I've been doing some research this week on insurance as there are a number of stocks in this industry on my watch list. Yesterday I went through the Value Line list of life insurers, many of which are selling well below book value. I'll be taking a look at a few of these in more detail soon.
Of course, insurance is a business that Warren Buffett has used as a foundation at Berkshire Hathaway to build his investment fortune. But there is a far lesser known investor who runs a similar company that would tremendously benefit any value investor studying his thoughts and ideas. Markel Corporation ( MKL ) is run by Tom Gayner , a superinvestor who uses value investing strategies combined with insurance float to build wealth for himself and his shareholders.
Gayner has led Markel to an incredible 20-year performance, compounding MKL's book value at a remarkably high 16% per year, far better than the S&P 500. This is what happens to a stock's price when the business is growing its book value at these kinds of consistently high rates:
The book value has increased from $20 in 1992 to $403 toda y. The stock price has risen in corresponding fashion from $31 in 1992 to over $500 today . Patient long-term shareholder's have reaped incredible rewards by investing with Gayner who used MKL as the conduit.
Readers know we love simplicity here at BHI. In the video below, which was recorded in 2007, Gayner outlines his four-point plan for investing in stocks. His plan is logical, simple, and conceptually easy to understand ( not to mention, profitable ):
- High Returns on Capital : Gayner wants above average businesses that produce high returns on capital and require little additional capital
- Management with Integrity and Talent ( both are equally important )
- Compounders : Gayner looks for businesses with attractive reinvestment opportunities. He wants high returns on capital, and he also wants the economics of the business to be such that the company can compound earnings and cash flow, and grow intrinsic value over time (compounding machine).
- Valuation:He doesn't want to pay too much, although he mentions that he is willing to pay a fair price for these compounders, as they will grow shareholder value steadily over time.
Here is the video from 2007.About GuruFocus: GuruFocus.com tracks the stocks picks and portfolio holdings of the world's best investors. This value investing site offers stock screeners and valuation tools. And publishes daily articles tracking the latest moves of the world's best investors. GuruFocus also provides promising stock ideas in 3 monthly newsletters sent to Premium Members .
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.