Maynard wrote investment articles for The Motley Fool UK between 1999 and 2014 before becoming a full-time investor at the start of 2015. As well as the articles he writes for SharePad, Maynard publishes his own investment blog at maynardpaton.com.
I’ve developed my investing approach after years of learning about the stock market and experiencing what actually works for me. Important influences on my style include the strategies of Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch and Jim Slater. I look to invest in respectable smaller companies run by capable managers that trade at modest valuations and to hold them for the long term.
RWS has lifted its dividend for 19 consecutive years yet the shares currently offer a 6.5% yield. Maynard Paton studies the translation group’s acquisition history, profit adjustments and management changes. An illustrious dividend history and a worthwhile yield have brought RWS to my attention. The language-translation group presently offers: An unbroken record of dividend increases
Obscure small-cap Colefax has repurchased 75% of its share count since 1999. Maynard Paton weighs up the fabric designer’s impressive buyback record and cash-rich financials versus its modest growth history and awkward corporate governance. The email I received was intriguing: “The numbers speak for themselves. The company has repurchased 75% of shares outstanding since 1999,
Poor record-keeping at a small subsidiary prompted an adverse audit at Victoria last year. Maynard Paton looks at other areas of the carpet manufacturer’s accounts in which the auditor identified ‘material errors’. Oh dear. Today I am writing about Victoria, a £228 million carpet manufacturer that last year attracted attention following an adverse audit. When
Yü Group has delivered wonderful multi-bagger returns during the last few years. Maynard Paton recaps the energy supplier’s entrepreneurial leadership and remarkable recovery following an accounting bombshell. Everybody loves shares that keep on rising. SharePad lists 37 names that have consistently delivered 15% or more annualised returns during the last one, three and five years:
Rockwood Strategic is buying underperforming small-caps, revitalising their boards and pushing for takeovers. Maynard Paton reviews the investment trust’s ‘activist approach, portfolio performance and current holdings. Rockwood Strategic could be the ideal choice for anyone wishing to capitalise on the sorry state of UK small-caps. A check of your own portfolio may support Rockwood’s belief
Property Franchise has consistently exhibited attractive financials and will soon combine with rival Belvoir. Maynard Paton delves into the small-cap’s balance sheet, acquisitive history, franchising KPIs and merger prospects. Today I am studying Property Franchise, an estate-agency franchising business that appeared on my radar after I reviewed fellow estate-agency franchisor Belvoir last year. To recap,
Fashion website Sosandar plans to open shops to bolster its sales and margins. Maynard Paton weighs up management’s bold financial ambition against the wider sector’s haphazard progress. Fashion website Sosandar provides a fascinating dilemma for small-cap growth investors. Bulls will highlight the online retailer’s very rapid expansion and bold ambition to raise profits to £10
A search for ‘owner managers’ leads Maynard Paton to the impressive dividend record of Lok’nStore and the ‘extremely stable’ nature of self storage. I love ‘owner managers’ — company bosses with significant shareholdings who want to build wealth for the long haul. Such leaders do seem to act differently to standard chief executives. A hefty
Judges Scientific has delivered mega-bagger returns for its very early shareholders. Maynard Paton studies the growth and success of the ‘buy and build’ operator. Today’s rough market for small-cap shares could be the exact time to hunt for your next great portfolio winner. Take Judges Scientific, the £540 million group of scientific instrument manufacturers, which
Significant, acquisition-free expansion is prized by many investors. Maynard Paton studies the organic growth record of pay-by-mobile small-cap Fonix Mobile. Whisper it, but a few UK small-caps are still progressing well and maintaining resilient share prices in this difficult market. Fonix Mobile is a good example. Recent full-year results from this £206 million business showed
Many great companies still can’t resist ‘diworsifiying’ in the quest for growth. Maynard Paton studies IT specialist NCC and its costly folly beyond software escrow. “Instead of buying back shares or raising dividends, profitable companies often prefer to blow the money on foolish acquisitions. The dedicated diworsifier seeks out merchandise that is (1) overpriced,
Screening for consistently high margins and ROE leads to currency manager Record. Maynard Paton weighs up the small-cap’s super cash flow, well-paid workforce, diversification ambitions and bold targets. I have once again revisited a SharePad screen that applies two ratios favoured by ‘quality’ investors — operating margin and return on equity (ROE). The exact criteria