Equity Fund Manager
CGOV Asset Management
CGOV is an investment boutique in Toronto that caters primarily to high-net-worth individuals. The firm was established in 1995 by four industry veterans and is owned and operated today by its eight partners, including two of the founders.
In our search for equity managers, we only looked at companies that have a stable and sustainable ownership structure. Generating attractive returns is always challenging and can be all but impossible if the environment around the manager is constantly changing.
There were four other criteria that weighed heavily in our search for equity managers:
Investment Philosophy
CGOV's investment philosophy is based on the premise that a portfolio represents a collection of ideas and that a few well-reasoned ideas will yield superior results over a vast number of mediocre ones. They demonstrate their conviction by owning a maximum of 25 stocks. The firm's investment team has intricate knowledge of the companies in which they invest, as they don't cloud their research efforts by rounding out their portfolios with filler.
Experience
The firm’s key stock pickers have an average of 20 years experience in the investment business. Individually, they bring a variety of skill-sets and experiences to the table, particularly in the areas of equity analysis and portfolio management. Collectively, they have built a firm that has over a decade of experience and has quietly become a highly respected investment boutique.
Evidence of Success
Quite frankly, the majority of CGOV's clients are already rich. The firm has been able to attract and retain a discerning clientele by delivering on their mission of growing capital and preserving wealth. Their growing stable of high net worth clients and history of consistent, yet controlled, growth is largely a result of their success in managing money.
Agility
As a boutique firm, CGOV has the ability to pursue opportunities in all areas of the market. They have an "all-cap" mandate with no sector restrictions, which gives them the flexibility to invest in the companies they would most want to own themselves — regardless of the size of the company or the industry that it operates in — while keeping in mind the virtues of diversification.
