Oakmark is the mutual fund family launched in 1991 by Harris Associates, the Chicago deep-value firm founded in 1976 (about $105bn AUM). Bill Nygren runs the flagship Oakmark Fund and David Herro the Oakmark International Fund, buying businesses at large discounts to intrinsic value and holding them like owners — publishing quarterly fund commentaries, market commentaries and insight articles.
This article explains how Oakmark's investment team holds weekly meetings to thoroughly vet new ideas. Instead of one person deciding, they discuss together whether a company has long-term advantages, fair valuation, and good management. For regular investors, this means you should look for fund managers who follow a disciplined team process, as group discussion reduces personal bias and helps avoid impulsive decisions. It's worth reading because it shows why teamwork can be more reliable than going solo.
In the article, Oakmark portfolio managers Justin Hance and Eric Liu elaborate on the importance of weekly research team meetings for thoroughly reviewing new investment ideas. The core argument is that through team collaboration and in-depth discussion, investment targets with long-term competitive
This chapter focuses on the core function of the Oakmark investment team’s weekly research meetings: the thorough review of new investment ideas. Authors Justin Hance and Eric Liu emphasize that this structured discussion is a key component of the investment process, aimed at enhancing decision-making quality through team collaboration.
The authors argue that the core value of the weekly research meetings lies in effectively screening investment targets with long-term competitive advantages, reasonable valuations, and quality management through collective discussion and in-depth analysis. This process helps mitigate individual biases and ensures the portfolio concentrates on high-conviction opportunities.
This chapter does not mention specific companies or assets; it only discusses the investment process itself.
Investors should value team collaboration and structured review mechanisms in investment decision-making to reduce the risk of individual biases and enhance the long-term robustness of their portfolios. Specific directions include prioritizing fund managers with clear investment processes and focusing on the depth and breadth of their team discussions.