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TIP774: Being Greedy While Others are Fearful w/ Shawn O'Malley

In this insightful discussion, Clay Finck sits down with Shawn O'Malley to explore the principles and performance behind The Intrinsic Value Portfolio. Drawing from a year of hands-on experience hosting The Intrinsic Value Podcast, Shawn shares his evolving investment philosophy, focusing on long-term value creation through high-quality businesses.
Shawn O'Malley explains that his portfolio has delivered over 10% returns year-to-date by concentrating on durable, high-conviction businesses like Alphabet, Uber, and Adobe, while avoiding speculative bets. He favors consumer-facing tech firms where user experience informs investment theses, and sees lasting value in strong retail brands like Nike and Lululemon despite sector challenges. Nike’s global brand strength and potential turnaround make it a compelling holding, even after years of underperformance. Among current opportunities, Ferrari stands out for its pricing power and consistent growth, while Adobe is seen as deeply undervalued due to misplaced AI fears—its recurring revenue model and integration of AI tools like Firefly reinforce its competitive edge. Shawn estimates Adobe's intrinsic value well above $500 per share. His research process emphasizes clarity through writing, leveraging AI and public data, and sharing ideas publicly to refine understanding and build accountability.
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Finding a few exceptional businesses can yield significant returns
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Evaluating businesses you're a consumer of helps make investment decisions based on your own intuition rather than speculation.
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Nike represents a turnaround opportunity despite a decade of flat returns.
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Nike has maintained a 25% average return on invested capital in the last five years
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Adobe's PE ratio has declined 14% annually since 2019 despite 18% annual EPS growth.
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Over 90% of Adobe's revenue comes from professional enterprise customers, creating a durable competitive advantage.
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Adobe's fair value is over $500 per share, making it undervalued at $330 even with a 20% margin of safety.
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Writing the investment thesis in a Google Doc helps connect the dots and achieve clarity.