John Neff: the world’s greatest investors
Rather than picking the cheapest stocks, John Neff only invested in those that he believed had good business prospects.
John Neff was born in 1931 in Ohio. He graduated from the University of Toledo and got a job as a securities analyst at the National City Bank of Cleveland. After doing an MBA at Case Western Reserve University, he became the portfolio manager of Wellington Management Company in the 1960s, running its Windsor fund a year later. He would also go on to run the Gemini and Qualified Dividend funds, retiring at the end of 1995.
What was his strategy?
One rule of thumb he used was to add the growth rate (in percent per year) and the dividend yield together. If the resulting number was double the p/e ratio he would investigate the company in more depth. However, this wasn't an absolute rule and he frequently invested in stocks that didn't pay a dividend.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Did this work?
What were his biggest successes?
What other advice does he have for investors?
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.
He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.
Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.
As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.
Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri
-
What happens if you can’t pay your tax bill, and what is "Time to Pay"?
Millions are due to file their tax return this Friday as the self-assessment deadline closes. Though the nightmare is not over until you pay the taxman what you owe - or face a penalty. But what happens if you can't afford to pay HMRC your tax bill, and what is "Time to Pay"?
By Kalpana Fitzpatrick Published
-
What does Rachel Reeves’s plan for growth mean for UK investors?
Rachel Reeves says she is going “further and faster” to kickstart the UK economy, but investors are unlikely to be persuaded
By Katie Williams Published