Sunil Thakor: There’s opportunity in change

“The world might be a scary place, but for investors, that’s a good thing, because it means there are opportunities to identify growth companies that can become sustainable leaders in their field. As long as change remains a constant, investment opportunities will always arise.”

This is according to Sunil Thakor, MD at Sands Capital Management and one of the world’s top-performing fund managers. Sunil is one of eighteen global investment leaders whose funds are included in Investec’s World Axis Fund of Funds.

In an absorbing presentation delivered at the #InvestecWealth Forum, Sunil takes us on a whirlwind tour of opportunities across the globe: from the two-wheeler industry in India to convenience stores in Thailand and e-commerce in China.

He uses these examples to illustrate some of the keys to finding growth in diverse industries and markets, including:

• Investing on the right side of change
• Only buying a few companies, but always buying the best
• Seeking businesses that are driving their industry, not being driven by it
• Assessing the sustainability of a company’s competitive advantage
• Identifying tech companies that own key enabling technologies

Jump to the topics that interest you:

00:08: Ryan Friedman explains how the Investec Wealth & Investment World Axis fund works and how it seeks out the world’s best fund managers, like Sunil Thakor
01:03: Investment opportunity is driven by change – Sunil Thakor
01:56: Cable TV subscriptions declining in US and Europe as consumers move to streaming
02:14: The world’s largest ecommerce market is in China
02:50: Position yourself on the right side of change
03:00: What Sands Capital (and other growth investors) look for in an investment
03:26: Look for businesses that are doing something that’s very difficult to copy
03:50: Why Sands buys few, but buys the “very best” when it comes to companies
04:19: Visa example: Own the leader
05:20: Illumina example: personalised medicine and the emerging field of genomics. Own the companies that sit in the middle of the ecosystem and hold the key enabling technologies
06:36: 7-Eleven competitive advantage example: Thailand franchise is bucking declining growth in retail food industry
08:26: Royal Enfield example: India is one of the highest growth economies in the world and is “a great place to invest”
10:26: “All these examples are a result of change and we think change is constant”.

Get more insights and videos from the Investec Wealth Forum here: http://invest.ec/2wWpkwK