Frasers Group 'is a rare retail gem in a battered sector'

Frasers Group is shunned for a reason, but brave investors should buy in now, says Jamie Ward

A Sports Direct sign above the entrance to a Frasers Group Plc department store
(Image credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Frasers Group isn’t the kind of company that wins awards for corporate governance or sustainability. It’s not the darling of environmental, social and governance (ESG)- focused funds, nor does it feature heavily in the portfolios of institutional investors.

Its majority owner, Mike Ashley, is a lightning rod for controversy – a maverick who seems to thrive on defying convention. Yet, beneath the headlines and the market’s disdain, Frasers Group has quietly compounded its book value per share at an impressive rate annually since listing in 2007.

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Jamie is an analyst and former fund manager. He writes about companies for MoneyWeek and consults on investments to professional investors.