Sun, Skepticism, and Strategies

After 63 presentations in just three days, my head was spinning. But I won’t complain – after all, the investor conference took place in Cyprus. And there are certainly worse places to enjoy one last burst of summer.

On social media, someone mocked my LinkedIn post, pointing out that asset managers were holding their gathering in the sun while also generating CO₂ emissions. Well, what can I say? Does anyone really think an online event in a dark basement would draw anyone in?

What people often overlook: it’s not the presentation slides that make the difference, but the personal conversations in between. For fourteen hours a day, people discuss business models, sectors, and possible future developments. You learn about industries you previously knew little about, and from people deeply immersed in them.

And you escape your domestic bubble, where everyone views the world through similar lenses. In Cyprus, participants came from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the US – including Europeans living in Asia. One impression stood out immediately: the skeptical view of Europe.

Think long-term, don’t chase trends

This network continues to live on after the conference. You tap into collective knowledge and contribute your own.

My takeaway, once again, is that there is always something to do in the stock market. Around the world, thousands of companies allow you to stay true to your own investment strategy – provided it is sustainable in the long term. The real danger lies in chasing a dozen stocks simply because they have recently soared. Projecting the past uncritically into the future is rarely wise.

At Gutmann, we remain committed to our approach: we invest in outstanding business models worldwide and hold them for years in order to benefit from their entrepreneurial success. In doing so, we reduce our dependence on the sentiment-driven ups and downs of equity markets.