Value Square in one word? Engagement

Value boutique

Since its inception in 2006, Value Square has positioned itself as a niche value boutique in the Belgian landscape of asset managers. Commitment and loyalty to the style are key. “We're not a utility company or a supermarket, but a fund boutique with a very distinct style.”

This is evident from a conversation with Wim Descamps and Thomas Maes (photo), both directors and partners at Ghent's Value Square. It is part of a series of discussions with smaller asset managers.

Value Square is strict and has stuck to the tried and tested concept of value investing since day one. The focus on (European) small and mid-caps and the range of funds for legal entities (DBI funds) is distinctive.

Recently, the group's organization chart has been further professionalized by attracting highly experienced people such as Koen Hoffmann and Kris Hermie, in the role of CIO. According to Descamps, there are temporary market inefficiencies, especially in Europe, that you can benefit from as a value investor, especially in the small and mid-cap segments.

Proximity

“Proximity to the customer is extremely important. After all, we are entrepreneurs ourselves. The relationship with some well-known industrial families in Flanders is very close. That is our biotope. By the way, our market share here can still grow by a factor of 6 or 7 in our own region,” Descamps explains.

Engagement

Involvement is the word that defines Value Square, according to Descamps. 'I found texts from before we got a permit in early 2007, and even then we were talking about engagement. It is at the heart of everything we do and typifies our relationship with the client, who is therefore less likely to panic when the market is tough. The biggest destruction of value happens by getting in and out of the market, because sooner or later, you'll be flagrantly wrong. '

Descamps also mentions the Beaver's annual meeting, which attracts around 200 to 300 investors. Company visits are also often organized at companies. “We cultivate that engagement in every way because we want people to stay invested.”

Want to read more?

Via the Investment Officer website: https://www.investmentofficer.be/nl/nieuws/value-square-een-woord-betrokkenheid

Disclaimer

This article was written at the initiative of Investment Officer and was not sponsored by Value Square, it was taken over in its entirety.