After studying at the University of Toledo, John Neff worked as a stock analyst at the National City Bank of Cleveland for eight years.
In 1964 he moved to Wellington Management Co., where he led the Windsor, Gemini & Qualified Dividend Funds as portfolio manager. Until 1995, Neff was responsible for the consistent spectacular profits achieved by the Fund over several decades.
John Neff’s investment philosophy is generally considered to be a mix of contrarian and value investing.
He buys stocks - large, small and mid-caps – which have a low price-to-earnings ratio (P/E).
His analyses often include personal discussions with company management to help him better assess a company’s potential.
His contrarian side comes into play when he purchases stocks which have lost in value following negative reports. He often buys into popular sectors “indirectly” by investing in shares of companies near to an industry.
An example of how this investment style works: An investor following Neff’s investment philosophy would not buy stocks from oil companies if they can buy cheaper shares in oil-drilling equipment manufacturers instead.
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