Ep 112: Chris Stott - Finding the inefficiencies within Australian small caps

Chris joins David to discuss his fund, the 1851 Capital Emerging Companies Fund. Since inception in Feb 2020 till Dec 2021, the fund had produced a compound growth rate of 33% p.a. Chris explains why he believes that the small-cap sector is the most inefficient part of the market, where fund managers can deliver the largest amount of outperformance to clients. He attributes much of this to the lack of broker coverage when compared to larger-cap counterparts. Chris and David also discuss the methodology that 1851 applies when analysing businesses and their management. Chris identifies the importance of even the smaller details when interviewing senior leadership teams, such as the subtleties of body language. Working for more than 18 years in the Australian funds management industry, Chris has extensive experience investing in Australian equities. Most recently, Chris was the Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager at Wilson Asset Management Pty Limited (WAM) During his tenure as Chief Investment Officer at WAM, group funds under management (FUM) grew from $300 million to over $3 billion. In 2014, the Australian Financial Review named Chris as one of the Five Best Young Fund Managers in Australia.