Yes, I'm still alive.
The blog reflects my portfolio activity...I currently find few investment opportunities fitting my criteria (cheap valuations and reasonable quality companies), so I do nothing.
I've mainly trimmed down some positions, and I'm now around 17% cash.
My portfolio is up 20% in 2017 (incl dividends), carried by the rising tide of valuations.
(2016: 22% ; 2015: 15% ; 2014: 11%, 2013: 35%. I should maybe mention a whooping -40% in 2008)
Benchmark:
- HMG Finances Découvertes ~17 %
- Independance et expansion ~27%
- sextant pea ~14%
- cac mid&small ~20%
Main holdings end 2017 are almost identical to end 2016
Precia (PREC)
Makes industrial scales and associated services (calibration...). The
business is slowly expanding its operations and making small
acquisitions. Still reasonably valued, should benefit from improving French economy.
Tessi (TES)
See original article here. Still reasonably valued.
Installux (STAL)
See value and opportunity article here. Still reasonably valued.
Gevelot (ALGEV)
See my original blog article here. Interestingly the auto parts manufacturing branch has been sold this year, at around 0.8 price to book value. What remains is the pump business, which historically has been more profitable, requiring lower maintenance CAPEX, and a large pile of cash. What management (indifferent to minority shareholders) will do with this cash remains the central issue.
Gerard Perrier (PERR)
Industrial automation, nuclear sector.
See article here.
Still reasonably valued
SII (SII)
See my blog article here. No longer cheap , I'm beginning to get nervous after the stock price increase, but good recent results and growth make me reluctant to sell. When should a stock like this should be sold ? When reaching unreasonable valuations ? When results start to degrade ?
IGE+XAO (IGE)
See article here. Some funds have stated that the price offered by Schneider is too low and are betting on an improved tender offer.
CIFE (INFE)
Constuction sector, in France and overseas territories. One of the 1st stocks I bought a decade ago. It was a net-net then, it is still very cheap now. All the markings of a value trap, 2017 results rather bad but does not burn cash. Large cash cushion. Value investing may involve patience but in this case it is rather extreme. Time will tell (maybe).
Malteries Franco-Belges (MALT)
Micro-cap, malt for beer brewing, French and East-european markets. Used to be extremely cheap (taking into account unconsolidated results from the east-european factories), still reasonnably valued now. It is likely that the main shareholder (Groupe Soufflet) will buy out minority investors at some time. Very illiquid stock.
Best wishes !
