A 20-Year Case Study of an Investment in the Starbucks IPO

I’ve done case studies in the past of slower growing, highly profitable businesses such as Clorox, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Colgate-Palmolive among them.  We’ve also discussed case studies of some initial public offerings, such as an investment in Tiffany & Company twenty-five years ago.  I thought it might be interesting to look at another…

Details

A Case Study of Nestlé SA Shareholder Returns With and Without Dividends Reinvested

Personally, my household owns shares of Nestlé SA, the Swiss-based chocolate, water, coffee, condensed milk, packaged food, and nutrition giant.  I’ve never been able to get as much of it as I want due to valuation1, but whenever the stock is within striking distance of my conservatively estimated calculation of intrinsic value, I write a…

Details

A History of The Clorox Company and a Case Study of the 26-Year Investment Record

One of the additions I have been considering adding to the KRIP is The Clorox Company.  However, it appears somewhat overvalued right now, offering a lower earnings yield and slower sales growth compared to the S&P 500 if you view the index itself as a single stock, which doesn’t bode well on a relative basis.  That…

Details

Investing In Productive Assets Always Beats Gold and Gold Always Beats Fiat Currency In the Long-Run

It is a fairly regular occurrence for me to get messages from individuals who advocate a portfolio consisting entirely, or almost entirely, of gold, held for the long-term.  They usually follow the same pattern, are from the same demographic, and come through the contact form.  This morning, there was a comment left about gold and I decided…

Details

Acqua di Parma Is a Good Case Study of Reviving an Old Brand to Create a Story that Resonates with Consumers

After the Guerlain fragrance purchases earlier, I ended up buying several new bottles of Acqua di Parma, including the Colonia, Colonia Intensa, and Blu Mediterraneo Bergamotto di Calabria in the Italy Pavilion of Epcot at Walt Disney World.  Again, I realized that most of the people who were in the store with me probably didn’t know the story of the high-end brand, or the business behind it that provides a great example of how a left-for-dead business can be revitalized to become relevant, fresh, and lucrative.

Details

Guerlain Is Another Example of a Successful Family Business Lasting 150+ Years Before Being Sold

If Creed is the king of French perfume houses, Geurlain is the Queen.  It is one of the oldest perfume companies in the world, and for 166 years between 1828 and 1994, the business was in the hands of the Guerlain family.   In Walt Disney World’s Epcot French pavilion, I visited the Guerlain store, which…

Details

The Disney Tonga Toast at the Polynesian Resort’s Kona Cafe Made Me Realize I Need to Learn Several Fruit Confit Recipes

Several people had told me about the supposedly legendary Disney Tonga Toast at the Kona Cafe in the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World.  It is like a loaf of French toast, stuffed with bananas, sugar, and cinnamon, then accented with maple syrup and a strawberry confit.  Trying it, I will say it was delicious,…

Details

I Am in Orlando, Florida for the 2012 Annual Walt Disney World Vacation

From September 2nd through September 9th, I will be attending my family and friends’ annual Walt Disney World vacation in Orlando, Florida.  This time around, our group included eleven people and we all stayed at the Animal Kingdom Deluxe Resort and Villa.  Personally, I prefer The Grand Floridian of all the on-site properties because of the transportation access…

Details
Kennon-Green & Co. Global Asset Management, Wealth Management, Investment Advisory, and Value Investing