“….so long as we have business being conducted in the world people are going to want to issue debt to lower their cost of capital. And so, these guys, [Moody’s and S&P Global] we view them as just having an evergreen cash flow and that they have pricing power on that Global debt issuance industry because of that Global Network effect, that global language that they’ve created…”

“We view them pretty much like All-Weather stocks regardless of the outcome you pick. They seem to be fairly robust and we view them frankly, as Global Champions with enduring pricing power and a long runway for growth because they essentially act as a toll-taker on global insurance GDP.”

“Sometimes, the best investment opportunities are those where there is a temporary problem, but you can see that the business is sustainable and will come out the other side stronger,” says Brian Yacktman, founder and president of YCG Investments. “Estée Lauder is a global champion that checks every box for us.”

“The market has entered more of a casino mentality than ever before,” said Brian Yacktman, chief investment officer of YCG Investments, which oversees close to $1 billion in assets. “Anytime momentum is disrupted, it makes people start to question what they’re buying and what they actually own.” Yacktman’s investments include Microsoft, Facebook and Alphabet, and he hasn’t been selling …

“So, we think that the best recipe in this environment is to focus on owning a collection of Global Champions that have, ……….. very dominant Network effects, where it allows them to have pricing power.”

“…over the long run travel should continue to maintain its share of GDP, and in fact, actually grow its share of GDP and Booking essentially almost acts like a toll taker on the travel industry due to their powerful network effects.”

“This is a time of unprecedented uncertainty,” said Brian Yacktman, chief investment officer at YCG Investments. “What we’re seeing is a complete ping-pong match with markets bouncing around so much because nobody knows how things will shake out in the short run.”

Brian Yacktman “……we have found there’s just great value in fishing in a pond that stacks the odds in your favor by investing among very high-quality businesses………So, we’re looking to invest in the very few businesses that have the ability to charge a premium to their competitors’ offerings, even if they were to offer a virtually identical product or service, because there’s something unique about their business or their value proposition……”

Elliott Savage: “Banks we view as a great hedge because they’ve actually been hurt by all these declines in interest rates, and so , if we think banks can survive deep recessions, and also provide that hedging ability for the rest of our portfolio then we think it’s a really positive thing.”

YCG Investment’s President, Brian Yacktman, discusses luxury with Liz Claman on Fox Business  Countdown to the Closing Bell. Luxury stocks like LVMH, Hermes & Richemont have global brands that are recognized across the world which enables them to have enduring pricing power because of this network effect.

“Brian Yacktman talks about some of YCG’s portfolio holdings: Copart, Inc. (CPRT), MSCI, Inc. (MSCI), Moody’s Corp. (MCO), and Mastercard Inc. (MA).”

“YCG Investments President Brian Yacktman discusses his brand-name stocks in relation to Nordstrom’s new store in Manhattan.”

“Cosmetic companies aren’t completely immune to tariff threats, but people are more willing to spend money on personal-care products in times of economic uncertainty, and they’re typically one of the last things that people will cut back on,” said Brian Yacktman, President and Chief Investment Officer at YCG Investments.

Brian Yacktman talks about investing opportunities driven by fear.

With a recent wave of IPOs, “it’s a unicorn stampede, and there’s a massive backlog of many more still yet to come,” says YCG President and CIO Brian Yacktman. “But I think there’s a lot of hype that gets built into investor mentality, like a casino mentality.”

“We started the year on edge, but Powell has shown that the Fed will be accommodative,” said Brian Yacktman, president and chief investment officer with YCG Investments. Yacktman said some of the concerns about China may be overdone. He noted that even though Apple has been hit by weaker demand for iPhones in China, other consumer companies are holding up well, such as Starbucks (SBUX), luxury giant LVMH (LVMHF) and cosmetics comapny L’Oreal (LRLCF). His firm owns stakes in LVMH and L’Oreal.

Oracle will likely need to constantly acquire businesses to transform and grow, and we don’t know whether or not they’ll be wise stewards over the capital they spend trying to achieve that growth,” Brian Yacktman, chief investment officer and portfolio manager of YCG Investments, told CNBC in an email. “But so far, after all that …

Brian Yacktman, chief investment officer of YCG Investments, which owns over $5 million worth of Facebook shares. “He’s [Zuckerberg] hugely incentivized to keep Facebook strong, not to mention the fact that Facebook is his creation and legacy.” Yacktman also praises Zuckerberg for delegating at Facebook so that he can spend time on outside initiatives, including …

This past weekend YCG, LLC (“YCG”) marked 10 years of operation. YCG is an independent investment advisory firm wholly owned by its principals Brian Yacktman, Will Kruger, and Elliott Savage. “We believe the unique option component separates us from other strategies in the marketplace,” says Will Kruger, Principal and CEO of YCG…Starting an investment business …

Moneylife Market Call interview with Brian Yacktman.

YCG Portfolio Managers, Brian Yacktman and Elliott Savage Buy Great Businesses, Cheap says Kathryn Welling