The Ideas Report For Serious Investors

In a new quarterly letter, up-and-coming special situation investor Kevin Byun describes his fund's success in 2009 and the fund's investment framework. Byun writes on the latter:

Based on the recent and continuing upheaval in the markets, it becomes worthwhile to revisit the fundamentals of our investment framework and to reevaluate the manner in which they hold us in good stead through current and future turbulent times. Although our partners already adhere to our investment mindset and believe in the validity of the tenets (which we consider sensible and logical), we know that most managed capital does not align with our framework.

Our basic structure (the allocation groupings and the incentive structure) is based on the Buffett partnerships from the 1950’s. Today, most people associate Buffett with a buy-and-hold-forever philosophy. However, most people do not know how he first created wealth for his investors and himself. What the popular view discounts is that Buffett began his career managing a hedge fund that was value-based and heavily involved in special situations. Basically falling into two categories, his “Generals” were undervalued stocks (still studied by many today) and his “Workouts” were special situations investments (unstudied by almost all).

Generals & Workouts: The Generals tend to produce returns that are more greatly affected by the overall market performance, as with rising or falling tides. The Workouts tend to provide market agnostic returns and tend to have more attractive risk-reward profiles in downturns. Much of Buffett’s consistency in outperformance even during years in which the markets declined is attributable to his special situation investments. Critically, the combination of the two is much more powerful than either one alone in producing absolute returns over an extended time frame.

The validity of this portfolio structure strikes me as powerful, simple, and elegant. In my view, those that focus only on one category at the exclusion of the other are at a fundamental disadvantage. The inherent balance in the combined structure is why Buffett himself said he expected, although could not guarantee, to outperform in bear markets and underperform in bull markets. By having a balanced tool kit, a portfolio remains flexible in allocating to the most promising opportunity set that presents itself.

Flexible mandate: We have a flexible mandate that allows us to look at any opportunities that may be attractive. Certain funds that are designed to fit into a ‘style box’ remain captive to a certain sector, geography or asset class. The problem for such fund managers is that capital can flood out as easily as it floods in (i.e. technology sector funds in 1999 versus 2000 or energy specific funds in 2008 versus 2009). Also, they become captive to a slice of the market when it is no longer attractive and are simultaneously prevented from areas that are attractive. Whether bargains are available or not is immaterial. The order of the day is to sell. As a generalist, our flexible mandate allows us to look at opportunities across the spectrum.

Concentration: Another advantage is our concentration of investments into our best five to ten investment ideas. Our opportunistic style of investing allows us to wait for investments with highly favorable risk-reward profiles and requisite margins of safety. Allocating more capital to really good ideas, which do not come around too often, simply makes sense. This builds a portfolio one idea at a time, such that performance over time correlates to the outcome of those ideas rather than to the market. On the flip side, the typical mutual fund holds about 80 positions, which practically guarantees below average performance and explains why 80% of them underperform the market simply due to frictional costs.

Cash: Another advantage is the ability to maintain net cash in the absence of other opportunities. Many funds must be fully invested according to the fund’s mandate. A fund manager must then perhaps buy at a time that may not be prudent or sell at a time that is even less prudent. Our ability to hold cash is a great advantage, especially as the current market dislocation unfolds. The use of leverage can be extremely dangerous. As has become apparent, investments that were mediocre at best were made to look superior in cooperative markets through the use of easy borrowing.

Alignment of Interests: We eat our own cooking. I have the lion’s share of my net worth in the fund and I will continue to keep my assets in the fund. The idea is if we do well, we all do well together. I can assure you that my focus is on judiciously growing partners’ capital. The fund manager, whose responsibility is to protect and shepherd capital, should not be exempt from the downside risk. One should cast a very skeptical eye at managers who consistently pull their fees out of the funds they
manage.

Read Kevin Byun's Q4 2009 letter to investors.

View Kevin Byun's recent presentation on special situation investing.