners and what you should look for when analysing growth companies.
Growth, income and quality: Quartix
Ask any smallcap fund manager: vehicle telematics business Quartix is one of AIM's most admired companies. The company is loved for its historic growth, strong cashflows, dividends to shareholders and rock solid balance sheet. We will be joined at ALPHA Investor Forum by Andy Walters, boss and 37% shareholder in this £120m business. Andy is one of the UK stock market's most successful business leaders.
Award winning investor: Leon Shuall
A manager of funds for private clients, pension funds and charities, Leon Shuall of Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management is an award winning fund manager. The unitised fund that he manages has won Lipper awards for best five year equity Small and Mid-Cap fund at this year’s awards, and best UK equity fund for three and five years at last year’s ceremony. Leon will be talking us through a collection of example investments and what he and his team look for when assessing a quoted company.